The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-09-17
South Carolina Officials.

A correspondent Of the New York Sun
tells some stories about the negro officials
Of South Carolina which are very amusing,
but the fun must be very serious to the
residents of that unhappy State. Not long
since a negro offender was brought before
a negro Trial Justice. The prisoners Of
fence was i'll fact, no offence at all and it
was out of malice that he was arrested A
white mana most respectable farmer
had given him some cotton seed, and he had
taken it without a thought but that the
title was good. But another negro claimed
the cotton seed and had darkey No. l ar
rested for stealing. The Trial Justice heard
the testimony and sentenced the poor negro
to ten days Imprisonment and twenty dol
lars fine, although there was not particle
Of testimony upon which he could reasona-
bly, base Il conviction. 1t happened the
Circuit Court was in session and the Judge
was informed that an innocent man was in
Jail He had the Justice before him in
court and inquired for the testimony, which
the law declares shall be reduced to writing
81 hain't got any" said the black JUS
tice. II don't do no writin' in my court.
/ keeps it all in my head"
"What testimony did you have against
the man p demanded the Judge.
He could not give any.
"Then why did you convict him p the
Judge asked.
Cause, sab, I noticed him close and he
looked guilty
"You convicted him then on his looks
and not on the evidence ?''
"Yes, sab, he looked guilty and found
him guilty"
The black judicial officer was thereupon
given some advice as to how to conduct his
court, and departed with bow and
"Yes, sab"
| asked the lawyer as to the other Chester
county officials He informed me that the
county was represented in the Legislature
by three members, all negroes. One of
them was a preacher, whose popularity was
that he would never take more for his vote
than SO. He did not think it wrong to
sell his vote, provided he did not exact an
exorbitant price Ten dollars he conceived
to be the fair figure. "This thing Of gettin
Il hundred dollars for a VOTE" he says, SIS
all wrong ten dollars is as much as it is
wof"
The County Commissioners of Chester, ]
was told, were two ignorant negroes and
one drunken Irishman. The juries in the
courts are usually composed of four or five
white men and seven or eight negroes. As
| jurymen, the negroes all seem desirOus tC
do right, but the trouble is their ignorance
In matters of accounts involving writer
documents and figures, how is negro t
be of service as juryman when he does no
know figure from an exclamation point
Another difficulty experienced with then
as iurymen is the constant effort required
to keep them awake. In hot weather, under
the soothing influences of testimony anC
argument, of which they understand moth
ing, or at best but little, the African dis
position to relapse into a doze is almost if
resistable. In the courts here the testimon,
and arguments are frequently interrupted b,
the Judge ordering the sheriff to ''wakc "
those iurymcn" If the Judge has not haC
his dinner, or if, having it, it sits heavil,
on his stomach and he feels generally an
noyed, he sometimes breaks out, after
short stock of patince is exhausted: "Mr
Sheriff, wake up them niggers.'