The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-01-19

with tho riao. but cannot say positively about ,h,
double barrel guns. as eeser"i had guns. hav,
xesu tho sri6o WAS handel 10 li,n) tht
is TEL know Il by certain marks Cd t.. knsd
DR. Miller before came et,s Of, tho storo by bii
voice. knew uenrr huBose, Leieen,
. aDd Watts. did not recognize Brown. Tb,
rifle is worth about SI00, the double barre
guns each about 500, and the Aa.ks Of Of wbis
Key about 81 each, have neyor recovered any
o! my properly except the rife. Tho. stock q
goods vas worth about $4,000.
Gross Examined by +. W. Moiso, Efq.-I saw
Mr.. Hampton Watts the next day aud took my
children from school. DR.. Miller was not in th,
store. .tat oufside-I do hot know that Lo weut IL
! at oil. am satisfied thut saw Lesesne therc bu
moro satisfied that saw Watts Watts brought
tout nIy watch 20 mol am not certain that they
ktSyt asy} }HrsPsltf of mine-dia not see uny q
~ ',hsI h,n1isdsap Of .ay p,'s1
know II either OF the prisoners carried tho light
wood never had a quarrel with either Of The
prisoners. They were against me because was
Radical. posted rewnrd Of $25 fo. the
conviction Of tho parties who burned my store.
told that the Governor made proclamation and
offered u reward Of 100000 for tho conviction
Of either Of tho prisoners. All tho party had
masks on, and something white below tbeii' faces.
When c0nvoTsed with persons otter tho urn
Eing. was not fit stu.o of mind apd concealed
my viOws dcsignculy und advised MIR. L0lly to
do tho same.
Mr.. pinckney Rodgers sworn-I havo seen
tho gun bcfort--(a rife bcing handed TO him by
tho ShcriG)-I had ho acquaintance with Mr..
Robertson, ind did not know that no had storo.
l was fishing in nkc near Maytsville when I
saw tho butt Of this gun and took it out, q friend
being With mo ut tho lilnc.
| This ended tho testimony on tho part OF the
State. Mr.. Richardson. IN behalf Of tho dcfend-
ants. moved for n verdict Of not guilty for Brown,
as tho State had udduccd no evidence against
him. Tho Jury, under tho direction ofthe Julgo,
rctiro'l, aud in few minutes brought in verdict
| for Brown Of f"Not Guilty."
Mr.. Il, j. Fraser, ono Of tho Attorneys for tho
defendants, CALLED the attention OF tho Jury, in a
| short address, TO tho character OF tho icfSncc,
and called upon the Jury to protect the innocent.
One yehr before ho hal been called to defend
Two colurcd men ut this bar, charged with u like
oiTence-thcy were acquitted, nul lc only asked
the same justice to be dispensed to these citizens
as TO th"sU two unk known i,ersome.
tict them, nfamy is tIeir inheritance forever.
| lfyuu convict tboni, and eVnsign tlicm to tho
Penitchti,ry there will bc no hole fur them in
the future. Such llas Lcen tho yindictivc.
ness shown by the Executive ufthe State in this
case, that lie had II" hupo Of Executive clemon :
cy, whatever might hc tho developments Of the
future rs to their Innocence.
Tho jury has beon and sill IS the palndum Of
our rights, aud with all our degradation rs o
reopie, 'ur courts still dispense justice. The
State has charged heinous crimes upon the
prisoners at the bar. hlfi Kobcrtsun's store has
nctpynly been burncd-wo do not do:cnd tho
burning, but you luust decide if lhcso men did il.
l knuw moth ng Of Radcnlisn or Of Democracy
in this Court liouso. Thtso citizens Gavo bcon
dragged from tho privacy Of domestic lilu and
arc beforc you charged as fclons. Two Of tho
witnesses have said that tloy knew the prisoners
aud Two other men to have been there. th"ugh they
wcrc maskcd. Wo propose to provo That James
l..scsne, who has also bccR chargc,l with bcng
there, was OH the night "i tho 2lst Of October, in
te town Of Mannng-thut II. Y. nuBoso was
n ch lkul n. .,sht trNt rtnn
quite ili-that q. II. Watts was with q com.
lmnion, mud wont 10 sit up with sick person nj
DR.. DuBose's and that ho stud ull night al Mr..
Willis Spann's-that DIR. Miller was seven miles
OFT at homo. Mrs. Miller will provo ,l,at he wns
ut homo all that night. We will prove by persons
WHO watched that night that DR.. Miller could not
havo left tho premises without its being found
cut.
WITNESSES FOR THE DEFENCE.
t. l.. Fraser, Jr., sworn-I live above Mo
lchanic+vio about Two OF thrco miles Mechanics
Ivillu Is Mr.. Kohcrtson's store about fur
!ur fyo mus. heard Of tho burning Of Mr..
Rubyrlson's store iho dag after it occurred. ia
! map being handed " him, ho showed the relative
distances and positions Of RuLor,son's, DR.. Mil
lers and Willis Spnnns.) lIo said that Dr..
Miller lived seven miles ircm RpbcrtSnn'S store
nnd Willis Spann Ii, & miles. From Dr. Dubosc's
| tO R"herlsoH's " 8 b.twcon frenn,l six miles,
un,l Willis Spnnn's from DR.. Dubose's between
| two and three miles.
James Ktmh.rf, swurn--I Ircnicmher tho burn.
| ing Of Mr.. Robrrlsens sturc--I was mt Mr..
Willis Spnnn's Mt tho time, and c. II. Watts, aMd
Il. i. llcriot, Jr., were with mo. Watts, licrot
nnd went two miles M to DR.. DmBoses, his son
| hcing very illwc went 10 sit up, but found
tl.cre was plenty Of company prcscnt--Iienry
nnhoso came out md i"Id us 50 and wo cr--it
| was abuut ~ OF IL ocluck. We went to Mr..
| Willis Spann's direct from DR.. DuDusc's, there
! put UP cur horses aud went to he'd. l slept III
the same bed with Wats--I cant bo mistukcn--
ho was ut Mr.. Willis Srann's all night. Next
| morning I heard the store was burned. Watts
could nUt have left The house without my know
F, ing il.
! james I.o.csnc, sworn--I member when MI.
Robersnn's store was burned. 1 w.,s nn my wny
| from Snntco when heard tic nows. spent tho
! niEhs Of the 2Ist Of October ut Manning, with my
| br"ihcr-in-iaw, Mr.. q. r. Robertson, nnd heard
| on my why next dny of the occurrence. IN, ore
Of tho defendants in one Of the cRses.
Il. I. Robertson, swrrn--I live at Manning.
On tho night Of the 2ist Of Octohor T was at
h"Inc and James Lcscsnc siaid with mo that
night, and was tlcrc next mrrring. l live
tn:rty."nu miles from Knhcrt.nn's store.
H. Y. DuBn.e, sworn. live near Mechanics
viii". nj my lnhrs, and heard nf the burning tho
nlrrning after. About . pcl"ck Of tho night of
, The 2lst of October. Mr.. g. II. Waits. Jumcs
Rcmhcrt and X. l.. Hermit. .Jr. cams ana rrn-
poS,d To cit NJ with my sick hiotl OF. tuld them
we had plenty Of company that night, nnd ro
uucstc'l them to como unoth.y 2;.ne. They III,
r"dc on'-}lcriot towards has house and Watts
AMI Rcmlert towards MIR. Willis 9ranns. /
rttnrinrd at hrnc MI Tint night.
DR.. Thos. j. Dubrsc, swnrm--I 1.-Two IN this Di..
trct and hrnr, of Tho burning Of MIR. RoLcrsun's
store next morning. | had n very sick shn
Henry. my other SON. WIS at h"ne all thnl night
l.. II. f!olman. swurI- live in this District
imt Observation-Disclosures tho burning Of
Robcrts"E's sorc- heard Of ii next morning
Was in company with Mr.. Tnbly next lnnrning-
E,..t IL,