Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-10-24
Correspondence of the Yorkville Enquirer.
LETTER FROM CHESTER.
.-GHEsFER,EC.,0Ctobl

-x----------CH ESTER, u q, OctoUer III.
The Court of General Sessions was engaged
on Tuesday in the trial of the case Of the
State Us. Jaily Robbins. charged with muir
der. w. "A. Sanders, Esq, appeared for the
defendant; Solicitor CASTOR represented the
State. The defendant, who is colored wo.
man, was charged with the murder of her in
fant child. She was alleged to have perpe'
trated this diabolical act Immediately after
her delivery. There was no direct proof to
this effect but the circumstantisl evidence
was very strong. A str. ng witness for the
State was Dr.. James Long, who examined
the body of the child at the time the jury of
INQUEST was held. He testified to the exist.
ence of several fractures or apertures in the
head, and when asked if these could not have
been produced by natural causes, answered
very positively in the negative. Mr.. Sanders,
counsel for defendant, then read from cele'
brated medical authorities upon this point,
whose opinions or experience were dlametrl.
callv opposed to that of DR.. Long. They
held that fractures or apertures in the head
were sometimes produced by violent maternal
labor or other causes at: the time OF birth.
This was strong, indeed, decisive point ~
favor of the defendant, for it involved the
cause of the death of the child in such a
cloud of uncertainty that the jury were COM
pelled to give the unfortunate woman the
benefit of the doubt She narrowly escaped
the peniteutiary, if not the gallows, through
the wise and skillful management of her case
by her counsel. The circumstance of her de-
livery in the woods was attributed to fear Of
her father who had made threats against her.
While the trial of this case was under way,
the proceedings of the Court were interrupted
for short time. A juryman,: Mr.. McWa-
ters, becoming sick, asked permission of the
Judge to leave the room. His request being
granted, he had only walked a few steps,
when he began to fall, but was caught by the
Solicitor who laid him on the floor. He was
several minutes in recovering from the faint
ing attack, produced by excitement OF. press:
ure upon the brain towhich he is subject :
The Court convened at the usual hour on
Wednesday morning, and was engaged dn-
ring the day in the trial of cases in which the
grand Jury had found true bills. The first
case tried was that of the State Us. Rufus
Shurley, colored, charged with malicious
trespass. The prosecutor was Mr.. Brown
McFadden, whose dwelling was broken open
in the day time by the defendant The testi-
mony established so clearly and conclusively
the guilt of the defendant, that the case was
submitted to the jury without argument and
verdict of guilty accordingly rendered.
The next case was that of the State U.s. Cole
man Scsife, colored, charged with assault and
battery, with intent to kill. j. j. Hemphill,
ESQ.,, appeared for the defendant The pros
ecutor was Ben Garter, colored, Who as the
testimony showed, was making an attack upon
the defendant with fence rail- when the lat
ter drew his knife and cut his assailant. Mr..
HemphilI succeeded in establishing case Of
selfdefence, and, consequently, cleared his
client. The next case was that OF the State
Us. James Watson, coored, charged with as
sault and battery. He was prosecuted by his
wife, who, according to his own testimony,
had been badly treated. He was represented
by Gen. w. A. Walker, who was unable to
render him any material service, as his guilt
was too apparent. -
Thursday was consumed in the trial of
Anpeline Brewer, colored, charged with in
fahticide w. A. Sanders, Esq, defended
the accused. The principal facts are these |:
The mother of the child, alleged to have
been killed, gave birth, while milking. She
carried the child to the house soon her moth.
er, the defendant, arrived. who in short time
mysteriously disappeared with the child and
buried it. While the child was living when
born. as the mother testified. it was not proven
to be living when the grandmother, or defend
ant, arrived. As in the other case Of infant
icide, there was no direct proof duplicating
the accused, though the circumstantial evil
dence, as before, was very strong. Her coun.
sel endeavored to show that death might
have been produced by natural causes. 10
sustain his argument, he read from medical