The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-06-09
The Court of General Sessions

| ne SOuIL o! NSIiSEdi SSSS!ohS
For Newberry County convened Mon
day morning, Judge T. j. MackeY pre-
siding. There are two murder cases
to be tried, besides quite a number OF
other felonies ard misdemeanors. The
Judge fixed the hours for holdin s Court
from 10 to l, and from 3 to any con-
venient hour for adjourning The fol-
lowing is his Honor's
CHARGE TO THE GRAND JURY:
Mr.. FOREMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE
GRAND JURY: As you are familiar with
YOUR powers and duties it will be unneces'
sary for me to charge you at length. You
will make such examination into the ad-
ministraton of the public Offices as you
may deem necessary and proper. These
offices are public trusts to be executed for
the benefit of the people. The law pre-
sumes that every officer does his duty.
This presumption might have been deemed
very violent one at a former period in the
history Of your County ; it is happily so no
longer.
deem it my duty to invite your atten'
ton to the practice which prevails genera J.
ly of carrying concealed deadly weapons.
This fatal habit is spriukling with blood the
walls of our homesteads. Combined with
the free use of intoxicating liquors, it is
inn eaching our very civilization. The SYM
bols of intenperance are the prison, the
poor-house, the scaffold and the grave.
When the free use of intoxicating liquors
is united with the carrying Of deadly wea-
pons, the man whose brain is ilhamed with
strong drink is quick to conceive himself
injured or insnlted, and prompt to resent
the real or fancied wrong with shot or
blow from the convenient weapon, and the
shadow of the scaf;old is thrown across his
path, or his estate is consumed in making
successful defense. invoke your aid to
check this practice. You should recon-
mend to the General Assembly the passage
of law to punish with severe penalties the
carrying Of concealed deadly weapons in
the communities Of this State, and restrict
ing the sale of intoxicating liquors. In the
meantime, advise you to recommend to
all the municipal governments within the
limits of your County to enact ordinances
Immediately prohibiting the carrying OF
concealed deadly weapons within their cor
porate limits. Every municipality within
the State has authority to enact such an
ordinance under the general power to main
tain order and to guard life and property
within its limits. Such an ordinance is now
in force in the town of Chester, where a
penalty of ten dollars is imposed upon ev-
cry person detected in carrying concealed
deadly weapons, one half Of the fine being
paid to the iuformer.
l speak from the atteSCeQ record OF crime
in this State when say that ninety-fiVe per
cent. of all the crimes committed against
the person in South Carolina is due to the
free use of intoxicating liquors and the hab-
it of carrying concealed weapons; and it
is the duty of the Grand Jures of the State
to exert their powers in applying a remedy
for the evil which is clouding the very civ
ization of this beautiful land in which we
live, and is daily visiting the most serious
calamties upon individuals and increasing
the cost to the public of administering the
laws.
The case Of Albert G. Spearman has
been set for Wednesday, 10 A. NJ.
The Grand Jury has found the follow
inc True Bills: Albert G.. spearman,
murder; Henry Dominick, assault with
intent to kill, and assault and battery
tried, and found guilty of assault and
battery; Jane Chapman, alias Jane
speake, and Mack Speake, arson; Min
erya Foster, murder; Thos. Sigh, as
sault with intent to kill; Dock Tribble.
feloniously breaking into a dwelling
house in the day time, and grand lat,
ceny.