The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-05
Wednesday, June S, 1873.
The Court.

The Court.
The regular Summer Term OF the
Court of General Sessions for Able
Vile County was opened on Monday
morning, Sd inst, at ten o'clock,
Judge Kershaw presiding. There was
an unusually large number of people
assembled in the courtroom, owing,
however, not to the importance or
number of the cases to be tried, for
they were only two in number II OF
little interest, but owing to the Tact
that Monday was saleday, and was
also the day appointed for the meet
ing Of the County Democratic Con-
vention. So what with jurors grand
md petit, witnesses, delegates, and
those who always come to town on
saleday, the attendance at the open
ING of Court was exceptionally large.
The formalities usual on such &C.
casious, the drawing OF juries, &C.,
were gone through, and thereafter the
Judge made the customary charge to
the grand jury. He told them that
grand juries were chosen according to
a law that was as excellent as it was
ancient, that their duty and response
bility were of a high order, that they
were ~chsrgeable with the peace and
order of the community OF which
they we're members. To perform this
duty it was necessary for them to he
well acquainted with the law and Its
administration, and to bring to the
notice of the court any abuses that
might exist. They had supervisory
charge of all the public offices IN
Abbeville County. and should there
fore visit and examine such and see
that each officer was properly fulfill
ing the duties of his Office. He was
not, he said, one of those who would
subject such officers to harsh and un-
lust criticism, for he considered that
30 long as a public officer was faithful
and just and performed his official
duties with reasonable success and
correctness, his hands should be held
up by public opinion and grand juries
should commend him for his faithful
ness.
After referring in order to the
various offices, and to the poorhouse
and Jail, Judge Kershaw said he re-
GREETED to learn from respectable citi.
zens that rumors were filing the air
about the cruel treatment of convicts
at work on the Greenwood & Augusta
Railroad. If the statements 9
true, it would seem that very grave
abuses existed at the stockade; that
acts of inhumanity and barbarity
were there perpetrated in the full
blaze of civilization that were q dis
grace to our people and not to be toll
Grated in q c christian country. It was
reported to him that convtcts to the
number Of five had been shot down
while attempting to escape and had
been buried without coroner's inquest
or any public investigation. 1t was
the duty Of the coroner or Of the near
est trial justice to make full and formal
inquiry in all cases of sudden death,
death by violence, or death from I'M
known or unnatural cause. The law
as to this vas imperative, and due
attention to the law "a as necessary
for the exoneration of those who
might chance to kill a convict In the
discharge Of their duty as for the in
terests of convicts and society.
It was stated also that the convicts
In the chain-gang suffered for even o
draught of water, and were subjected
to many needless hardsbips. Wheth-
e. those reports were true OF not 1t
was the solemn and important duty Of
the grand jury to find out. When the
law, under which the ~penitentiary
authorities act in hiring out convicts,
was enacted, it was with a view to
providing q milder sort of punish
ment for those who were convicted OF
MINOR offences than vas inflicted in
the penitentiary. But If the rumors
reported to him were founded on truth,
better tenfold would 1t have been for
the stockade convicts to have been
left in Columbia. He said his sense
of justice had been offended by the
statements made to him, and 1t was
his duty to remind the grand jury of
their duty in the premises. Even If
we were to judge Of the matter by a
lower standard than that Of high
moral duty, namely by policy, he
could conceive of no greater disaster
that could befall the South than the
publication in the Northern papers Of
such atrocities perpetrated here with
impunity. He considered that if
those cruelties were inflicted as report
ed, they might be 80 used as to turn
the current of the next presidential
election. he therefore reminded the
jury of the responsibility resting up
on them in connection with these re-
ports.
Judge Kershaw then adverted to
The question Of education and the
public schools, assuring the grand
jury that no greater duty was impos-
ed on them than that Of looking after
the interests Of popular education.
He spoke Of the great difficulties at
tending the administration of the
public school system on account Of
sparseness Of population, as we'll as
the presence of two distinct races
whose children 1t was not wise to
bring together as pupils under the
same roof. He stated that South