The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-05


isfy me:
1st. That there is marked diminution
of crime since the installation of Cover.
nor Hampton.
I'd. That instances of whites commit
ting violence upon blacks are very rare
far more 80 than formerly when the weak
administration of the law in many in
stances forced the white man 10 resort to
violence in self-defence, the doors of JUS
tice being eHectually closed against him
through the peculiar composition of ju-
ries and other imperfections.
Sd. That nine-tenths of the crimes oi
the land are perpetrated by blacks, and
against whites.
JUDGE KERsHAw, OF THE FIFTH cg
CUT.
The Hon ]. B. Kershaw, Judge'i tne
Fifth Circuit, writing from Camien' o@
August 5, nays: .kn
A great diminution of crime hss t9aeII as
place in such portions of the StSo e. 90 of
have visited since the instal ,tI Snt CIR ~
Governor Hampton. On my ,,"n oo.ao U
cuit-the eighth found ,uo wv a. '1 Ans
for trial at Abbevillei G ~. W. f0cnrea.l aS a y
one at Pickens ari/6t few at Green
UHI I'LL a. NJ Iv ona s2he cases on the Circuit
;nvoivsd i T' . L,<ach of the peace on the
n.rt ,n,tfu of q w1te upon colored person,
r. M tbe ha% of my recollection, and the
improy@ert in the condition of the tn 10
Sta,In I these particulars has been the
sDect of general remark.
J1uDeE MAcxEY OF TIE SIXTH CIRCUIT.
The Hon T. J. Mackey, Judge of the
Sixth Circuit, writing from Chester, on
August %, says:
There has been very sensible dimi-
mutton, both in the number and degree
of crimes committed in this Circuit since
the inauguration of Governor Hampton
on the 18th day of December, 1876, as
compared with any equal period in the
history of the State, having due regard
to the number of inhabitants. The
counties thas compose this (the Sixth)
Judicial Circuit are York, Lancaster,
Chester and Fairfield, embracing ter
ritorial area of about $500 square miles,
and having population in round num-
bers of ono hundred thousand, OF which
forty thousand are white and sixty
thousand colored. Yet within this wide
area, inhabited by diverse races which
present many points of attrition,. which
had been sharpened by long political an
tagonism, not one negro has lost his lie
at the hands of white man during the
past nineteen months, while during that
period there have have been but three
homicides committed, namely: One by
negro upon white man, january LIST,
1877, in Chester County, the victim hay
hrs been murdered and robbed, while
walking steae the railroad at night, by a
man who had been, in the State but one
week, having entered the county from
North Carolina. The criminal in this
case was pursued, arrested, tried in the
court, and convicted by jury composed
equally of white and colored citizens,
and executed upon the gallows, within
twenty eight days after the commission
of the crime. The second instance was
case of stabbing by negro, the victim
also being colored. The third was q
case of shooting by white man, in July
of the present year, the person slain be-
ing alao white. The killing in both the
last two cases occurred in personal re.
contres, with strong mitigating circum.
stances alleged. Minor offences against
the person, such as assault and battery
are also of comparative rare occurrence
and are chiefly confined to personal col
lisions between the negroes themselves
At the June term, 1878, of the Court Of
General Sessions of Chester County,
there was but one criminal case for trial
and that wac case of assault and bat
terry, both the accused and the person
who was beaten being colored.
That was remarkable near approach t1
q maiden assize" for county having
population of twenty-five thousand, anc
in which the Court of General Session:
is hold at intervals of four months, OF
three terms in each year.
In this Circuit it may be fairly esti
mated that there are at least eighty
thousand buildings, which are by oul
statutes the subjects of burglary ano
arson, including dwelling-houses, gin.
houses, barns, stables smoke-hopses, and
all out-buildings, sheds, and erection'
within two hundred yards of the dwell
ing house and appurtenant thereto. Ye
during the period above named there
has been but one case of arson, and only
one case of burglary throughout the en-
tire Circuit. Nor has there been single
case of rape during the period, an Of
| fence to which the negro has strong
proclivity, due to chronological causes
Grand larcenies or the felonious steal
ing of personal property of the val
ue of twenty dollars or more, are also
now comparatively rare. Pr.
The negro has the art beyond every
other class of hired laborers of stealing
often, but yet stealing little in value
Like other races of men, however, tht
number and amount of his thefts bea
a somewhat fixed proportion 10 his sup
ply of food. AS q laborer he steals mos
from the employer who feeds him least
thus asserting law of self-compensatior
which makes justice to him, in this re
spect, the truest economy.
The paucity of offences against th'
| person OF Tue neSIo ou tuo P"it W ~
whites is not due to any abject sublnls
sion on his part which has sunk him be-
low the plane of resentment, or which
disarms violence by supplication, OF
evades it by flight. On the contrary h'
is ready to talk or strike back, and tt
defend himself against individual ag
rression, whether directed against hi
person or properly. 1t is due rather t.
his own better conduct, impelled by hi
PERCEPTION that q higher civilization
than formerly now rules the State, al
illustrated in the superior character o.
the local magistrates, and the immeasura
bly, improved grade of public officers o
every class, all preserving inviolate the
sanctity of public trusts, and yet none
invading, or tolerating any invasion, o
his rights of person or citizenship.
He but obeys the law of moral attrac
ton and gravitation in seeking to con
form his conduct to this changed ordel
of things, in which all his rights are sa
| 10000 o,I oil bSu Grim nc