The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-07-08
OUR SOUTHERN CORRESPON-
DENCE.
Public Hea1th-Thc Weather-The
Criminal Courts.

CHARLESTON, s. c., June 30, 1878.
Editors Rutland Globe: After what is
claimed here to have been an unusually
cold spring, the genuine summer weather
Is upon us. The first two days of April the
mercury rose to $50 in the shade, but again
went down among the seventies, and not
until June did II again reach that figure.
Last Wednesday was the first time II reach
ed 90o, and on the following day it stood
at 92o at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. This
is the warmest weather we have yet expe-
rienced while in New York, at the same
time, il reached 06o. Yesterday and to-
day the warmest figure has been $50. The
natives here say that it very seldom reaches
1909 and that il may not reach 05o dur
ing the entire summer. Charleston is
favored in the afternoon with refreshing
here far more agreeable than it otherwise
would be. Upon Sulivans Island Cat the
southeastern extremity of which is Fort
Moultrie) is quite an extensive village,
WHICH Is lllutt u luNolltt Suilllltl ltSltltntt
for those who are able to migrate, and it is
said to be one of the most healthy islands
for summer resort upon the Atlantic coast
The sca-breeze and sea-bathing there we
know by experience to be very fine and
agreeable. Although the cholera has made
its appearance all around us, at Memphis,
Nashville, Knoxville and as far north as
Cincinnati, and the yellew fever is at quar-
antinc in New York harbor, Charleston has
escaped. There has been nothing here yet
to frightcn the nervous except two or three
cases of yellow fever at the quarantine hos
pital. The warm season here commences
two months earlier than it does with you,
but you have as warm days as are known
in Carolina, and we think Charleston has
the advantage of New York city in regard
to hot days as well as epidemics. If she
had good fresh-water supply-which she
has not-this would be as healthy city as
any upon the Atlantic coast. We firmly
believe that nothing but her magnificent
water supply keeps New York from being
ravished by pestilence every few years
will try and give you an inside view of
the criminal courts here. BY the very gen
tlemany states attorney for this county,
was the other day invited to a seat inside
the bar of the court of General Sessions.
Judge Graham, a jurist of considerable
ability, occupied the bench. The case up
on trial was that of mulatto woman
charged with baking and scndinga poison
ed cake to white girl whom she learned
had become engaged to be married to herOhc
mulatto girls paramoui. The evidence
was most direct and positive, first, of the
two druggists of whom the prisoner bought
the poison; second, of two boys whom she
hired to deliver the cake to the young lady;
and third, of the lady, Ga next door neigh
bor) whom she employed to address the
label attached to the cake. The cake was
warm when received and had suspicious
smell about it which prevented it from be-
ing eaten. Still jury composed of nine
black and three white men, brought in a
verdict of not guilty.
The day spent in this court was very
warm, and at least onc-half the persons in
side the bar, beside the jury, were colorcd,
| among whom were one of the colored
Congressman from South Carolina, and
among the asscmblage of spectators there
was not one white person in ten all of
which had peculiar effect upon my olfac-
tory nerves, that-well, never mind, but
when returned to my room a beautiful
fresh blossom of the cape jasmin or night
blooming cereus, which kind friend had
sent me, smelled unusually refreshing.
But this court they tell me is not a fair
sample, that must attend the city Grim
inal court, to be held commencing the first
week in July. This court is presided over
by colored Judge. This man was free
man, believe, before the war,-that is,
as free as it was possible for man of
color to be with the state laws then exist
ing,-and since then has been a lawyer of
some ability with plenty of mony, He is
without doubt as capable of fulfilling the
duties of his position, perhaps as any Off
cal in the city, but the officials and hang
ers on at his court naturally follow the
color reflected from the bench, and a white
man in that court would look as much out
of his element as pigeon in a flock of
crows. The negro has one very character
istic habit of taking every possible oppor-
tunity for nap. / was frequently re-
minded of this during my presence at the
Court of General Sessions, by the order
from the bench-"Mr. Sheriff, will you
wake up that juryman." w.