The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-11
The Attorney-General's Reply.

Attorney.Gencral Miles opened his argu.
mcnt by referring to the loss he had sustained
tn the inability of Solicitor Bonham to speak.
The Solicitor had lost his voice as the result
of q severe cold. The Attorney-Generals said a:
He would say NO word or suggest no thought that
was unwnrthy of the law officer, but would endravor
to argue the question cUoly and calmly asf 1t were
an abstract matter. He glad that he not call
ed upon to characterize this to denounce 1t
this Time, the evidence adduccd by the defendants
admitted the cnorty of the crime and had presented
! the sole defence of an dtt6i.
| The only question to be argned now was whether
the prisoners were probably guilty. lie hoped that
in South Caroline would assert that social
ditions could be the cause Of such crime as this.
Had the eviden"e rend here day 0bterated the
cord in this case9 Mr. Miles e"Quenlly and thrilling
ly described the buchery Of the crouchng. pleading
Cubreath in his lawyers office the poor wretch trying
To pray, hegging by nnnc the mercy Of his ncghb0rs
who struck him he lay cringing at their feet He
rcmindedSenator Butler of the honorable men, whose
daggers stabbed Cesar. Describing the gathering OF
the ynchers, he turned to Senator Butler and said
that South Carolinians had often gathered Mt his CALL
but never wore the badge OF cowardce In the masks
on their faces.
His Honor Was asked to lberate thirty three men
who had been In jail six weeks without apply ing for
ball. in order that they might 60 cut of Jail four days
before the grand jury could pass upon their cases.
What could be the object but to stamp the evidence
for the State in advance of the trial utterly insult.
ccnt? He urged that his Honor wait until the grand
jury could sft the evidence and find which of them
shnuld be prosecuted. He prutrsted Indignantly
against Senator Buffers idea that even II the prison
ers, when bailcd, should fly the Safe the punishment
by the collection of the money on their bonds would
be heavy lie resented the theory that the State could
be paid by blood money for the murder Of citizen.
He recognized grades In the guilt of the accused If
they We're indeed guilty. He thought his Honor might
discriminate in granting bail between those who met
at Antioch church, and might be called accessories be-
fore the fact and those who were In at the murder.
lie also thought that those who charged only on
information and belief might also have more consider
alton than the rest. But the men whom he could not
consent to the liberation "f were those who wore
masks on their faces and disgraced their Suite and
their county. Alluding to Mrs. Cmlbreaths affidavit
he said that II there wns one, timc when mother
could DC expected to testify to the utmost limit of the
truth 1t was in defence of her SON against the accusa-
ton of dyrins his hands in his fathers blood Eut he
confessed his surprise at finding such reference to
her husband. 1t WAS as If dreadng the truth Uf the
charge against her she was imprlled to show that
he would have been justified by his fathers offences
in snying him. lie drew strong contrast between
this announcement and the course Of Mrs. Minis, of
Aiken. whO in this Court and before the same Judge
refused to drnlge tho Irntaties her husband had In.
licted upon her, and in that his lIonOr had de-
cided that she could not be made to testify.
Senator Butler rose to explain that Mr.. Miles
had misunderstood him on two points. lie
that the Two Edgetield murders were the out.
come of ordinary social disturbances or to say
that the payment of bail money was more
than partial satisfaction to The State for the
escape Of murderer.
Major Vim. II Gary, of Augusta, closed for
the prisoners. He elevated II stringent voice
to Il high pitch and apparently threw more
personal feeling into the argument than had
been exhibited in all the other speeches. He
demanded Of Mr.. Miles the name of q cstSc In
which bail had been refused on account of the
proximity of The trial.
Mr.. Miles said that he could not then quote
q case.
Major Gary repeated the question and de.
mand and dwelt on the point SO long that Mr.
Miles informed the Court that he would not
answer the inquiry again, as he did not con-
| slider this debating society.
Major Gary then maintained that as no such
case could be produced lis absence was nssur.
ance OF the TACT that there was no law for it
Taking up the Attorney Generals lemarls
about the effect Oh the public mind sought by
the publication of these atfidavits OF the pris'
oners and their application, he eXctedly de-
clured that the whole case of the Stale had
been published in the Neus and Courier
Shaking copy of the paper at the reporter o.
the Neecs and Courier and gIaring Mt him, Ma
jor Gary challenged him to publish as full {;
showing OF the prisoners case as had been
published Of the States case. At this time
his voice could have been heard half q mile
The spectators Uttered at this dramatic rhal'
longing of an individual who was obliged ts
be dumb in Court. BuLaIl prisoners counsel
or nearly all, whether on q question OF 1)cti
NAL or OF masks, pitch into the tacturn re
porter.
After galloping vindlcation of Edgefleld
county against aspersions, certainly not cas-
in the Nc,rs ant Courier or In this Court ant
q loud call TO other counties to cure their OWL
ills before attempting to reform Edgefeld
Major Gary proceeded more moderately to ar
cue the law Of the case.
Major Gary cluimed as q matter Of absolute
right and justice that bail should be allowed
Then he argued on the evidence. Before ht
closed he claimed that his clients had beer
bounded by the press and pursued into The
jail by the tongue Of slander.
At the conclusion OF Major Garys speech
for the books and papers, and said that he
would give the matter his careful considera
ton.
| 1t had been expected that the decision wonlt
be announced at the conclusion of the argu
mcnt. The Court, at S45 p. Ill.,, adjourned At
ter a hard days word. N q. G..