The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-20
AFFAIRS IN THE STATE.
LETTER FROM MARION.
Court Mntters-A Fragrant Case OF
Riot-Win the Governor Pardon the
Crfmfnals!-CroPs, sc.
MARION, S. c., June 10.

MARION, 5. u, June ~.
The June term of our court opened on last
Monday: Judge Green. is presiding, as our
county was at Ia. sossion of the General AS
sembly taken from the fourth and tackled on
to the third circuit. The business of the gene
raj sessions is still unfinished, and the case
against the parties who killed Robert Miles,
ian account Of which. you have heretofore
pubfished,) still remains untried. Atrue Dill
for murder, however. has been found against
them, aud Tuesday is assigned for the trial.
The cases tried 30 far, are, with one or two
executions, unimportant. The only cases OF
much moment were one for official mlscon-
duct againsta trial justice, which resulted in
an acduitttal, ind the other against several
parties for riot, assault and battery.
Your readers doubtless remember the outra-
ceous assault and battery upon q colore0 man,
James Smoot, who had voted the Reform
ticket, BY some OF The Radical negroes here,
and the subsequent riot which alarmed the.
quiet of Our town, while they sought to mo
him after he had fled from them. 1t occurred
not q few, days after the last election, and the
testimony in this case clearly evidenced the
factthat Jamess crime was not voting the Re
publican ticket. The parties, with two excep-
lions, treated the court with utter. contempt,
evidently relying upon the Executive 10 sllelo
them from the consequences OF their crime.
Governor Scott may pardon them, but II ne
does 50, then he win show 1 plainly n.y.. mat a1a ms s,1 .
out to- the grand jury in February last, and
that body, composed of white and colored
men in about equal numbers, found a true
bill. The parties were all under recogl'zances
to appear, but not doing 80, the solcltor con-
tfnued the case to this term, so there could oe
no ground forthe assertion, it vas anticipated
they would make out, that they were prejudged.
and:tried in their absence. At this term, Two
only appeared, Though until just before court
many OF them were continually In town. ana
Msssre.. Johnson and Blue defended them; Dut
the evidence was clear, and all but one OF lac
parties charged were fou md. g9 unity; w, line ~ veI-
Hayne, A. Clarke Hayne, 0lhelo Harllee,
Beechman Robinson. Jack johnson, Cesar
Evans, Virgil Johnson, Alfred .GreeH wesley.
Green, Alfred G. Berry, Randolph Mcintyre,
Monday Morgan and Henry Howard guilty,
and Henry Collier not guilty. and this py IS
Some time, and after able argument by counsel
for the defendants. By recurring to your MES
you will find that, first, some of these parties,
Otheaio Harllee,. Monday Morgan and some
others, attacked Jas. Smoet In the street Wnlle
he wasgolng quietly home along VIII one .0f
our citizens, whom he had requested to go
with him by way of avoiding his danger: They
fred q pistol (6f some q not lanes Smoot
fred it, andared itat Smoot, too,) and raising
ahuaand CRY that Smoot had shot at some Of
their party, they gathered together a crowd,
armed with rifles, sticks, DC, pursued their
selected Victim, broke open the door OF q
white mans house in which he had taken tenn
porary refuge, made our town hldeous with
cries OF skill him ~ skill him !" and their
dreadful demonstrations, and finally, for his
protection, the poor fellow was placed and
kept in jail sil night. On this charge they
were fairly and impartially tried and found
guilty. Judge Green will, we suppose, pass
Sentence on them next week, and we walt TO
see whether the laws, shall and will be exc
cuted without favor or prejudice. The Gov
ernor will see this, and can learn the rest from
Judge Green, and he canRot say, whatever no
may do, that the facts were not before him. :
Crops here are looking tolerably well, and
win hear again after the close Of the. term. OF
court, from MAHioN'