The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-06-17
The Circuit Codrt.

The Court of General Sessions for this
County convened at 10 o'clock on last
Monday morning, his Honor Judge ". II.
Wallace, of Union, presiding.
In charging the Grand jury his Honor
said You have already been fully instruc'
ted as to your duties, and no doubt under
stand them we'll, as you have had practice
in their performance. will not, therefore,
detain YOU with any extended charge at
this time, for you are perhaps as well in
formed as you would be were to proceed
to comment at length upon your duties.
You have had in your possession bills OF
Indictment, and are familiar with them.
They are, so far as your connection with
them extends, simply statements of facts
which you are to inquire into. The state
ment of facts contained in any Indictment
constitutes an offence in the judgment OF
the Solicitor, and it is not your business to
care or inform yourselves as to the nature
of the offence constituted By those facts.
You examine the witnesses to find if the
facts stated be true or untrue, or rather II
prima tacie showing of their truth be made.
Whether you are absolutely certain they
are true or not, you should find true bill
ifin your judgment enough has been proven
to put the party on his trial or to warrant
q further and closer investigation, which
can be had in open Court before petit jury,
where the nature of the offence and the tes-
timony on both sides can be fully gone into.
IF YOU think there is substancein the charge
YOU should find true bill. This does not
mean that the party is guilty, but simply
that there is enough probability of his guilt
to demand further examination. III some
parts of the State it is not uncommon for
private citizens to address communications
to Grand Jurics, informing them of some
crime or matter needing their attention.
If there is any communication of this kind
addressed to you it will be your duty to in
vestigate it, and, if you think proper, pre-
sent it to the Court that proper proceedings
may be had upon it. The Grand Jury is
not a detective organization, but if any
open or fragrant violation of law has oc-
Cured to the knowledge of any member OF
the Grand Jury it would be proper to investi-
gate and report it also. All communications
addressed to the Grand Juries should
be signed by some responsible person. No
attention should be paid to anonymous
communications, for they might be used
for the purpose of stirring up strife and
gratifying personal aninosities, to the an
noyance of good citizens and the discredit
of our grand juries. All good citizens
should discharge their duty by assisting in
the yindication of law and upholding you
in the effort to detect and punish crime. II,
during the progress of the Court, you desire
further instruction, signify your desire to
the Court, and will give you such addi-
tional assistance as may be able.
Bills were then given out and true bills
found in three cases.
The first was the case of Alfred Arnold,
who was convicted of house-breaking in
the day time, and sentenced to six months
in the penitentiary.
The case of the State VS.. VIM. Major and
wife, Henrietta, for burglary, was contin-
ued, as was also the case of the State vs..
VIM. Hanks, for obtaining chattels under
false representations.
The Grand Jury made their presentinent,
and before l o'clock the Court of General
Sessions was adjourned.