Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-01-24

the regular meeting in April. In addition to
the constitutional objection, the signers of the
call for special meeting we're not present
At recent meeting of the Town Council,
Samuel Walker was reelected chief of police,
and Jacob Gordon, policeman. Jno. G. Nc.
Fadden was also reelected clerk and treasur.
er of the Council during the ensuing year.
1t is to be hoped that our "cty fathers" will
manage the municipal affairs with the same
wisdom aud prudence that characterized their
rule during the past year. Capt. John l..
Agurs and his worthy associates have been
good and faithful public servants, and it is
only right and proper to recognize their val
liable services.
Chester has already made a reputation as
an excellent cotton market. She is beginning
to win laurels in other ways-as a place
where various kinds of merchandise can be
bought at reasonable rates. Recently one
hundred cases of shoes and thirty barrels of
whisky were shipped from our town to some
point in North Carolina.
The special term of the Court of General
Sessions, ordered by Judge Mackey for the
trial of certain criminal cases, was held on
Friday and Saturday. The charge to the
grand jury was brief, and simply recited their
duty in finding bills on indictments charging
murder. The case of John Smith, colored,
charged with the murder of Bergen Conger,
was laid before them, and very little time was
consumed by them in finding true bill. The
case was then called for trial by the presiding
Judge. w. A. Sanders, Esq, who was as
signed by the court to the defence of Smith,
asked for postponement of the trial until
three o'clock in the afternoon, to prepare for
the defence, and the postponement was so or
dered.
The case of the State Us. Angus Nicholson,
charged with the killing of James Ferrall in
August, 1864, was called, aud the trial pro.
ceeded-s. P. Hamilton, Esq, representing
the defendant. The case turned upon the
evidence of Henry Sims, who was present and
witnessed the difficulty. His evidence, sub
stantially. was that the deceased was 10 the
store of John Nicholson, father of the de.
fendant. and, while there, behaved in very
improper and disorderly manner, when the
defendant took hold of him, and put him out
of the store This 90 enraged the deceased
that be picked up a large rock, and began to
abuse and threaten the life of the defendant.
The latter, with the view to his own protec-
tion, picked up piece Of paling, and with it
struck the deceased on the head. The blow
was followed by the death of the deceased in
the course of five or six days. There was
some evidence going to show that his death
might have been occasioned by paralysis.
However, this might have been, the proof was
clear that the defendant WAS justified in strik.
ing the blow. The jury, believing that the
defendant acted in selEdefence, rendered a
verdict of not guilty. Since the commission
of the unfortunate act, the defendant has
been absent from the State; but having re-
hands of the law.
The Court reassembled on Friday afternoon,
hut was unable to proceed with the Smith
case, in consequence of the absence of ma
terial witness The business transacted was
not of very important nature. Preston
Thompson, colored, charged with grand lar.
ceny, acknowledged his guilt The grand
jury found true bill against Ben Michael
aud William Thomas, charged with grand
larceny. They had probably obtained hint
of the grand jury taking some action on the
charge alleged against them, and as they were
released from Jail, some time ago, by the
trial justice, without bail, they evidently
thought it The part of wisdom to take refuge
in fig int, whirh they did. They were charged
by Preston Thompson, with the stealing of
John Stokes bull.
The Court was engaged, for brief time,
on Friday night. in the trial of rather un-
important case. Them. Shannon, colored,
was charged with stealing set of harness
from |. L. Clubhouse. The jury rendered a
verdict of acquittal.
Upon the converting of the Court, Satur.
day morning, the case of the State vs. John
Smith, charged with the murder of Berger
Conger, was taken up The State was repre-
sented by the Solicitor, T. c. Castor, Esq,
and the defendant by W. A. Sanders, Esq.
The testimony of witnesses for the State was
substantially the same as the account given
in this correspondence at the time Of the com.
mission of the horrible deed. The evidence
was rresistibly convincing that the defen.
dant was the villain who murdered and
robbed Bergen Conger. The Identification of
the defendant by the murdered man, the pock'
ct book of the latter in the possession of the
defendant, and the defendants confession of
his guilt, we're facts that could not be ex-
planned away by the ingenuity of counsel.
Mr.. Sanders, without reward or hope of re.
ward, worked faithfully for his client The
Solicitor managed the case admirably for the
State. The charge of the presiding Judge
waa clear and forcible. The jury, of which
Mr.. E. T. Atkinson was foreman, rendered q
verdict of guilty Immediately after the rem.
dering of the verdict, the defendant. John
Smith, was sentenced to be hanged on Friday,
the 1st day of February.
After q brief adjournment, the Court re.
convened, and was engaged until IL o'clock
Saturday night, in the trial Of the case of the
State ys. j. G. McFadden, charged with the
murder of Eli Crawford. The defendant was
represented by Thomas j. Bell, Esq, of York.
vile, and w. A. Sanders, Esq. The counsel
for defendant endeavored to make out case
of iustifable homicide, but were unsuccessful.
They did not establish the fact that the de-
ceased was armed with pistol, and had
threatened to kill the defendant. 1t was
shown by the testimony that the deceased was
unarmed at the time he was shot by the de-
fendant. The Jury, of which Dr. A. H. Da'
vega was foreman, found verdict of man
slaughter. The prisoner was then sentenced
by the presiding Judge, to thirty years in the
penitentiary at hard labor. The special term
of the Court of General Sessions then ad
journed sine die.
Rev. Dr.. Meynardie preached last evening
at the Methodist Church. Rev. Mr.. Tren'
holm preached magnificent sermon last
evening at the Presbyterian Church, from the
text, "What think ye Of Christ2' QUI.