Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1888-01-18
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY Is, 1888.
H PISTOL IN COURT.

The recent bloody tragedy IN the trlal
Justices court at Sumter, and the lynching
of a white man by negroes in Pickens
county, have set the people to thinking.
Of the two questions, that of carrying con-
cealed deadly weapons seems to have
evoked the greatest discussion, and in some
localities the strongest condemnation, nota-
bly, at Sumter, the scene Of the conflict,
after the mischief was done. Deprecating
the custom of carrying deadly weapons,
Mr.. Monteith, a preacher and a lawyer, OF
Columbia, made a statement through the
News and Courier that he had good au-
thority for the report that it was not an
unusual thing for the State Solicitors to 60
into the Court Houses armed capable
with pistols protruding from their hip
pockets. This was too strong an assertion
to be permitted to go without investiga-
ton, and tracing the story to its source, 1t
was found that such a statement was made
by a member of the Columbia bar, during
the recent session of the Legislature, but
that he did it in jest and to chgte some OF
the Solicitors, giving as a reason for the
laxity in enforcing the law against carry
ing deadly weapons, that the Solicitors
could not be expected to be prompt in
prosecuting men for the very offences OF
which they themselves were guilty. Then
again the statement was made that an OIL
cial prominent in the executive depart
ment of the State Government was observ-
ed, while at his devotions in church, to
have an deliberately ornamented derrlnger
protruding from the inevitable hip pocket.
The truth of the story has been contradict
ed by several prominent State officials
from the Governor down, each saying, ut
was not T." So we are ledt to conclude that
great as the reprehensible practice is in
our State, it has been magnified, and is
not really so bad after all, while there does
seem to be a healthy sentiment ofcondem-
nation growing against it.
In his charge to the grand jury Of Or
angeburg recently on this subject, Judge
Presley said:
"You should go into your room deter
mined to find a true bill against every
man proved to your satisfaction to have
carried a deadly weapon concealed. You
should present This practlce DIS Ill EVIL, oue
which will lead to the defiance of all law,
and one that is introducing a habit in our
community under which, if it continues
to grow, no man will be safe"
And in regard to the operation of lynch
law, the Pickens case being fresh in his
mind, the Judge said:
"Lynch law is a growing crime and one
which cries aloud to heaven. 1t is doing
more to introduce anarchy over the whole
country than almost all other causes COM
bined. We shout victory over the execu,
ton of the Chicago anarchists. We call
those men anarchists, but what else are
l~ynchers?. Are they not violators OF the
law? Our people are very much to blame
with reference to this matter. 1t is utter
ly useless to waste the time of the courts in
trying lynchers until we can correct pub
lie opinion on this point, and that public
opinion is to be corrected partly through
the presentments of grand ~juries, partly
by their influence and partly by the in
fluence of all good citizens"
These are brave, sensible timely words,
and with the lessons of the past, it is hoped
they may not have been uttered in vain.