The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-01-30
THE END OF A LIBEL SUIT
COL. KEITT AGITNST THE NEW
YORK TIMES.

The Law and tho Facts in tho Caso--
$4,000 Damages Asked for-~rhe !
Jury Give the Plaintiff Verdict for ,
Six Cents.
GFfon, tie Ne,o Yoric IIn,es1
Early in September, 1877, Thom-
rs Keitt, mulatto membor af the
South Carolina Legislature, residing
ut Newberry Court in that
State, and sometimes called, among
his intimate associates, "Col. Koitt,'
was arrested at Nowberry and COM
mitod to Jail on q charge Of bigamy.
The fact Of his arrest was commu-
nicated to the Times on Sept. 5th,
in a special dispatch from Washing~
ton, which was published in the
Times on Sopt. 9th. On this pub
lication Ellison S. Keitt: a brother
of the lato Lawrence NJ Keitt, sued
the Times, in the United States
Circuit Court for libel claim
ing th,t ha WIS tle oaly Col.
Keitt" residing at Ncwbcrry Court
house that the dispatch referred to
and reflected iniuriousfy upon him,
and that it was false. He asked for
$4,000 damages. Tho trial was
begun on Wednesday last, before
Judge Shipman and a jury, in this
city, and yesterday tho plaintiff
received u verdict awarding him six
cents damages. The printed dis
patch from Washington set forth
that one "Col. Kcitt, Of Ncwbcrry
S. c." had been arrested and held to
await the action Of the GrnMl Jury,
at that place, on a charge Of bgamy :;
that he was Il near relative OF lIaw~
renee NJ. Keitt, who WAS somewhat
conspicuous in Congress before the
war, and that the expose would make
q stir among tho best people in that
section. The plaintiff, in his CONS
plant, set forth that nc was widely
and favorAbly known and respected
in South Carolina and other States
that the publication in question was
false, defamatory, wicked, and
malicious, and was published with
intent to injuro him in his good
nnme and reputation. Nelson
Smith and William n. Beach appear
cd as counsel for the plaintiff, and
Joseph II. Choato and Allen w.
Evarts for tho defendant. On
behalf of the plaintiff a largo number
of depositions were road, among the
deponents being Gov. Wade Hamp,
ton, Gen. John S. Preston, Avch-
bishop Lynch, of Charleston, Attor-
ney Conceal Youmans, and other
eminent residents Of tho Palmetto
State. These gentlcmcn all dopos~
ed, in effect, that they had known
Ellison S. Keitt for periods, varying
from ten to twenty five years that
they knew bis brother Lawrence M.
Kcitt, who had boon for years II
member Of Congress, and who was
killed in battle near Richmond, in
Juno, 1864 that since his
death the plaintiff was known to
them and generally throughout the
State as "Col. Keitt," or as "Col.
Keitt, of Newberry," and that they
knew of no other Col. Kctt Mr..
Choate asked tho witness whether
Lawrence NJ. Keitt was not tho
same Kcitt who was commonly
known as having assisted Pr cston
S. Brooks in his assault on Charles
Sumner, on tho floor Of the United
States Senate in 1856, but the
question was excluded by tho court
on general grounds Of the avoid
nnco of acorbity and unpleasant
"reminiscences on this trial. Mr..
Choate claimed the right to prove it
as an element tending to show in
what respect the Keitt family had
won it's most historical renown.
Ellison S. Keitt testified in SUBJ
stance that he was a citizen of
South Carolinr, born at Orangeburg,
and had lived since 1862 at New
berry; in 1863 he went into the
Confederate Army as CAPTAIN on
the evacuation of Charleston he was
placed in command at 6ullivan's
Island, and, after that period, was
called Col. Kcitt, and became SO
known throughout tho State ip
1868. 1860, 1871, and 1872 he visit
ed tho North, aud was widely intro
ducod us Colonel Keitt he knew q
colored man named Tom Keitt, who
achieved political distinction and