The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-09
''Now for Judges, JIuics and Cover.
nare9S

! lTlptQlGSS HlS llSottht ""
think twice before they shoot once
! SO says the Charleston Ncws n Cou-
r4c, in a little leader, very short. very
! tribe, and very strong. 1t furnishes us
with n good and appropriate text from
which We could preach our people a time
" sermon of several columns if neces-
sarv for there is much that oul b.
soid and much that should be said on
this "hloodv pistol business" But We
agree with the Nems and Courier that the
Southern Press has done its part and
Tho readers Of the Press and Banner will
arrec with us TINT In our columns we
have done our part in calling public at
~tcntion to this subject in other words.
enough has been said,-it is high time
now that something should be done.
And Judges, Jurics and Governors are
the men whom we must look to If 1t is TO
be done. Are they the men who Will 40
ite Let us sec. Here no arguments are
needed. facts are forthcoming. AS Tor
our Judges, No believe VIC now have on
, tho bchci. in the South, certainly in this
statc. men who will do their duty in try
ing to nut a stop to the pistol business.
! We have in mind as we write the charges
made recently by two Southern Judges to
the iurics on pistol murder cascs-the
| Poindexter trial in Richmond and the
, Don't trial in Columbia. In each case the
iudce. II we mistake not, seemed to 10
convinced Of the guilt of the accused
and nfter a careful examination Of the
published evidence in both cases, such a
conclusion did not astonish US. Their
Interpretation Of the law and application
of it to the Testimony proved q sincere
desire on their part TO protect society
against homicidal la~wlessness, no matter
: who or of what race or rank the law
breaker might be. While 1t is too much
to expect every Southern judge to be the
equal OF Judge Thomson in learning, VIC
believe that with very few exceptions
Southern Judges are rs anxious and ear
nest and honest as he is in e~ndeavoring to
check "this bloody pistol business"
AS for Juries:-will they do their du-
ty? Arc they doing thor duty? Did
they do it in the two trials mentioned?
The Poindexter case resulted in q mis-
trial. The jury in the Dent case return
cd a verdict of mot guilty." The plea in
both cases was self-defence. The Dent
iurv evidently considered that II A Is
afraid B will kill him, although 3 shows
no weapon and has none to show, a is
justified in drawing his pistol and killing
BIN elf-dejcnce! Let those who read
the published testimony in those cases
say whether or not the juries did their
duty. One is certainly forced to this con-
%clusion-that it is q very difficult work
indeed to convince a Southern white jury
of the guilt of q Southern white man,
even if the Southern white man be
guilty. We wish W ecould depend on the
juries as confidently as IN the judges, but
it seems we cannot; and indeed we shall
not DO able to do. 80 until Society-the
greatest of all ~juries-has distinctly and
authoritatively pronounced its verdict Of
condemnation on tho habit Of carrying
and the crime Of hastily and ncedlessly
using pistols.
We can depend on Il Governors.
There WAS q time when pardons were
sold at prices ranging from ten dollars
upwards. but that was under the mod
ern Mosaic dispensation, when not only
our radical governor but other Southern
governors found it more profitable to
keep voters alive and at liberty than to
imprison or hang them. Now the scone
is changed, and our enlightened COVER
nors can be counted OH to do their duty
as chief magistrates.
To the three classes named by the News
and Couricr-Judges, Jurlcs and Cover
nors--wc would add two more,---Society
and the Clergy. Let public opinion be
pronounced in its opposition to "thiS
bloody pistol business" and let the pull
pit utter no uncertain sound in teaching
the people tho full meaning Of the sixth
commandment, and then we slrall see
that jurics too will do their duty, and
render righteous verdicts in murder
trials not only when the accused is q no
gro or q poor white man, or a fricndless
tramp, but when he is a rich man, n So
called ''gentleman'' and q member Of
'good society,""