The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-10-28
Speech of L. w. Smith, Esq.
Time. 10 so to 11.tO-1 hour.

Time: 10 so to 11.tO-1 hour.
After addressing himself to the court as to
tho law applicable to the ~defendapts case
Mr.. Smith spoke to the jury in substance as
follows:
Gentlemen of the Jury:
Notwithstanding the great diffidence ! feel
in raising my feeble voice in q case of such
glad to be here-not glad that poor John Fer
guson should by a seeming rash act have In
volved his family and himself in so much
trouble and woe, but glad to do my part IN
SO deserted, in q case which not only involves
his life, but affects the lives and liberty of US
all. His cause is my cause. Our cause Is
yours, and yours involves nothing less than
than the liberty and happiness of every cln-
zen Of this grand old county, Not only, gen
tleman, do you pass upon the solumn, issue
der, but your deliberations have a still high
err and nohler aim. You are to prove TO this
State and County, after all that has been SAID
In this case: Can a man receive a fair and i'm
partia! hearing at the hands of a jury Of his
c~ountrylncn and peers? Can you listen alone
to the evidence heard upon that stand and
apply the law as expognded by HIS honor,
| witnesses, come to your ears under me
heightened pressure of d mistaken public
zeal? is join Ferguson to be convicted as
a matter Of public experience, or Is ne 10 O. en- an-
1mpartIaI verdict? If such then is the issue,
truly is his cause ours, and we should see TO
It that he be allowed all the benefits n
privileges our law in It's great wisdom allows;
This, gentlemen, you have no QOuot resolved
to do when taking the oath as a Juror, out no
matter how pure and just your intentions,
you may be unwittingly. led astray. since
the last trial this case has been so ventilated
through the columns of an hostile press, tho
misrepresented, vilo rumors have been, cir
culatcd without facts sufficient to give them
even the coloring Of truth. public opinion mas
been taught such false sentiment as TO This
case, that those who naturally should sym
pdthiZe with Ferguson In his Distress. nave
turned against him with all their wrath ; he
has been branded a public enemy, and today
there are not wanting those who believe that
that the future of our country's good, yea,
verify, Of our civilization, depends upon the
conviction Of poor John Ferguson; and DO l
believe my ears, the learned gentleman VINO
has just addressed you urges a conviction TO
facilitate migration to this State.
An horrible and revolving. homicide mas
been communicative admit all the gentlemen
may say on this point-it may have few
equals In the annals OF crime, but If you OIL
low any other considerations to enter your
minds than the facts in the case, you will be
committing q more horrible, more cruel,
moredelibQrate murder than any l can, paint;
anu while you may not answer at this par Iof
the same, Still there Is another tribunal where
no secrets are hid, before which you must ap-
pear, and God grant you may acqult your
selves we'll.
Turn your backs then Upon the biased and
prejudiced appeals Of our newspapers, put
In this general Indictment IF our press WISH