The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-10-28

some did not know he drank at oil. Drunk
enneSs is no excuse for crime, or any one
might get drunk and XIII o man: IL IS no ue.
Tense to say that one is drunk; You nave got
to prove that a ma was drunk from whlskey
just us you would have to prove any other
fact. !,.,-n
merchants with whom he dealt did not know
it. They testify that he was a good business
man. A drunken III mind must be SO de-
ranged that he did not know what ne was 40.
when he sobers.up. The defendants counsel
says that II the States counsel had stated the
facts as they were, he would be one 10 hang
merely rehearsed the facts as produced on the
stand. Do you believe that If John Fergu;
sons father and mother and brotners nad
would nave LEFT his wife and children with
him alone. or allowed him to transact htssbus-
mess affairs. He was drunk at Ninety-Slx,
got a pint Of liquor from DR.: Wenck apd come
home drunk. When he got home ne oronght
his wife and child over to town to his latner,
in-law, and his mother-in-law says she told
him To take his family and go back home; he
brought his family to town to the wedding,
bar-room, and then told Stark Martin TO come
and see me Kill a d-n Jew. hat looks like
he wanted Stark to help him, and yet accord,
Ing to their defense lie was unconscious al
this time. You have got to believe That to let
this man off. He goes into Kafisky's to buy
cartridges to kill a man: You may call that
cr~aziness, but 1 call 1t thorough preParattoh
They say he was crazy. I say he knew all
about what he was going to do. Counsel say
that Benedict was a friend OF John ferguson
and all because Benedict had been invited 10
He went In, took his pistol out Of his back
pants pocket and cooked 1t, and puts 1t In his
over-coat pocket and goes to the right hand
coucter and there stattas. wnen nj p tne NC
man shoes n went TO the shoe box, tergo-
son spoke to him, and Benedict asked him
what he said, and the reply was that tefga.
son shot Benedict with a sure and certain aim
and to death, and yet they tell you that he
unconscious. Wheu a maniac kills u
man he boilers with glen, but John Ferguson
did not do SO, but be simply Put MS pistol 81 ;a
he tells Riley that he KILLED him In self;de-
Tense, and afterwards told Joe Hammond that
he went to kill him. Tho delusion exhibited
here by Ferguson Is the same thai Is shoMa
Ferguson say? Don't lock me up. Wont
for bail? Don't lock me up Mr.. Hammond.
this evening. Gentlemen if you call that era
illness you have a peculiar idea OF the testl-
mony given on that stand. =,
Counsel have Told you this evening. q good
Edgefie;d lynchlng was caused BY the Press.
I expect he would have come nearer the cause
If he would read OF the frequent acquittals OF
criminals in Edgeteld county. Can you say
lutlt lldl 1S V az ! bo" ldNS pASS Sop w
prove that? 1t Is not beyond q reasonable
doubt, but the cases say that the defense must
prove the insanity to the satisfaction OF the
Jury. BY p~reponderance OF testimony means
side. What testimony AVE they given you
that Ferguson is insane? By his own family,
and yet accept everything they say, and tney
nave not proven to you that Ferguson was In
sane. His family have not treated him as III
sane. He transacted all his business. They
let him carry q pistol and left him with his
wife and children by themselves. We nave
brought you Doctors who say 1t was not In
sanity. His family Doctor who waited on him
for fifteen years and never knew hat John
Ferguson was insane. The playmatcs OF his
boyhood and school boy days, and the men
with whom he did business all knew nothing
of his being insane. If he had been crazy do
you believe that Jack Ferguson would have
sent him to the graded school for two years
and to Erskine and Adger colleges.
Agood deal has been said about your opin-
ion before the trial commenced, also about
your duty and the influence Of the Press and
Of public opinion. Sympathy is hard to resist
but duty is higher than sympathy. LIDO not
propose to discuss your duty to you. You
know your duty. I have no more to say. l
ishment would not bring Arthur Benedict
back again. It would not console his old pa
rents across the waters. You would not only
turn him out with q medal around his neck,
but you would turn. him out If the facts are
against him with q certificate signed by each
one of you, allowing him to kill whom he
choose, yet not be responsible for his actions
You dom punish John Ferguson. You sim,
ply find the verdictof guilty or not guilty and
spills man blood by man so shall bis bioo9 oe
spilled. You find the facts and then his HON.
or imposes the sentence prescribedby inc law.
You have nothing TO do with mercy. Yon are
TO find the facts and the facts only. Decide II
according to the law and the evidence SO help
rot God.