The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-01
SOME PLAIN TALK ON AN INTERESTING
SUBJECT.

Good Man from tho Jury ?---MOrc
Light as to the Manner of Draw
ing Jurors Can Anybody Tell
Why Some Men are Drawn so Of
ten. While Others. Equally Good.
arc Never Drawn?
Editor Press and Banner:
Reinp curious to know the real motive on
the part of the Board of Jury Commissioners
for not putting the name OF MI; IL. r" Hiil Oh
the list of Grand Jurors, after having uraWh
him-as | was satisfied that the reason given
Board). did not think that they had the right
10 draw any one from the Seven mile box or,
tue Grand Jury" was not the correct one. i
detcrmincd, for my own satisfaction, 70 prone
the matter to the bottom, and, II possible, gel
nj tho "truo inwardncSS' of the case. as
there aro doubtless great many olhers ike @
myself whose curiosity has been eNclte9 on
this question, shall, for their benefit ana ior
the information of the public generally, give
the results of my efforts at solving the nlJs,
terry. will here state for the lnloriiauon ,hn vi
any who may not know tho fact, that tne
Board of Jury Commissioners is composea OF
the Jury Commissioner proper, the Auditor,
the Sheriff, the Clerk Of Court ana Cnalrnlan a.
Of the Board OF County commissioners,
Knowing then that the informaton nsinU @n,Cn q, !
desired 10 obtain was In the possession OF
each of these, reasoned thatit would require
but very little adroltncss to possess, even q
profound secret, when the same was entrust,
ed to the keeping 1i fo of
cess, and I think have succeeded.
In giving the particulars of this affair whlcn
reached me by no circuitous route or devious
way, but by and through the most uaIec'
channel, shall mention no one by name
but, If mistake not, when l shall nave nm
ished the public will have no dlilculty IN IN
spotting the unfaithful official VINO so lar DC W
swerved from the performance Of his sworn
duty by his bitter prejudicds. ana VIII, VIII
unerrine certainty, be able TO point 10 MN
and say as did the Prophet OF G oIu 70 of INo nrc
face4how for the particulars as they actually
foccAfTed at the time the Grand Jury was pe.
ing drawn. There was present the entlre
board with the exception OF the Ama,toFNJHe Jr
being I'm the country taking tax returns. MI
HilTs name was among the first, II not tne
first drawn, and when 1t was called ont IL i WE
agreed by all, aoith one e1ccptt2n that ne W9uiu
make good Grand Juror. This one said nc
Objected to Mr.. Hill because he (HilD was not
friendly to him and would do any thing I'D
his power to injure him, and 1urthernlore
that he (the speaker) knew the law ana utai
they had no right to dra,o any one on me GrGno Mr
.Juru from The Seven mile boz; whereupon Mr.,
Hills name was laid aside and Wfs alIeCEaGos EG
(put upon the list of Petit Jurors.Ioo you sto =
Mr. Editor that while y9nf MGR iIs matte
he left off the one most potent IN lts cnectS
in short the fact which resulted IN the eNciu'
sion of Mr.. Hill from the Grand jury LOT tne M
the foregoing version OF this matter, not pe,
ing present at the time, and OF necessity had
to get my Information from others, YET an.
satisfied in my own MIND OF lts coIIsclHess ~ ~
having reached me as before stated, IN the
most direct manner-and If true, does ~ not
argue a lamentable state of afa!rS?-tnaI
citizen to the manor born is TO pe eAcl9deu
from serving upon the Grana yury o,iH " uas
cations necessary to the proper discharge OF SO
high and responsible q position, because, ior.
sooth, he is disliked by u certain memoeP o. o.
board whose duty it Is to draw such jury! II
this is tolerated what becomes OF our boasteu
liberties and the right SO dear to every Amer,
can citizen-the right OF falr anu iniparal,ta y
trial by a Jury Of his country, when chapgTu a,
try? If for such personal motives they caI,
exclude one why not dozen, and II Q dozen
why not hundred and thus practlGaliy PACK
the Juries to suit themsetest tho IulI Iury IN ra
celebrated murder trial Of recent date, IN thls
county, was manipulated IN tne inteTest TS ~ o,
the defendant, and this late affair VIII tehu
suc6 Suspicion. Not only that, but 1t VIII
serve to confirm the rumour already regarded
as an open secret, that there IS solntthlns m
crooked in the conduct OF certain OF M oui
Court House officials How tne ,;'cC snaS MI ns
unfriendly 10 him would dsqualify said Hlil
In the opinion of said official for perlormlne
the duties Of Grand Juror, unless tnerc wa:
something wrong III lhO CoLuuSe SANs
ticial. is more than the average citizen can
comprehend. It strikes me that IL Is equlVa,
lent 10 an admission that there is somethine
wrong in the conduct of his ofhceIsomeInlne
"rotten in Denmark"-which he thought thal
Mr.. Hill, as he was not friendly TO him, mhSn'
eypose Those of our citizens Whom nave
heard sneak of this matter, and they arc ny
no means a few, are justly indignant ana oul
snoken in their condemnation OF such hlSh'
handed measure. Such fragrant tamperin@
with that which Is in truth regarded as inc
right arm of our courts Of justice, ana q Dul'
wark to our liberties, being at the same tlme
n shield to the weak and the innocent, as well
as a terror to tho wicked and vicious.
1t is apparent, Mr.. Editor, from what nave
said that assume that the true reason lot re-
iecting Mr.. Hill was purely and solely because
he was not liked by certain member OF Inc
board, and l think am warranted III lnls
assumption. .,,,, /. ,ro E
not because of the fact that his name was
drawn from the seven mile box, II VIII onlS
be necessary to state that on this Identical
iury there are at least three who reside within
less than seven miles OF the Court House, one
of whom, Mr.. Visanska, residing In the toWr
OF Abbeville. And, more, the foremen OF the
last three grand juries, in the drawing OF
which this same official participated, were
residents of the town of Abbeville. BESIDES,
there is no such law, and he knows 1t, as
Would exclude a man from serving on the
grand Jury because he lives within seven
miles Of the Court House. 1t Is to be hoped
then that this matter will be thoroughly ven
tilated, and the guilty party made 10 bear the
consequences of his unlawful and outrageous
conduct. Yours, Liza