The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-09-13
THE SWORD OF JUSTICE.
JUDGE REED REvIvRs ITS UeE, LATERAL.
LIZ As WELL AS FIGuRATlvRLY.
AIKEN. 8. O.. Ssptember {
obrs.0.sa6encs oJt.e Sc, cns Cb,,yier.

0bTs.psa6snes eftse NsSs end C5uyicr.
AIKEN, 8. O., September 8.
The Court Of General Sessions con.
vened this morning, his Honor Judge j.
Z. Reed trcsiding. A large number of
citizens Wero In attendance. Since the
retirement Of the able and accomplished
Msher from the bench litsle business hes
been transacted, and as 9 necessary corr
sequence the docket is heavily crowded.
Judge Reed exhibits euch q wonderful
capacity for the dispatch of business that
there is every possibility that he will
make g ciesu sweep OF this immense &C.
cumulstion efcases. Ths Judges charge
to the grand jury was very forclble and
clear, and meats the cordial approval OF
all good citizens. He directed special
attention 70 the statutes against vagrau.
cy. gambling and liquor selling without
q license. IT this matter of yagrancy was
oftener looked into by grand juries, the
peace and order of every community ia
the State would be promoted.
The juries, as they originally stood,
having been enlisted 5y Che Chamber.
lain officials, we're composed of very much
the Same material with which we have
been cursed for the last ten years. Bat
to-day IT, became necessary to draw fifteen
additional names for the petit juries, and
three for the grand jury, from extra lista
prepared by Jury Commissioner III. D.
Buckhalter, and the other Hampton OH.
cIale, IN accordance with "a act passetl
by the last Legislature, aud the difference
In the status Of juryme;; selected was 40
very perceptible as TO be almost startling.
The good citizens of this community
were very much gFatified TO hear the
opinion expressed By hiS Honor from the
bench that no man was fit to net % q
jurynan who could neither read nor
write. It is aincerely to be hoped that
Ia the future jury commissioners will call
upon no citizen to discharge this impoY.
thnt duty unless possessed OF these simple
but indispensable qualifications.
Judge Reed reflected In terms of iuss
severity upon tho fact that an important
county like Aiken should 10 virtually
without court house, although $40, 900
Of the people'o money had been squnu.
dered in the purchase of the Gregg man.
sion.
He also alluded TO the miserable little
building used as o Jail, which is Insult.
cient aud unsafe 40 O place of conaue.
ment.
He called for tte chairman ofthe board
of county commissioners, and inquired
whether provision had been made Gor
the expenses of the court2 Upon being
answered in the negative, he expressed
himself as decidedly opposed to the prac.
tice which has existed under a corrupt
state OF things, of Issuing tickets to jury.
mon and the other attendants on the
court, for which they could realize no
money except by disposing Of them at
twenty-five or fifty cents on the dollar.
He thought The exnenaea of the court wnn
the first matter that snould be provided
for, and that It was due to the present
Reform Government that the expenses OF
this court shonld be p!en.n.!y met, If the
money could be found In Aiken County.
Since the Adjournment of court, / am
informed that the money will DO OBJ.
timed.
Not only were the juries organized,
quence Of numerous abaeuteea: hnt nn
this, the frat day of the term, two i'm.
pa:saat sases have 5esa tried. EeuFy
Sparnick, the heartleas thief wno stole
FROM che widows and orphans while &c.
cupying the honorable position Of judge
of probate, saa tried and convicted Of
Ssaacial misconduct, although absent from
the, State; This case was tried during
Judge Mahe-'s administration, but owing
20 the fact that one OF the jurymen was
bribed 1t resaited In mistrial. The
State was 70. resented by O. @. Jordan
Esqp who acted by appointment of the
Court in the former trial, and Sparnick
vac defended by Samuel J. Lee, ex.
Speaker and ex.Solicitor, and now under
Indictment himself for matters with
which ell your readoro are familiar
The next case was Hampton Eryic, col
ored. fos murder. Col. Frederick Can't
the new Solicitor, prosecuted this case
which has been standing on the docket
for three terma The verdict vaa guilty
ef s.snslenghtes.
There is considerable Improvement in
the order preserved In and about the hall
rne2 as court house. The precautior
taken by the Commissioners ct the sug.
gestion of our worthy sheriff of covering
the floor with cotton bagging adds ma
terialsy to the comfort of the court. !
also notice marked improvement in the
department Of the constables. have
often seen tho time when regarded
SaOth 40 tuO BtSAtCot uGtoauCSS ADOub JQS
cou +. tn consequence Of their noisy and
insolens calls for order, when actually
they were making more noiee than any.
heay else. This has ell boon stopped
was pleased to observe that Judge
Raad hae re-eatehliahed c:e 9. .:.:s Ole
Landmarks Of our fathers, by requiring
the sheriG 70 wear o sword when Escort.
Ing him to and from the court. Oni
people are 80 much grstified by his vigo.
Eous dispatch Of business and courteous
bearing that they would Be glad TO re.
tain him es a permanent institution In
this circuit; but as this cannot be under
the new order Of things, wo can at least
hope that IL will be long ere We sec the
incompetent Judge Wiggin again.
The crops around Aiken of both cotton
and corn are good. Two bales only o.
new cotton have been sold so far, as sht
crop Is backward by at least two or three
weeks as compared with last year.
was informed by Thomas Hayne, tht
young colored man who has been an
thcriEed by Adjt:- Gen. Moise TO collect
State srms, that he has gathered seventy
eight rites, forty Of which have beer
turned over 70 the MontmoFenci com
pany. Ho states that there are etil
many moro 20 be collected.
The colored people, 90 general thing
are working we'll and behaving in an or
terly manner. The beat of feeling pre-
walls among all classes of citizens, ant
would eiways hayo been so IL It had no
been for the aocuFeed, corrupt, thievinl
cover Srlent that We have lust aOk rid oi