Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-07-22
THE PARKER CASE.

lne case OF Lfle OCaCe US. drkeT, WIllCli uae
been on trial before Judge Carpenter in Co.
lumbia for more than week, was closed at
5 o'clock on Monday last, at which hour the
Judge finished his charge and the jury retired
At 10 o'clock on that night, the jury gave
notice that they had agreed upon verdict,
but it was II o'clock before everything was
in readiness to receive it, which was rendered
as follows: eve find for the plaintiff in the
sum of seventy-6ve thousand dollars" Mr..
Youmans, counsel for the defendant, excepted
to the verdict and gave notice of motion for
new trial.
Although we doubt if the above sum, or
even a much smaller amount, could be COL
ected from Parker, and while, by some tech
nicality of the law he may eventually be re-
leased, yet we confess to an agreeable surprise
at the result of this case, and do not despair
of the good time coming when our State Gov
ernment may be rid of thieves, and that those
who occupy positions of public trust may be
made to know and feel that they can no longer
rob and plunder the people with impunity.
The conviction of Republican ofice.holder
before Republican Judge, the case ,prosecu-
ted by a Republican Attorney. General, and a
majority, if not all the jury Republicans, has
taught this important fact, and the lesson will
not be without its salutary effects.
Attorney General Melton was but in the
discharge of his duty as public officer in
conducting the prosecution, yet he is entitled
to the thanks of the people for the bold and
fearless position he took in the very incipien-
cy of this trial, and the skillful manner in
which he conducted it to the close. 1t is
generally known that just prior to his arrest,
Parker was making arrangements to leave
the State for parts unknown, which fact being
made known to the Attorney-General that
officer caused his arrest to be made in another
case, by which he could be held long enough
to allow time for the preparation of the ne
cessary papers in the case which has just been
tried. The Attorney General was ably assist
ed in conducting the prosecution by James
H. Rion, Esq, of Winnsboro.
The Attorney-Geueraps argument lasted
six hours, and being the closing argument for
the State was heard by an immense crowd of
listeners, all of whom pronounce it master
ly effort, and a complete erposs of the frauds
charged upon the defendant. He spoke first
of the plunderers of the Republican party,
who had come from the victorious Union
army as band of robbers to rob the dead
and dying people of this PROSTATE State He
spoke of the disintegration of the Republican
party, owing to the corrupt men who had been
put in office, and who claimed to represent
that party, but argued that the principles of
the party, when justly administered, are such
as to conserve the best interest Of all the peo-
pie to rid the State of these robbers, Of whom
the defendant is fitting representative. At
ter alluding to the attack of defendants coun-
sci upon the press, which the speaker thought
had been remarkably lenient with the defen-
dant, he then made long and exhaustive ar
gument upon all the important points involved
in the case.
The charge of Judge Carpenter is spoken
of as fair and impartial statement of the
case, enforcing the general principal that if
the jury found by the evidence that the cou-
pons had been paid and sent down by Kimp-
ton to Parker and those coupons were the
same missing ones, that Parker was RESPONSE
BILE for the whole amount claimed by the State.
The fact that they were divided among other
parties made no difference.
The next case against Parker, for alleged
misrepresentation of moneys belonging to the
Sinking Fund, is also set for hearing this
week.