The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-03-01
scurt OF General Sessions.

|
ihe Court of General Sessions for Auder
son county convened Oh Monday morn.
ing with his Honor w II. Wallace pre.
Suing and Solici tor Orr representing the
o'a'e. lhe Grand Jury was organized by
Tue appointment of Mr.. Boyce Burriss az
FOREMAN. The Solicitor handed ont q
number Of bills of indictment, efter which
Ms iioilnr proceeded to charge the Grand
Jury substantially as follows:
hehifemcn cf The Grand jury shal! at
TINS time undertake no moro than u, poipt
out us briefly and clearly ~ | may be able
your duties in this Court. Indictment. ,r,.
nothing more than "A formal statement az
iacls which II true, in the opinion OF the
oo'lcitor, constitute crime under the laws
oi this State. It is your duty, when these
indictments are given to you, to inquire
whether the facts stated are true. You hnve
seen The witnesses sworn who are to testify
before you. Only witnesses for the State
are sworn before You. The Defendants
case Is iiol submitted to You The inquiry
submitted 10 you is aS 20 In, ,,;nu f;,cie
Suiit OF the accused The rstit jury will
br charged with Ike determination of the
defendants guilt a. Innocence. If YOU
Come I" The conclusion that there il rvi-
""Ncc ei."tSh to put the defendant on his
tIiai, You will bring III II true bill. In or
der I" find tue bill it is not necessary for
al oi You - agree, but yon cannot find a
true blIi until at least twelve of Your mum.
Der concur i'll the finding You have sworn
!" Keep secret the matters which may trans
pre- Ill Your deliberations. This embraces
not only what may be said by the Witnesses,
out by the Jurymen also; and the oath not
only binds while the Court is ,ession,
but also forever afterwards. This rule has
been i'll practice for centuries, and is nten-
ded 10 make the findings of your BODY as
near the candid judgment of your panel
as possible, freed from the influences Of
favor or of fear. ZEN are liable to be in
tluenccd by the opinions which others will
have Of tleir actions, and this secrecy is
intended to ubsolYe men from the fear of
criticism, or from being actuated by the
desire to SECURE the favor OF any individ-
uals in their service US members OF the
! Grand jury. cannot give you any rule
! 10 govern in taking the testimony, beyond
saying to you that you ought not to act
upon hear-say evidence. The rules of
evidence are so complex as to require years
Of careful study and practice, and it would
be impossible to give them to you III a sin
gle lecture, but it will not be sufficient for n
witness 10 swear that another person told
HIM of fact, for the person who told him
was not under oath in the case under trial.
No conviction could be sustained under
such evidence. After determining the facts
charged, the question as to whether the
facts, if true, constitute crime, will be de-
cidei by the proper law officer of the Court.
Fortunately, every intelligent man has
some idea OF the duty OF the Grand Jury,
and it argues we'll for Anderson County to
SEQ such all intelligent body of men COM
posing the Grand Jury for he present year.
We live under what is called free govern
ment-a government Of checks and balan-
ces-wlich constitute local sclfgovern-
ment. The law is for the protection of
the peace and property of the citizen, and
the officers OF the law are merely the in
struments of the government TO carry out
the law. These officers, in the discharge Of
their duties, have the whole physical pow
er Of the government TO support them.
They, however, have the iniirmities of men
who are not angels, and the law has pro-
vided the means of holding them account
able for their acts.
1t is the duty Of the Grand Jury to e1-
anime your County offices, and see that the
duties imposed upon the parties holding
them arc properly performed. II you find
them well kept say so, in order that such
officers may be commended and an exali-
example to others. II they are not proper
ly kept, present them, not only as q warn
ing 10 others hat also rs means Of bring
Ing them to proper punishment. This
supervision is necessary for the welfare OF
Che whole County. These matters you
sill present in your general prcsentment
| to the Court, In some Counties 1t is not
uncommon for anonymous communica-
tions to be addressed to the Grand Jury. l
would advise you to pay TO attention to
such matters. Unless a citizen has such
a grievance as to indu;e him to state
it over his own name, with the witnesses 10
prove 1t, YOU are not called on to look int
It, 1t is not your duty to go over the
County hunting up crime. You are not
detectives. You can retire, and act upon
such matters as may be submitted to you
The following cases have been tried, with
the result stated:
The State VS.. Frank Moon and Earle
Gambrell. Assault Of high and aggrave'
ted nature. Guilty. Sentence: Frank
Moon three years and Earle Gambrell one
year at hard labor in the Penitentiary.
Tho State VS.. "A. J. Williams. Assault
of high and aggravated nature. Not guilty
The State vs.. Wade Holloway. Carrying
concealed weapons. Guilty. Sentence
Three months in Penitentiary at bard labor
The State VS.. Wade Holloway. Resist
ING an officer and assault and battery will
intent to kill Plead guilty. Sentence
One year in Pcnitentisry at hard labor.
The State VI. Millard C. Hunt and Thai
. deus Hunt. Assault and battery of higt
} and aggravated nature. Guilty, but ie
, commended to mercy Of Court.
, The State IS. Joseph Brooks. Murder
Not guilty. .
JUDGE Wallace is strengthening tue ei.
.... ,.t;o,, 4, which he iSr6eII