Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-28

treason, should they be tried and convicted,
Baxter, under the law, as Governor, would be
unable to pardon them.
A Little Rock dispatch Of the 24th says the
situation there is growing more complicated
every day-owing to the fact, as is alleged,
that Baxter is applying martial law to the
civil officers, State, county and civil-and re-
moving such as he can if they are known to
sympathize with Brooks. A reign of terror is
said to exist throughout the State. The
movements and intentions of Brooks are not
known.
THE INDICTMENT OF GOVERNOR MOSES.
Great excitement prevailed in Columbia
last week, in consequence of the indictment
of Governor Moses, charged with grand lar
ceny, by the grand jury of Orangeburg coun-
ty, and the subsequent rumor that the Sheriff
Of Orangeburg had arrived in Columbia, for
the purpose of arresting the Governor, on a
bench warrant issued by Judge Graham.
The following are the preliminary proceed
ings in the case, AS reported by the Orange.
burg correspondent Of the Charleston Ne,us
and Courier, under date of the 18th instant !:
"The spring term of the Court of General
Sessions was called at ten o'clock this morn
ing, Judge Graham presiding. Solicitor G.
w. Buttz appeared for the State. Rumors of
a grave nature concerning the Governor were
whispered Oh the streets, and it was generally
believed that the Indictment of j. j. Hum
bert, the defaulting county treasurer, would
involve other State officials high in authority.
1t will be remembered that Humbert was ar
rested last month on charge of being de-
faulter for from $4,000 to $4,000. At the
time of his arrest it was generally believed
that he had been fooled by the Governor, who
promised to screen him. This turns out to
be true, and the grand jury Of this county
brought in true bill on an indictment against
j. L. Humbert and Franklin j. Moses, Jr.,
for breach of trust and grand larceny with
fraudulent intent The Indictment charges
Moses with having induced Humbert to use
$4,000 of the State taxes to pay his (Moses)
private debts. Solicitor Butte seems to be in
earnest. As soon as the indictment had been
brought into court, he asked for bench war
rant for the arrest of Moses.
The Court els that the Governor, Mr.
Solicitor?
Solicitor. II don't know, your Honor; !;
there is man by that name who is Gov
ernor."
Court. "But the court hestates to grant
an order for bench warrant until it looks
at the indictment. If it is an official act Of
the Governor l must examine to see if the
court of sessions has jurisdiction, or a court
of impeachment"
Solicitor. "But. your Honor, the indict-
ment charges no official act, and [ know of
no exemption Of the Governor from answer
ing to criminal charges"
"Court "Well, will look into it, and
will not grant the order now, as it is very
important matter, and I never heard of such
case"
Solicitor. "Will your Honor name time
when you will decide"
Court "To-morrow morning"
Solicitor "What! did your Honor never
hear of breach of trust and larceny?"
Court 81 never heard ola Governor being
charged with it."
Later in the day the solicitor pressed the
matter again, and the court granted the order
for the arrest of F. J. Moses, Jr, on bench
warrans. The amount of bond was fixed at
six thousand dollars, and the case to be tried
at the present term Of court. The sheriff
left on the train last night to execute the
warrant."
On Tuesday morning, it having been an
nounced that the Sheriff of Orangeburg had
arrived in Columbia for the purpose of ar
resting the Governor, in response to a requl-
sition from Moses, rigadier-General Nash,
of the National Guards, ordered a detail of
men from the Neagle Rifles, colored, and the
company of colored Zouaves, to keep watch
and ward over the Executive office and its
approaches, and also around the Preston
Mansion. The Governor, acting, as he said,
under legal advisement refused to be arrested
or to recognize the jurisdiction of the court
in which he had been indicted, as also the
power of the Sheriff of Orangeburg to serve
process in Richland county. Later in the
day four companies were on guard, and about
one o'clock the Governor, in company with
John B. Dennis, the superintendent of the
penitentiary, drove in state through the town
to the Executive office, which was guarded
by the colored troops In the afternoon he
returned to his residence, where a detach-
ment of the militia also kept guard. About
seven o'clock, P. NJ, the troops rendezvoused
at the State. house, and partook of choice re-
freshments furnished by order Of the Cover
nor, and at 10 o'clock marched under arms
to the Governors residence, where they were
stationed on picket.
The Governors stroke of policy in calling
the militia to protect him from arrest, without
consuming time with red-tape formalities, or
making a requisition through the regular
channels, provoked the ire of Adjutant and
Inspector-General Purvis, who tartly de-
manded Of his Excellency by what, or by
whose order the troops we're called out, as no
order had been received by his department
ordering such action on their part The Gov
ernor, in the brefest manner possible, replied
that the troops surrounding the State House
we're called out, hurriedly, by verbal orders
from the commander-in.chie This not being
satisfactory TO the war Office of the State,
General Purvs replied to the Governor that
the protection of those whom he had seen fit
to call upon to guard him was not assured in
the manner provided by law; and that in
their position at that time, the soldiers were
no more than private citizens threatening
breach of the peace. The General also re-
spectfully submitted isearnest protest against
the action of the Governor in this matter, in