Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-01-22
TmEaMTs3.
ANOTHER HOMrcIDM.

On last Thursday John Barnes, mn old man
and for long tinio citizen Of White Water
Township, was killed near his house by being
stabbed with knife, in sudden fracas,
which, wo aro told, no began by striking and
choking Milton w. W. Nicholson. 1t seems
that Barnes, who had been living rs q rentor
on tho land # w. j. Duflie, wns about ros
moving 10 another State and had wagons
ready to load his property. BY previous
arrangement, Gen. W. T. Erwin, rs surveyor,
had gono to tho place on that day with young
Nicholson and his father os chain carriers, to
run off q strip Of the land to w. Il. Corbin,
who had contracted for it from Duffie BY
reason Of some misunderstanding as to some
Of tho property, tho parties had concluded not
to run tho land that day, and had started
homo, when Barnes approached young Mil"
ton Nicholson and began to abuse his father,
ho (Nicbolson) saying and doing nothing,
Barnes then struck him once OF twice and
caught him by the throat. Nicholson tried
to defend himself, and in tho melee the crowd
gathered around the parties and it was soon
discovered that Barnes was bleeding. lie
died in n short time, the fcmoral artery hav-
ing been cut in two places. Tho evidence on
tho inquest, We hear, is conflicting and un.
satisfactory, and there is much difference Of
opinion as to what person did the cutting
Milton W. W. Nicholson, youth about
eighteen years old, with whom Barnes was
engaged, has boon arrested, or rather
came forward and gave himself up
and is now lodged in Jail at Wal
halla Young Nicholson aud tho parties who
went with hin, to run the land wcro perfectly
sober, but, VIC are informed that Barnes was
drinking. We forbcar further comment, as
the matter will undergo judicial investigation.
What we most regret is the rapid increase
Of crime in our county during the past six
months. There nrc occasions, and it may
bc the killing Of Barnes was such. when it
becomes necessary for q man to take tho life
Of his fellow nun to preserve his own life, or
to prevent his suffering somc serious bodily
harm at the hands Of his assailant, but even
this necessity is to be regretted. In this
connection we feel it our duty to again call
the attention Of our readers to tho fact that
liquor was at tho bottom Of this homicide,
as it was in tho killing of Mrs. Compton,
near Fair Play, anL if our people could real
ize tho amount Of taxes expended annually
il Ae trial and punishment Of crimts t;acea-
bio to blockade whiskcy. they would not only
aid the rerenuo officers in their efforts to put
down this ne'arious traffic, but would. by tho
forcc of II healthy public opinion, crush itout,
This could bo done by refusing to buy from
these violators O. tho law aud ly dcncuncin 4,
tho traffic on all occasions.
AS to the ipcrcase Of crimc iu our county
wo believe tho facts will bear IS ont in the opin
ION, tiiut III no court since 1928, when Pick.
ems was made y judicial district, have there
been 50 many capital fclones for trial at any
court in lhc old district, or in either of tho
counties composing it now nor have there
been any court SO many persons charged
with capital crimes. Wo hnyn for trial in
March threo cases Of homicido end one Of
arson. all punishable with death, several
cases of grand larceny and assault and bat
terry with intent to kill In ono Of tho cases
of homicide eight persons aro held either in
Jail or under bond; in another case two per-
sons ure charged, one Of whom, Osborne
escaped, and has not been rc-arrcscd, and in
the other case, as yet, only one person has
been arrested and is in Jail, making eleven
men charged with murder, or accessories
thereto. In tho case Of arson, for burning
the ginhouse, &c, of Mr.. Earle, near Town
Vile, two colored men arc in Jail awaiting
trial. We thus present the remarkable cons
d.ion. of N heretofore pcaceable and orderly
citizenship Offering for trial at ono term Of
court thirteen persons charged with crimes
punishable with DEATH Add to these the
minor crimes cognisabc only by tho Court Of
Sessions. and the largo number o! miSdcmcan.
ors tried by our Trial Justices, and our people
will SEQ tho main cause of our heavy county
expenses nnl the necessity for extra leyics.
While this is true, and while our good
citizens desire to see tho guilty punished and
crime diminished, still wo should care fully
guard against that feeling of indignation
which might lead rs to convict persons on
doubtful or insufficient proof Let tho law
DO enforced but let its enforcement be go,
scrncd only by those rules. which at all times
should govern us, that the State must prove
clearly and satisfactorily every clcncnt ncccs-
sary to constitute The crime. Thus only can the
law DO oflicncous for good and thus only can
wo prevent making tho law an instrument
for justice and protection to ALL
In our short lifo wo have often observed
that suicides, crimes and even accidents 90
in shoals. They appear to be contagious and
become, rs it were, epidemic. Wo havo
read that suicides onco became Of such fre-
luont occurrence in Paris, by persons jumps
ing into tho river Seine from high bridge,
that it became necessary to station n guard
there to keep back these courtcrs Of death