Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-04-27

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Correspondence of the YortsiIis Enadlrer..s
ma5ns LETTER FROM CHESTER. .ss,sI &
a baa 81 8g.ot, CHEsTER, April "a, s1S78. .sst
As was stated in my last weeks correspons
denee, special term Of the Court Of General;
Sessions was holden at this place, beginning
on Tuesday. An account Of the morning
proceedings of that day was then gwen
Upon the converting of the Court iin the laf4
ternoon, the case Of the State :ra samuel Dnf%
fe, charged with assault With intens,to Fapesl
was called. The counsel for the defendsnta
J. ]. Hemphill, Esq, arose and stated that,
his client acknowledged his guilt, and asked
the mercy ofthe Court Upon thisalnoanca-sr
ment, he was directed to stand up and receive
his sentence. q He, was reminded BY, the ptetl
siding Judge Of the disagreement,of twelju-
ries upon, his case; that upon the Last 0ceass
sion, be was only saved from; conviction b, ,thel
obstinacy Of one man. He was reminded 81
the circumstances attending the mmissiop
Of the horrible crime confessed BY him. And
was told of the avenging handof theils thasf
is ever ready to fall upon the heads Of eYil4st
doers. His connection with the dreadful Af-
frsy, which resulted in the murder iof George,
Mercer, and the sending of Stephen Young.
to the gallows, was referred 70 ]; and then the !,
presiding Judge proceeded to tell him. sthAt il /
consideration of the ctthathel had lackn03l- y
edged his guilt, and had asked for mereyyandl
also iu view of The additional ,facte thatp thA,a
prosecuting witness had expressed her wiling
ness to be satisfied with 2 partial execution ofl
the demands Of the law i'd his case, the pun,
ishmert would be comparatively light The
sentence Of the Court was that he. Samuel
Dufie, be confined iu the State Psnitentiary,s
at hard labor, for a. period of two years and
six months. ;,0a .H,,l7z. y,;: isSala l.,,dst
The. case of the State, vs. b. G.1 iYlecom.
charged with breach .Qf, trust With fraudulent
intent, had been set towH Tor FelDesday ,bgt
upon the assembling Of the Court, iil co6se-.
quence of the 'non-arrival Of Judge Northrops
who was expected to preside during the trial
of the cause, the case of the State; Yuss Cclum-
bus Crawford, Henry Pendergrass and Alex
ander Robbins, all colored, was called and thsl
trial proceeded. These defendant who we're,
public school trustees ,ip this county iR 1873,
were charged with conspiring Il, deffaud the 1
county in obtaining money from the 9cohnsys
treasurer under false pretences, and appfopri-9
ating it to their own purposes. obbina he-9
came q witness for the State and made full
confession of the fraudulent acts psrpetrated
BY himself and associates. during, their term;
Of Office. He acknowledged "a, an under. .
standing between them whereby they played
into each others hands, and sshos enriched
themselves at the expense Of the people sHe
swore to the signing BY them, in thsMil M Official
capacity, of q pay certificate in favor of some
party who had built house ostensibly de.
signed for school purposes, but which, the
witness likewise testified, had been iiassdf by
one of the defendants, Columbus 4 CseHfotd5
as dwelling house. Charles Jamieson. tes.i.
fed to his building q school house, and kIers
ceiving 10 payment of the same q eerti6cats,,
signed by the defendants, in bis favor, and
amounting to $63, when q certi6csts vas
produced by Solicitor Mackey, IN favor fof,,
the witness, having the same signatures ands
amounting to $73. The evidenceof corrnp.ft
ton and raseality was so clear. and lnwts-
taxable that the jury arrived at q "a e%oMpelpalon q
as to their guilt in very abort time, Gen. WsF
A. Walker appeared for Columbus Cfanfotd
and j: J. Hemphill, Esq, for, Henry Psnder-
grass, but as they we're destitute of any foun'p
dation to rest their case upon, their efforts :
we're entirely unavailing.sa isd 81 gsl4isf5sq
Judge Northrop arrived in town on fWedpesT,
day night, and presided over the deliberations
of the Court on Thursday. The trial of the,
case Of the State vs. B. g: Yocom, charged
with breach of trust with fraudulent inter, s )
the prominent points of which have already
been ventilated in the press, began and CoaI
tinued throughout, the ay.slAlmoes thsfen-s
tire morning session was. consumed in ,ohtaiarp
ing a jury, the counsel for the defenda put;
ting, jurors TO the test Of strict examinstol
in reference to the entertainment by them OF
q prejudice or pre-conceived opinion concern
ing the guilt of the accused! One gentleman
was rejected in consequences Of his having
read, some time ago, an article in the Charles
ton Ne,ns and Courier, bearing upon the mat Als
ter." A jury was finally obtainsd, consisting
Of ten whites and two coiofed, with Mr. Har5
per Carter as foreman. iN .''','s; & .;5t
After the opening of the case BY the Solin-.
itor, A.. M. Mackey, Esq, intwhieh very PLAIN
language was used by him in reference % the
defendant, his predecessor in Office, iISeaal,
urer Hemphill was placed upon The stand, He /
had not made much progress il his testimo5
nv, when His Honor, Judge Ncfthrop, I'd.
iourned the Court for q brief time for rdinner.s
The defendant is represented BY Mr. Hou-}
mans. of Columbia, Major s. Rst Hamilton
and Messrs. Patterson & CASTOR, of Chester,;4
the State by C.,S,, Briee, ESQ, and the Solic-.t
;tor Speaker Z. B. Elliott, who Is tie coun.
sell for the defendant in the case of ths State,
wy Il NJ n 4