The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-09-12
THE EBB.TIDE OF CRIME.
Law and Justice in all South Carolina.
! Correspondence Ne,rs and Courier.

~ 1ne 10il0Wlng replies are SlYeu py Tue
Circuit Solicitors to note in which We
asked them to inform Us at their earliest
convenience whether, SO. far as their
knowledge extends, there has been, since
the installation of Governor Hampton, q
diminution in the number and degree OF
crimes committed in South Carolina,
especially Of crimes committed by whites
against colored persons:
SOLICITOR JERvEy, OF TIE FIRST CIR
CUT.
~ w. st. Julien Jervey, ESQ.,, Solicitor OF
the First Circuit, writing on the 14th
instant, says:
My experience does not date as far
back Us Governor Hampton's installation,
but commences at the beginning of the
special June term of the Court of Gen
eral Sessions, held in this city in 1877.
sssAt that time-say June 20, 1S77-haT-
inglbeen appointed by the Court to fill
! temporarily the vacancy caused by the
custer Of Mr.. Buttz,. that functionary
s turned over to me, by order of the Court.
) l72 cases in various shapes, some iudict-
ments in which "true bills" had already
been found, some indictments not yet
given out, and some warrants. These
cases comprised almost all possible of
fences known to the Common Law or
Statutes, from murder down TO till-tap-
ping. A very large proportion of the
cases concerned offences committed pre-
yious TO the installation aforesaid.
AT the November term, 1877, receiv-
ed liz warrants from trial justices, these
covering the general catalogue of crime.
For tine February tern, 1878, but 81
cases were sent up, and for the June term
last past go.
5c AS far, therefore, as numbers go there
. has been decided diminution in crimes.
With regard to the character of the of
fences charged, of course the majority of
warrants were for such offences as lar
ceny, horse-stealing, mischief to cattle
and assault and battery, but if you take
murder and burglary as the types/of the
grayer offences you will find a very de-
cided iiminution in the degree Of crimes
since che date from which my experience
begins. 81
At the June Especially term, 1877, there
were tried eight murder cases. In No
yember one case, charging two persons.
In February, 1878, one new case, also
charging two persons, and in June two
cases. There was third case of murder
trial in June, but it was mere form,
there being no shadow of proof elected
against the defendant.
Cases Of burglary were very numerous
56on the docket of this county for the first
three terms at. which. T. represented the
State, but 1t the last session only three
appeared, and two of these three failed
because the buildings entered proved not
to be dwelling houses. attribute this
sudden unpopularity of the crimes to q
great extent TO the wholesome sentences
pronounced upon offenders of this class
by the eminent statesman and jurist who
presided at the February session, 1878.
~ As regards color: Of the cases involv-
ing mnrder or violence; many nave been
of colored men. charged with assaulting
or killing white men, while in only two
cases which can recall have white men
been charged with offering violence to
the colored citizen. One of these cases
(the MISUNDERSTANDING case) arose
from . killing which occurred about the
time of Governor Hampton's installation,
and, although Shrewsbury was colored
man, both parties were Republicans, and
the quarrel which resulted in the killing
was in no way connected with the ques-
tion of race or of politics.
In the other case the defendant was
acquitted. f.
So much for Charleston County,: In
orangeburg County defective juries and
other causes have prevented a fair test OF
the nature of the crimes charged there.
AS far as 7 can judge, however, except
the cases of official misconduct and cor
ruption, of which there are great many,
there seem to be but little crime commit
ted in proportion to the size and popula:
ton of the county. The offences charged
are usually larceny, horse and cattle
: stealing, and almost entirely confined to
the colored people.
The only case of murder which have
encountered in that county is a case
where three colored men are charged
with numbering white man during the
political excitement of 1857.
SOLICITOR CAN'T, OF THE SECOND CIR
CUT.
F. Hay CAN'T, Esq, Solicitor of the
Second Circuit, writing from Bamberg
, in August says:
/ am pleased to state that my expert.
ence is, that whereas / started with 8
crowded docket, not only of old cases left
oSer on the docket. bu. also Of new cases
which took their origin under the Radi.
cal regime, I have found the business to
rapidly decrease, so much so that at the
June term in Aiken / had not more u
think than ten or twelve new cases; al
Bdrnwell I think four, (all whise,) at
WATERFORD think not more than ten OF
twelve.
At Beaufort, as we have had no trials
for the last two terms of the Court, by
reason of irregularity in drawing and
summoning the jury, we have not hao
much chance in that county as yet tc
show how the present government deals
with crimes, but the news seems to have
reached there from other counties in the
Circuit, as I think that fewer ch are
handed in or returned to the clerk.
/ would further remark that in the new
cases that have arisen on my Circuit,
do not remember to have noticed any
thing in them which could be attributed
to an issue between the races, as although
there are many cases of larceny in which
white men are the prosecutors agains
colored, this can be accounted for b.
reason of white men owning most of th'
property.
In cases of the nature of assault ant
battery, malicious mischief, &c, flint
that the parties are apt to be of the sam
race.
SOLICITOR H1RscH, OF THE THIRD CIR
CUT.
N. J. Hirsch, Esq, Solicitor of tn
Third Circuit, writing from Kingstree ol
August 9, says:
lst. From my experience as solicitor
during the present State Administration
/ can safely say that crimes in this Cir
,.,it have wonderfully diminished, 8