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.r..I and Courier.

The following replies are given by the
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, e.
diminutior in the number and degree of
crimes committed in South Carolina,
especially of crimes committed by whites
against colored persons:
SOLICITOR JEEvEY, OF TIE FIRST CIR
CUT.
w. st. Julien Jervey, Esq, Solicitor of
the First Circuit, writing on tho 18th
instant. says:
My experience does not date as far
bsck as 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.
AT that time-say June 20, 1877-hay-
ing been appointed BY 5the Court to fill
temporarily the vacancy caused by the
custer Of Mr. Buttz, that functionary
turned over TO me, by order Of the Court.
172 cases in various shapes. some indict-
ments in which "true bills" had already
been found, some indictments not vet
given out, and some warrants. These
cases comprised almost all possible Of
fences known to tho Common Law or.
Statutes, from murder down 10 till-tap-
ping. A very large proportion of the
cases concerned offences committed pre-
vious TO the installation aforesaid.
At the November term, 1877, receiv-
ed ia warrants from trial justices, these
covering the general catalogue of crime.
For the February term, 1878, but 81
cases were sent up, and for the June term
last past 60.
AS far, therefore, as numbers 20 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 aud battery, but if you take
murder and burglary as the types of the
graver offences you wiz; finu very de-
cided diminution in the degree of crimes
since the date from which my experience
begins.
: At the June Especially term, 1877, there
were tried eight murder cases. In No
yemberr one case, charging two persons.
In February, 1873, one new case. also
charging two persons, and in juno two
cases. There was third case of murder
trial IN June, but it was q mere form,
against the defendant.
Cases Of burglary were very numerous
on the docket Of this county for the first
three terms at which 7, represented .he
State, but az the last session only three
appeared, and two of these three failed
because tho buildings entered proved not
TO be dwelling houses. / attribute this
sudden unpopnlarity of the crimes 20 a
great extent to the wholesome sentences
pronounced upon offenders of this class
by the eminent statesmaa and jurist who
presided at the February Nsession, 1873.
AS regards color: Or the cases iuvolv-
ing murder or violence; many have been
of colored men charged with assaulting
OF killing white men, while in onIy t.Y9
cases which can recall have white men
been charged with Offering violence to
the colored citizen. One Of these cases
1.-THE MISUNDERSTANDING CASEY arose
from killing which occurred about the
time OF Governoy Hampton's installation,
and, although Shrewsbury was colored
man, both parties we're Republicans, and
the quarrel :Shich resulted in the killirx
was N no way connected with the cues
tion of race or of politics.
In the other case the defendant was
acquitted.
So muck for Charleston County. In
Orangeblrg County defective juries and
other causes have prevented fair test of
tbs nature of the crimes charged there.
AS far as l can judge, however, except
the cases cf official misconduct and cor
ruption, OF which there are great many,
there seem to be but little crime commit
ted IL proport;o:. &c the the size and pcp;;ia-
tion 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 case
where three colored men are charged
with numbering white r-u during the
political excitement of IL .o-77.
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 l started with a
crowded docket, not only of old cases left
over on tho docket, but aisv OF new cases
which took their origin undo the Radi-
cal regime, | have found NJ, business to
rapidly decrease, 81 much So that at the
June term in Aiken had not moro Il
think) than ten or twelve now cases; at
Barnwell think four, (all white,) at
WATERFORD think not more than ten or
twelve. $500
at Beaufort, as we haze had no trials
ior the last two terms of the Court, by
reason of irregularity in drawing and
summoning the jury, we have not had
much chance in that county as yet to
snow how the present government deals
WIN crimes, but the news seems to have
fsached there from other counties in the
circuit, as think that fewer such are
handed in or returned to the clerk.
would further remark that in the new
cases that have arisen on my Circuit, /
10 iiJs .u.armoer 10 iayo noticed any
thing in them which could be attributed
% % an issue between the races, as although
u,sie are many cases of larceny in which
, wh.c5 men are the prosecutors against
property.
In cases of the nature OF assault and
battery, malicious mischief &c, fine
race.
SOLICITOR HlRscH, OF THE THIRD CIR
\, 81 UUl1.
III, u. J. Hirsch, Esq, Solicitor of the
in,rd An Circuit, writing from Kingstree OF
August 8, saya:
ISL From my experience as solicitor
TTuIihg the present State Administration
IA san safely say that crimes in this Cir
~. nave wonderfully diminished, 81
,: ",aen so that where, two years ago, tht
In ,ho 'eI,i ..l, OF the Courts were taken vi
HnE - ~