The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-12-20
1ERoM ORR SPECIAL REpoRrER.l

ana sucn as are ScluOu WlluesSeu IL lueSe
piping times of peace. 1t was generally
known that Hon. Reverjy johnson would
speak in defence Of the prisoner against the
charges of conspiracy contained in the indict-
ment, which has been given heretofore, In full,
In THE NEWS, and on the floor of the court
room was an assemblage be6tting the occasion,
including about the whole of the Columbia bar,
many lawyers from the interior, and several
from the lower portion of the State. The rest
OF the audience was made up Of citizens from
nearly every portion Of the State, and of all
shades of political opinion. There were also
present a larger number of ladies than on any
previous occasion. The galleries were filled
to overHowing with an audience composed
having done u small days work had goodly
namber of representatives present The House
was not so we'll represented. the events which
were transpiring there, mentioned In another
place, being Of such an absorbing nature that
even the Characteristic curiosity of that boiy
was for once overwhelmed In the subject.
Mr.. Johnson opened by expressing his
views regarding slavery, saying among other
things that he considered 1t the vice OF the
age, aud was thankful that 1t had been done
away with: that he hoped to live to see the
day when 1t would have no foothold in any
spot on the globe. Referring TO the course
that South Carolina had pursued during the
war. he believed that she hal done no act that
she believed 10 be wrong at the time, or that
she believed she had not perfect right 10 40,
and in this belief there were many other men
of prominence and note who thought with her.
That the experiment had proved disastrous
one there could be no doubt; but the efsrt end.
ed. ..the people who had entered 1t had bided
the nnal result, accepted the situation, and
were now as anxious Tor the prosperity OF the
country as any one could be.
In reply TO the remarks CT the attorney
general, insinuaiing that counsel mad come ln
the capacity of defenders OF conspiracy. Mr..
johnson said, We are not Knights Errant We
are to old, aid ask what brings here the
encouragement Of the Stale 1t was not his
duty TO prosecute these cases in the United
Sraies Courts. 1t was his duty to see that lhe
State courts took proper measures to carry out
the law and bring offenders to justice. Mr.
Johnson paid q high compliment to the attor-
ney-general for the manner in which he mad
managed the case. Mr.. Johnson then rather
'.went for the distinguished young barris-
ter for the manner in which he had
endeavored to make 1t appear that
counsel for the defence had pursue i
a singular course in the trial. Mr.: johnson
said he had listened with unmiXed horror 10
many of the assertions made by witnesses.
The acts were inhuman, not TO be palliated or
excused, and showed that the parties engaged
in them were brutes, insensble to the laws OF
God aud humanity; that ii he for one moment
thought the prisoner was guilty of the murder
of Jim Williams he would not be here TO de-
feud him. He came to see that the law was
properly tested. and II there was not some
QUESTION unde. the acts OF 1870 aud 1871 that
would settle the matter of testing before the
Supreme Court of the United States. The
court had divided already In opinion upon TWO
'ouestions, and one remained upon which their
division had not been pronounced. The dis
tinguished counsel then reviewed the lnoict-
ment and the evidence, and stated that the
points involved In the original indictment
were contained In three counts-three charges:
The first, conspiracy 10 prevent colored men
from exercising the right OF suffrage In Oco-
Der, 1872. Second, conspiracy TO deny the
right 10 bear arms This mad been withdrawn
by the district attorney when he found Ohiae'
lion was going to be raised. (Here Mr.. john
son paid q rebuke to tine proceeding en- the
part OF the district attorney By saying that that
officer (hough he did not believe ne meant
it) had shown disrespect to the court when
he said he would "tear the indictment TO
pipces"-that Is, withdraw the charge. Third.
conspiracy to injure Jim Will ms for eXer-
cising the right of suffrage. Mr. johnson
having thus marked ont plainly the ground IN
this case, proceeded In masLrrly manner TO
show, by The evidence. that there was no: hing
to sustain the charge that any conspiracy had
existed Ior the perpetralion OF the crimes al
legged, and that the people and this prisoner
were in 10 way responsible therefor. His re.
marks throughout were listened 10 with rev.
erental silence, ard made deep impression.
Mr. Curbin followed in support Of The argu-
ment made by Attorney General Chamberlain
on Saturday, going over pretty much the
same ground. His main points otherwise
were TO show that the fires had occurred long
after outrages had been committed upon seve-
raj colored persons, ami the murder Of Jim
Williams was not attributable 10 any threats
ne had made, and appealed 10 the jury that
there was little 10 censure If he had made
them, and that, under the circumstances, Jim
Williams was justi6able or eXcusahie In max
ing threats to Kill from the cradle up" and
that the only wonder was that ''yonr houses
were not all burned-you were not all assassina
ted" In lh- course Of his remarks he con-
nected incidentally the Ku-KluX with the
Democra ic party, and claimed that where ne
groes had been whipped by some unknown
parties it was TO keep them from voting In
1872. Mr.. Corbin's argument was not Of q
conciiiatory character.
Judge Bond then delivered his charge to the
jury, reading the same from paper in for
NAL manner. The Jury then retired, and, al
ter an absence of thirty eight minutes, return
ed WIN q VerQlCL Ol guilty. Vi SeHeTdl COHspll-
acy They were sent back by the Judge with
further Instructions. and, after few mo-
ments' absence, rendered q verdict Of guilty as
10 The second charge.
Counsel for defence then filed motion for a
new trial upon the ground that the evidence
did not sustain such q verdict. The following
Is the
CHARGE OF JUDGE BOND.
Gentlemen orthe J,uy-You have listened with
patience TO the recital or the evidence In his
cause, and Without commenting upon That, the
court proposes to state to you the law, applicable
TO the evidence, which must guide you In ma ,ing
up your verdict. The indictment. gentlemen, Is
for a conspiracy, which is an agreement oy Two
or more persons TO do an unlawful thing, or TO do
a lawful thing by unlawful means. The thing to
be punished Is the unlawful conspiracy, and not
The particular acts done In pursuance Of 1t. The
conspiracy Is crime II nothing be done In pur.
suanc Off.
The indictment. gentlemen, contains two
counts. The first charges that the defendant and
Others Joint y indicted with him. with having
conspired tu violate the FIRST section OF the act OF
May 81 1870, by unlawfully hindering, preventing
and restraining certain class OF persons therein
nar'ed from the future exercise CT the right tn
vote at an election to take place In October. 1872.
on account of their race. color or previous con-
ditiVn OF servitude.
And the second count charges that he. with
n