Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-11-19
The Aurkrillc Guquirer.
YORKVILLE, s. G.
THURSDAY MORNING, NOV. 10, 1885.

YORkFILLE, >. &.
THURSDAY MORNING, NOV. 19, 1885.
THREE NOTABLE CASES.
The three notable murder cases now be-
fore the South Carolina public are those of
Ferguson, in Abbeville, charged with the
murder of C. M. Benedict; DR.. A. n. Bel
lenger, in Charleston, charged with the
murder of Stephney Riley; and thirty per-
sons more or less, citizens of Edgetield,
charged with lynching O. II. Culbreath.
The facts in the Ferguson case are simply
that on the morning of the 24th of last De-
cember he walked into store in Abbeville
and after standingaround few minutes, de-
liberately shot young Benedict, a clerk en-
ployed in the house. Young Benedict was
friendless "Jew," and two hearings Of
the case in the Abbeville Court of Sessions
resulted each time in a mistrial. Neither
trial developed any sufficient reasons for
what on its face appears to be a deliberate
murder, though it was shown that in his in
fancy Ferguson was subject to petit NAL, and
like infants generally was cross and peevish.
Since the second trial, however, Mr.. c. H.
Noise, Of Sumter, himself Jew, has been
investigating the case, and after travelling
thirty miles over Abbevile in one day
eighteen miles on foot, five on horseback and
seven in buggy, in search of witness
whom he could not find, he comes to the ir-
resistible conclusion that Ferguson was JUS
tifiable in Staying Benedict. Mr.. Noise
ventilates his opinions in the Augusta
Chronicle, having devoted about six COL
umns in two issues for that purpose. His
conclusions are that though Benedict was a
Jew, he was unworthy Of his race; that he
was an adulterer and therefore unworthy to
live; that Ferguson-the inheritor of no.
BILE Scotch name-havlng been raised in
the hill country and possessing all the traits
of high-bred gentleman, though on the
particular occasion referred to slightly un-
der the influence of whisky, was inca
pable of shooting a worthless, trlendless
Jew unless the vagabond Israelite was de-
serving of death. While slightly elevated
by few Christmas potations he became a
law unto himself and magnanimously re-
lieved the community of the presence of
the odious Jew. Such are the conclusions
of Mr.. Noises first paper. His second epis-
tie is intended to convey the impression
that from young Benedict's notorious prof
legacy Ferguson had been grossly outraged
in a manner too dark, mysterious and
grievous to reveal, even on the trial for
his life, and this sacrifice for his honor
and the heroism displayed in the trying
ordeal should entitle him to verdict of
acquittal, if not open the prison door to his
release, without the simple formality of
a third trial. The letters of Mr.. Noise, in
the nature of special pleadings in advance
of the next trial of his hero, betray an ex-
traordinary attempt to manufacture public
opinion and pave the way for an acquittal,
and their publication in a reputable news
paper is new departure in the criminal
practice of the State.
The trial, in the Sessions Court Of Char
lesion, last week, of DR.. A. n. Bellinger,
charged with the murder of Stepheny Riley,
colored, was entirely free of dramatic or
exciting incidents of any kind. The mys-
terous silence of DR.. Bellinger, during his
incarceration, was broken, when he took
the witness-stand, only by a simple narra-
tive detailing the circumstances ofthe meet
ing of himself and Riley on the night pre-
ceding the homicide when he demonstrated
with Riley for abusing his horses, and their
meeting (unavoidably on the Doctors part)
next morning, when Riley commenced a
quarrel and advanced upon the Doctor with
a drawn knife The Doctor claims that he
fired in self defence. The jury was out
twenty hours and failing to agree, mis-
trial was ordered. Eleven of the jury were
for acquittal, and one was for a verdict of
manslaughtcr. On Saturday DIR. Bellinger
was admitted to bail for his appearance at
the next term of the Charleston Sessions
Court in bond Of $1,000.
The other case is that of the "Edgefield
lynchers," who, weary Of the laws delay,
and probably realizing its "glorious uncer-
tainty," meted out what they considered
retributive justice to O. II. Culbreath, whom
they suspected of assassinatng, or procur-
ing the assassination of young Hammond
on the night of September 2lst last. Thlr-
ty-three witnesses were examined by the
Edgefield grand Jury last week, and they
returned true bills against thirty-one Of the
accused. Yesterday was set as the day for
the trial to begin.
THE PRESIDENTS SILVER POLICY.
The present administration favors the
suspension of the coinage of standard silver
dollars, but it also favors the enforcement
of the coinage act in letter and spirit as
long as it remains on the statute books
The result of this loyalty to the act as it
stands has been to increase materially the
amount of silver in circulation. The amount
of standard dollars in circulation on June
30 of the present year was S3S, 100000. The