The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-03
Tho Circuit Court.

cral Sessions for Anderson county convened
on last Monday morning ut ten o'clock q.
NJ, lis Honor Judge J. B. Kershaw presid.
ing. and MI. Thomas =. Cothran acting as
Solicitor. The Grand Jury was organized
with thirteen members, Mr. Peter r. Brown
being appointed foreman. His Honor in
quired If the Solicitor had any bills of in
dictment to send TO the Grand Jury, in
response to which Mr.. Cothrnn handed up
several indictments, and his Honor said:
3fr. Foreman and Gentlemen of the Grand
jury: At the commencement Of your term
of service / should give you some instruc-
tion Us to tile scope Of your duty. You
will serve rs the grand inquest for your
county during the present year. and will
from term to term receive additional in
structiOns from my successors OH the Bench,
but 1 should ut this term give you some
general instructions. which mny not be re
peated hereafter. have no special matters
that l deem necessary to bring to your at
tentiOn. The Legislature at its recent ses-
sion enacted some very wholesome laws,
which will probably remove many of the
causes of crimes the commission of which
in our midst tended to bring reprnach upon
the fair name of our State. There Is no
mutter of special local importance for me to
call to your attention. Your county has
established name for good order and thrift
that is highly crtt'itabie TO you. This rep
utation extends over the State, and perhaps
beyond its limits into other States. YUu
have enjoyed immunity all along from those
frauds in your local affairs which have in.
volved other communities so heavily in
fshf
great burdens. 1t is, therefore, unnecessary
for ME to direct your attention to any of
these things. congratulate you upon such
II condition Of prosperity and upon the law
abiding disposition of the citizens in your
county. AS the grand inquest Of the county
yOu have general supervision of the ad-
niinistrution of the laws in Anderson coun.
ty. and upon the judiclous exercise OF your
powers will depend in r large measure tile
continuation OF the wholesome condition of
ufiairs to which have alluded. YUu should
examine into the manner III which the laws
are executed in your county, and report any
obstruction which tends to prevent justice
or interfere with the public welfare. You
have q supervision of The police of your
rounty, of the public officers aud the man
ner In which. they discharge their trusts.
You should look into these things, not be-
cause you expect to find anything wrong,
but because this care end precautiOn ON your
part is the best guarantee that errors, unn-
territorial and otherwise shall not creep into
the administration of your county affairs.
You will examine the public buildings and
suggest any changes or alterations necessary
t. pronlote the public interests. Visit the
Jail and see that the prisoners are properly
cared for; that they have sufficient food and
clothing for their health and cumfort-thut
~ such as is reasonable for their condition
according to the provisions which the law
III fr,nt II. I.
You will also visit, ether in body or by
the poor house and report as to
the condition of the inmates. This unfor-
tunate class of our citizens demand public
sympathy, and should be supplied by the
county with substantial comforts. In some
they have fnrm attached to the
poor house, which is ran by the labor of
the inmates, and i'll u considerable degree
pays the expenses of the institution. This
is, think, the most desirable system where
it is pUssible, for suitable labor in muder-
ate degree IL promUtive both to the health
and cOntentInent of the inmates, aud ren-
ders the burden of the county as light as
possible. AS the Grand Jury, in obedience
tu sound provision of our constitution,
from our British ancestors, it is
yoqr province to investigate and pass upon
ell questions OF prosecution to be presented
tO the Court, except in some otuall offences
coming up from inferior Courts. Any per-
SON has the right TO begin u prosecution be-
fore all inferior Court. and the Justice may
send the case up to this Court, but before it
Gun be investigated here you have to pass
upon the charge so as TO say whether there
Is enough in the case to afford sufficient
probability Of the truth of tho charge made
by the State to warrant u trial In this Court.
IL upon its investigation you are Of the
opinion that the charge IL not well founded,
ur is too frivolous To occupy the time Of the
7ynt tt,ill ttd mr. lima tur
inmate the case The witnesses will he
sworn I'm open Court, and you will call AID
examine witnesses IN each case until you
obtain evidence sufficient TO satisfy twelve
men on your panel that the case should be
brought to trial. If after you have exam.
cd all of the State witnesses twelveof your
number do not agree to true bill, you
will return no bill.
The first indictment submitted 10 you by
the State Is for resisting all officer. To
make out this charge the State must prove
that the person resisted was an officer of the
peace that the party charged with resisting
him knew or had reasonable ground to
know him to be an officer, aud that at the
time the oiiense charged was committed
the oflic resisted was acting in an official
fyou do not find all three OF
these requisites you will find no bill rs to
the ohar-e OF resisting an officer. You will
also investigate the charge of assault and
batter with intent 70 kill, and If you come
to the conclusion that the offence vas corn-
iliitseu uIIurr cirCuii5ia:iceo which Wuiid
have made it murder II the party assaulted
had been killed, you will iind true bill,
ii not you will return no bill. In the case
for riot you will. in order to- find true bill.
have to lind the disturbance To have been a
disturbance of the public peace
by three OF niUre persons with the intent to
assist one another i'm the execution of some
mr. vut nh fnr frQ nv
it In q tunultuOus manner to the terror OF
the inhabitants, whether the purpose be-
lawful or not. The caSe OF grand larcy will
require that the goods taken amount to more
than twenty dollars. You. will also exam.
inc the offices of the Clerk of Court, Sheriff
and Pro5ate Judge.
The commissions OF the Judge, the Sheriff
and the Clerk were then read and spread on
the minutes Of the Court. and Dir. r. l..
Moorhead was appointed deputy Clerk.
The case OF the State vs. Sloan Williams
for resisting an officer and assault and bat
terry with intent to TO kill, resulted in
verdict of guilty OF resisting an officer.
Mr.. T. P. Cothran appeared for The State
and Messrs. Whitfield and Kennedy for the
defence. Sentence 9 months in Jail and
SIS fine.
State vs.. seawright, Paul Rutledge and
others, assault and battery with intent to
kill verdict guilty of an aggravated assault
and battery. Mr.. T. p. Cothran represent
cd the State and Messrs. II. @. Scudday and
d. II. McGiil the defence. Sentence, Sea-
wright months In Jail, Paul Rulledge
2 months or 625 fine. Pickens Rutledge
months or $50 fine, sealed sentence as to
others.
The State IS. Abraham Beeks for arson
resulted in mistrial. The Solicitor repre-.
s.nted the State and Messrs. II. G. Scud-
day and E. d. Murray the defence.