The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-01-12
ssTHE CLIMAX OF CRIME"
A Reckless Disregard for Life aud the
Remedy.
Co1JTMn1A. January 4. 1888.

A Reckless Disregard for Life aud the
Remedy.
COLUMBIA, January 4, 1888.
To the Editor Of the Neaus and Courier
Your article in yesterdays paper entl-
tied as above, and the efforts which you
have made in your paper in years that
have passed, are sufficient to convince
everyone that you are not in sympathy
with the spirit of lawlessness and reck-
less disregard of human life that has per:
vaded the State for some years; and
while you have given timely warning OF
it, you have possibly but limited
knowledge of the extent to which the
pernicious habit is practiced, out OF
which this evil grows-the habit of car
rying concealed weapons among that
class of citizens who control the State.
1t may not be amiss to give few nota'
BILE instances of the violation ofthe statue
in this regard:
It has been stated that one of the high.
est officials of the State, charged with
an enforcement of this very law, on
recent occasion entered prominent
church in this city, and while devoutly
kneeling repeating the litany it was
found that there was more reality than
was supposed in his confession, and that
he was "miserable offender" because,
having removed the skirt of his coat 10
avoid sitting on it, the ivory handle OF an
approved Smith & Wesson was seen by
the whole congregation protruding from
the pistol pocket of his pants.
A gentleman of the highest respecta'
bility has stated that one of the solicitors
recently remarked in the company of
four other solicitors that he disliked to
prosecute persons for violating the stat.
ute in respect to carrying concealed
weapons, because he constantly violated
it himself. He then exhibited one for
the inspection of the gentlemen. This
done, the other four solicitors present
produced similar weapon, and this in
time of profound peace.
In every railway train wherever you
travel throughout the State, you need
only look at the persons whom you meet
and you will readily detect that 10 the
main they are thoroughly armed, and the
slightest disturbance of any kind that
springs up at any cross road is promptly
settled by the rapid production of any
number of derringers and engaged as |
constantly am in the Courts in different
parts of the upper and middle country, l
do not hesitate to say that l am always
aware of the fact that I am not enly
opposed to legal talent, but also to any
number of masked batteries; and it was
this fact, we'll known to majority of the
recent Legislature, which caused such
violent death of the effort made to
increase the punishment for this offence.
When q single outrage like that at
Sumter occurs, the citizens are for the
moment awed, but in order 10 determine
whether this evil is general or local, it is
necessary to look over period of time,
and brief retrospect will be instructive.
In the year 1885, at barbecue in
Lexington County, citizen of this State
shot and killed another citizen. Upon
being brought to trial he was convicted
of manslaughter. Judge PRESLEY in SEN
fencing him declared openly in Court
that the verdict was not sustained by the
evidence, as he characterized it as most
brutal murder, and inflicted sentence OF
ten years. Imprisonment. The defendant
having appealed and entered into bond,
the sentence has never been enforced,
and he is at large. 49,,
Within very short period q little
instance occurred in Edge6eld in which
q Mr.. Jones saw proper to kill three gen.
tlemen named Pressly. This case has
been so thoroughly ventilated in your
paper that it must be fresh in the minds
of all your readers, and they will recol-
lect that Mr.. Jones was convicted of
manslaughter in the killing of one of the
men, but was not tried for killing the
other two and he is at large, the sentence
remaining unexecuted, he having appeal.
ed and given bond. This case was just
preceded by the dragging of Mr.. Cul.
breath from the Office of his lawyer and
his assassination on the highway. 1t
was followed by the affair at Newberry
occurring in the trial Justices Office,
which ended in the death of an attorney
at the hands of another, on which occa.
sion it was apparent that they were all
we'll supplied with weapons.
During the last month your columns
show that Mr.. Ratterree, at Chester,
shot witness instantly dead in the Trial
Justices Court at Chester, and we reach,
as you cay, the climax in the killing of
Mr.. Haynesworth at Sumter in his own
Court. It would seem that with these
facts before us some one would be found
able to suggest remedy. The evil lies
in the absolute failure to enforce the law,
and those persons who are. really to blame
are the prosecuting officers who fail to
bring to the bar those who offend against
this law, and in the Judges who are
absolutely recreant to their duty in the
punishment of this crime. The punish
ment prescribed is fine and imprison.
ment, either or both at the discretion of
the Court, and if the Judges who have
right to punish this crime by imprison-
ment would exercise their discretion with
view to its punishment and exhibit q
little. manhood by sending promptly to
the penitentiary, without alternative of
fine, every person convicted before them
of carrying concealed weapons, the evil
would soon stop; but 80 long as they
impose slight fines upon such offenders
they render the statute worthless.
1 hand you with this letter statement
taken from the docket of the Court of
Sessions here showing the number of
convictions under this statute and the
sentences imposed, and the collection of
similar information, which is easily
done, from all the dockets of the State
since the passage of the Act, will show
that the Judges are to blame for the Act
having proved useless.
There should be enough citizens in
every county to form society who
would stand pledged to prosecute every
offender of this law, and the Judges
should be urged to make the punishment
for its violation exemplary, instead OF
palliating the offence by mild sentences.
Cannot the people be aroused to the
formation of such societies? Ifso, they
will be found infinitely more eficacious
than any amount of denunciation that