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

criminal business will likely occa
by the entire week. Two weeks
for the dispatch of the erlmina
business of the Court is something
unexampled in the past history O
our District, and is one of the
9.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 eth
cieat administration of justice, has
only brought more to the surface
that which prevailed to the same OF
- larger extent in the period Of
military rule succeeding the war
yet what e contrast to the: good
..ante,helaum" days, when two or
three days at most, in the Spring
and Fall Of the year were sufficient
to effect q general Jail delivery.
New We have three Sessions OF the
Criminal Court in the year,, oceu.
sryiag from one to two weeks each,
involving great cost to the State,
saadgfcat Inconvenience to the cit.
-sszens, who are drawn away from
2the,r farms at the busy season of
The year, Aud all this TOO with
the auxiliary aid of the Trial Jus
tice Courts, having jurisdiction of
Dsisdemeanors where the penalty
does not exceed a months impris-
onmcnt and one hundred dollars
fine. In the mean time the civil
iidockets are looked. and suitoFs who
come 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
efficient Solicitor, the evil would
be- greater. As it .7is, it is bad
.,enough,, but perhaps a necessary
incident of the times. o - 81. 81.
q The great case Of the Term, and
The protracted investigation of
which has occupied SO many days,
was that of the State vs. L. L. Guf
I'm. LIP. Gufin, ". C. Gufin, and
Albert Hamblin, for The well-known
robbery upon the County: Treasury
roRSthe5 night of the 8oth 5of last
a,Afarch. The case was entered
supon, on Thursday last, and occu
pied the. remainder Of the week,
in bringing out the testimony for
the prosecution and defence. - An
idee of the amount of this testimo-
rs may be formed from the fact
that the Judges notes cover ffty:fve
closely 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,
he said,9 because so little Of the
time of the Court had been con
suned 10 taking exception to the
testimony. During the argument
the Court was densely packed, man
ifestingthe general iaterest which
had been excited, and for the frs,
time an our observation; the. fai,
sex, honored the temple Of justice
With their involuntary attendance,
whilst its priests we're n,in;sterins
at the altar. The attention and
Interest; which were maintained
Throughout the argument a'a afforded
the highest testimony which could
be given to the ability: and yea
ssNithwhieh the case was argued bJ
the legal gentlemen engaged. The
aopening argument for the State
ewas made by Col. Cothran,, who
was followed By Col, Thomson and
Judge Hoge, for the .defenec--Gen.
3.MeGewan replied ferthe: State, Mr..
Burt followed for the Defence, and
the srgament was closed by the
Solicitor, Mr.. Perry for the State,
.Asthe invest tigation;had been most
thorough and searching, the argu'
emsat wasselaberate and cegent, and
the Judgeclosed Rith q clear and
3tIispassionate review of the Jaw as
:: applicable to the facts of the case
The testimony for the prosecu'
ton was entirely circumstantial,
and was remarkable for the mum.
i,er9of circumstances relied upon.
The most prominent of these were