Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-27

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the facts to the Court. You will also en-
quire into the manner in which the County
Commissioners perform their duties in gener-
al.
You will also examine the various offices OF
the county, and see whether or not the respec'
tive officers properly discharge their duties.
The Trial Justices of the county should also
receive your attention. 1t is your duty to see
that they do not encourage litigation in frivol.
Gus cases; to examine their books and records
and see that they are kept in proper order; and
to sec that fines collected by them are proper
ly paid over. Where any of these officers have
been found faithful in the discharge of their
duties, commend them for it. Your commen'
dation of worthy official will have good
effect.
The Jail, particularly, should receive your
attention. You should see that it is secure:
that the prisoners are not harshly treated and
that they receive all the comforts permitted
by the law.
Closing, his Honor said, it is also your duty,
and shall expect you to enquire into any and
all nuisances-such as gambling houses, un-
lawful grog-shops, houses of i'll fame, &C., and
suppress the same.
A number Of bills were then given to the
grand jury, and after receiving from the
Court instructions bearing upon the nature of
the offences charged, the jury retired to their
room, when the roll of the petit jury was call
ed, the following jurors answering to their
names !: J. L. Adams, L. X. Armstrong, A.
Cody, Isaac T. Farris, NJ. R. Nichols, Hardy
Thompson, colored; George J. Steele, j. L.
Starr, H. E.>Davidson, Joseph A. Smith, Cal
vim Hughes, colored; J. G. Blair, Elijah Goore,
colored;S s. w. Sturgis, Julius Howe, J. B.
MintZ, w. S. Moore, E. H. Bridges, S. P.
Blankenship, T. K. Bates, j. D. Cornwell, j. j.
Drakeford w. H. Carroll, w. d. CASTOR, A.
J. Hardin, Jonathan Moore, w. R. Hayes, T.
B. Withers, J. T. Spencer, Jesse Hamilton,
colored; w. N. Simril, w. F. Boyd, George
Barry, colored; P. McKeown, colored.
Mr.. Davidson was excused from serving as
a juror on the ground Of his being post
master.
While the grand jury were yet out, the con-
tingent docket was called. This docket con-
tains number of capital cases which have
gone over for several terms, the parties having
avoided arrest The return mot arrested u
was made by the sheriff in each case as it was
called.
The first presentment made by the grand ju.
nv, was the Indictment of Charles H. Kane,
white, for grand larceny, charging him with
the stealing from Daniel A. James, Of pistol
valued at twenty-five dollars. The accused
was arraigned, and the jury impannelled. The
accused employed no counsel, but defended his
case himself He did not deny stealing the
pistol, but attempted to make it appear that
the article stolen was not of the value of TWEEN
ty dollars. The prosecutor, James, valued the
pistol highly, at much greater price than the
amount paid for it, and proved by clerk in
the store from which he bought it, that he
paid for it twenty dollars-New York cost.
After the testimony closed, no argument was
made by the Solicitor The Court charged,
that in such a case as this, the value of a sto-
len article must not be determined by the
price it would command il brought to forced
sale but by the value, for peculiar reasons,
placed upon it by the owner-what he cOnsid-
ers it worth to himself. The legal value OF
the article is what the owner himself values it
at, and not what it will bring upon the mar
ket. Under this charge the jury were instruct
ed to render their verdict either guilty of grand
larceny, or if, from the evidence, they did not
deem the pistol of the value of $40, to return
a verdict of not guilty. After being out a few
minutes, the jury returned verdict of guilty.
The next case taken up, and which consum-
ed the remainder of the day, was that of the
State vs.. Sim Young, colored, the charge
against him being arson, by wilfully and felo-
niously burning, in the winter of 1871, the gin
house of w. Waddy Thomson, on Broad river.
Although the accused had remained in that
neighborhood since the burning, his arrest for
the crime was not made until last September.
The evidence mainly relied upon by the prose
cution, was the testimony of Mary Johnson, a
negro woman, who swore that Sim had con-
fessed to her, on her accusation Of him to his
face, that he burnt the Clubhouse, and had
bribed her never to reveal the fact, as also
other circumstances calculated to direct sus-
picion to him-mainly that he was at her
house, located not far from the Clubhouse, on
the night of the burning, having accompanied
her that afternoon from preaching. The de-
fence proved by another witness that the ac-
cused was in his company, at another house,
on the same night, and at the same hour as
testified by Mary that he was at her house. No
motive for the commission of the act by tile
accused was shown, and it was also shown by
the evidence that he had remained in the same
neighborhood nearly ever since; that his rela-
tions with Mr.. Thomson had been friendly,
and that he had been in Mr.. Thomson's en-
ploy since the house was burnt. After argu'
ment by G.. w. S. Hart and T. j. Bell for the
defence, and Mr. Solicitor CASTOR for the pros
ecution, the jury, composed entirely OF white
men. took the case, returning a verdict OF not
guilty. ..:
On Tuesday the following cases were dis
posed of: ..t, .... ....:.....- .....
State Us. Alex. Kiser, colored; burglary and
larceny. Prosecutor-G.W W. DePriest. Plead
ed guilty.
State rs. James Smith and Anderson Camp,
bell. colored; burglary. Prosecutor-Edwin
Wilson. Verdict, guilty.
State rs. Tom jerks, cOl0red; ASSAULT Will
attempt to kill. Prosecutor-John r. Porter.
Verdict, guilty and recommended to the mer-
cy of the Court.
State rs. James Lowry, colored; assault with
intent to kill. Prosecutor Hirsch.
Pleaded guilty and asked the mercy OF the
Court. ~ '-..''
State IS. Tom Wright, colored; malicious
mischief. Prosecutor-Frank Mckinney, col
ored. Verdict, guilty.
ABOUT THE COURT ROOM.
While sitting on the bench, Judge Presley
does not wear the traditional silk gown, handed