The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-03-04
Judge Reed Passing the Death Sentence on
sfsso2 ,vr. g; Four Murderers.

syudge Reed Passing the Death Sentence ON
,st,e''a 'ss- p Fonr Mur,dererMs. z[1s, q e. -. -
..,Judaet p: Reed, of the First Circuit, has
been engaged for nearly month IN the Court
a,fsGeneral Sessions for Charleston County.
He has dispatched alsrge amount of criminal
business, and effected general jail delivery,
resulting in about thirty: five convictions. for
nearly every offence on the calendar OF crime:
pn Tuesday, 2Srd Of February, the time }, was S
devoted to sentencing prisoners convicted du-
Iineethe term, and we make the following ex-
tract from the proceedings -
Dennis B., Bunch, convicted of the murder
,ofi MIR, John eDonaghue, and George, Hoyte
and Jordan Hardee, three brothers, convicted
of the murder of Staten Lanier, colored man,
INST. Johns Berkeley, on the 4tn of July last,
were first placed in. the. dock. Before passing
sentence. Judge Reed said The position you
occupy before the Court to-day is a most
pitiable enc, and the duty am called upon to.
perform is one eofs the moss solemn and trying
that can fall to, the lot of 'mSu. But that duty
must be performed; the laws OF the country
must be administered the safety and happI-
ness of all the people depend upon IT. = fals II.
To my lot to administer the law in the case OF
each of you. You are young e. men, IN the very,
brothers; were nursed at the same breast;
.werecraised, i presume, on the same farm. You
are not natives Of South Carolina, but came
lierg tsS Two or three years ago from aneighboring
S5ate. q State in which the law is enforced as
here. You are young men, and II you had
4a,irht yourselves to obey the laws of God and
man, there would have probably been long
wears of happiness and prosperity before you
But by yonr recklessness and passion, by your
disregard of the human and Divine law, you
have caused your days upon ea-th 70 be num-
bered sit is my duty to pronounc the precise
day, and almost the precise hour; c,t Mhel you
shall bid adieu to timely things: That day is
.7otfar distant, and yet it will give ample time
to each of you to- tprepare for death. trust
most sincerely. that you will think of your ap-
nroacning end, and endeavor to obtain forgive
ness fiji YOUR crimes. The country would for.
give YOU if it was in its power, but the laws OF
the 2iand must be enforced. Unfortunately,
there hasbeen q looseness in the administration
of the laws of this country, and especially mas
there been a peryersion OF the pardoning pow
er, that has, perhaps, mi mmisled the mlnds OF Inc
people. It may have, percht!aance, reached some
Of you and caused you to imagine that what
ever acts Of violence you might commit execu-
tive clemency would be ez tended to you. In
deed, we have evidence il the case OF one OF
YOU that such was the conviction. You, Den
mis- r. Bunch, were, on the night of the 18th
Of. December last, in the performance OF an
honorable duty as policeman, and IN an evil
hour, while under the influence Of strong drink,
without the slightest provocation or excuse,
you drew pistol, which you were not permit
ted to carry and should not have had about you,
andfr it into the body of your comrade,
proclaiming, as you did it: "Take that! Is
that enough ?" shot after shot. When you
committed this act you appeared to be perfect
IL IL IL 1aforpoiDod apH a
fused to put up your pistol when Alderman
Boag and others attempted to arrest you, and
hung On to it until the fifth shot was fired, and
finally had to be knocked down. You were
then taken into the custody of other police
men. and after good deal of time had elapsed,
when it was supposed you would have been re,
leutingt and weepingJ over the crime you had
committed on your. way to the Stationhouse
You said to one of the policemen that be was
Democrat, and should not be on the police
force, because it was under a Republican gov
ernment, and that when you went to Columbia
YOU would be pardoned by the Governor, an ana 9.
tSat, on your return, you would take MIN i on
hislegs also. You were induced to think tnat
you would receive executive clemency., Fer.
haps during that time you were still laooring
under the excitement Of passion, and yet you
had no causesfor passion from the very begin:
ifne. SO far as the testimony shows. Next
tinofnirig.when you had had time to cool, you
repeated Your declarations that you had shot
cone Irishman, and thank God he was not
native" and when you got the chance again
YOU, would shoot others: Bunch here SHOOK
his head The Judge continued: This may
not be true. but, after fairSrial, and defence
by able and jealous counsel, after ialr hear,
ing. the jury have pronounced you guilty OF
the murder of that unfortunate man, John
Donaghue. Whether the others expected that
they would be pardoned, we have not evidence
to show, but from the general demorailzation
that has arisen in, this country by crime not
being properly punished; have reason to Tear
that such may have been their convictions;
but YOU should know, and particularly you,
Dennis Bunch, that, in my judgment, you have
not the slightest hope for executive clemency.
7 think that there cannot be the slightest ques-
ton that, upon the day appointed for your exit
from time to eternity, the Governor will under
stand that he is not able to show you that
mercy thatghis heart might bleed TO extend to
YOU. He win know that there is higher duty
to be performed in defending and protecting
the lives of the people Of this country. And
You, George Hardee, you make up your mlno
to the same thing. fear the same, also Tor
the Others that have been convicted as being
aiders and abettors in your crime. You are
the principal, the party who inflicted the fatal
wound that Instantly took the life of Staten
Lanifer, who had come with you from Green
vile, n. G., and had been known BY you there;
II seems that two brothers of the deceased had
naifl,the penalty of their crime upon the gal
lows, and you had the knowledge of that, for
.,pon the occasion when this act was committed
y5H pff charged him to remember Greenville:;
Would to God that you had remembered
Greenyille !! Judge Reed then reviewed the
testimony. Continuing he said: You, George
Hardee, have given your version of the affair,
but the jury did not believe you, and II the
testimony be correct, do not doubt that you
are guilty Of murder of the deepest dye in the
eyes of the law ;apd, therefore, whatever nope
the others may have, perhaps, of having their
sentences committed to confinement in the