The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-06-30
OUR COURT.


criminal business will likely occu;;
i By the entire week. Two weeks
for the dispatch of the criminal
business of the Court is something
unexampled in the past history Of
,ur District, and is: one of the
"signs of the times" showing the
prevailing corruption of morals,
and the rapid increase of crime.
Perhaps, as one of the counsel in
argument suggested, the more efh-
cieat administration of justice, has
only brought more to the suffaee
that which prevailed to, the same or
9aS larger extent in the period OF
military rule succeeding the war
yet what q contrast to the: good
..ante,hellum" days, when two or
three days at most, in the Spring
and Fall of the year were sufficient
To- effect a general Jail delivery.
New We have three Sessions OF the
&C nmiuat Court in the year.. occu-
g ryiag from one to two weeks each,
involving great cost to the State,
q and great Inconvenience to the cit
tisens; who are drawn away from
the,r farnls at the busy season of
The year, Aud all this too with
The -auxiliasy aid of the Trial JUS
tiee Courts, having jurisdiction of
nsisdemeanors where the penalty
does not exceed months impris-
" onmcnt and one hundred dollars
) iine.. In the mean time the civil
iidockets are looked. and suitow who
acenne up from Term to Term claim
ing restitution Of civil rights, Won
der and complain Of. ''the laws
delay" But for an able and untir-
ing Judge, and an energetic. and
sMsient Solicitor, the evil would
be greater. As it is, it is bad
enough. but perhaps a necessary
incident of the times. o. s." 81. +
.@ .5, The great case. Of the Term, and
The protraoted Investigation of
which has occupied SO many days,
.cwas that of the State vs.. Z. L. Gut:
9 I'm, L. p. Gufin, W. C. Gut6n and
Albert Hamblin, for The well-known
robbery upon the County Treasury
!, ,ongtheg night of the Both of last
a.1Iaech. The case was entered
snpon, on Thursday last, and occu
pied the. remainder Of the week,
in bringing out the testimony for
the prosecution and defence. - An
idea IF the amount of this testimo-
,;nf may be formed from the fact
that the Judge'snet cover ffty;ive
yelosaly written pages. Monday
oaadaone-half of Tuesday Of the
present week was devoted to the
argument, which occupied nearly
twelve . hours. y His Honor gave
greater latitude to- the argument,
,;hea said,4 because so little of the
time of the Court had been con
sunM 10 taking exception to the
testimony. During the argument
the, Court was densely packed, man
ifestingsthe general interest which
had :been excited, and for the first
time an our observation, the fair
sea, honored the temple OF justice
with their involuntary attendance,
whilst its priests wore ministering
at the altar.a5Ihe attention aud
eintepest; which were maintained
thsonghout. the argument afforded
the highest testimony which could
be given to the ability. and zeal
ssHithwhich the case was argued by
the legal gentlemen engaged. The
opening argument for the State
swas made by Col. Cothran, Who
'was followed by Col, Thomson and
Judge Hoge, for the adefenee-Gen.
:. .MeGewan replied forthe State Mr..
Burt followed for the Defence, and
IS the srgament was closed by the
Solicitor, Mr.: Perry for the State
.Asthe Investigation: had been most
thorough :andBearehing. the argu'
snasnt was. elaborate and: cogent, ant
the Judgeclosed with a clear and
zIispaasionate review Of the Jaw al
:: = applicable TO the facts d. The case
: :" =, ,:The testimony for the :prosecu
-. tion was entirely :circumstantial
and was remarkable for the nam
: i,er Of circumstances relied upon
The most prominent Of these were
fbat ananirv had been made ot