Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1889-08-08
I'D WEE !.
So on, ssss.sa.l = .saxIn,IEls E.Il,I
THURSDAY, AUGUsTIss, ., 1889.
Tho nfcDow Jury.

3 papers, about the trial of Dir Z. B
Mol Dow for the murder of Capt. Il
wv. Dawson, editor of the Charles.
| ton lVescs and Co,uies. With one
voice, from both the North and
South, the trial has been denounced
4 as q farce, as a mighty travesty OF
Justice, and all because the jury
would not convict, even though the
proof of guilt was convincing be,
yond q reasonable doubt. II
We think that on McDow's own
statement he stood guilty of man
slaughter in the most favorable light
it could reasonably be viewed, and
when all the facts in the testimony
arc weighed in connection with his
confession of trying to bury the body
$of his victim, there can be no rea-
@sonable doubt that he committed a
foul and brutal murder. But the
verdict said not guilty, and this rcd
handed murderer is set at liberty by
jury of Charleston county. And
80 long as the juries Of Charleston,
8or any other county in the State, is
composed Of such weak, base men,
ms was this jury, no better results
can be expected.
This we think is one lesson which
this important trialhas surely taught
the people of South Carolina in the
practical administration Of justice.
A faithful, impartial and learned
Judge, q strong and competent pro
scouting attorney, are alike unable
to punish crime, when the jury won
tonly disregard both the law and the
testimony.
The remedy for all such miscar.
,liagcs of justice, we believe, can be
found in the faithful execution of
the laws now on our statute book
concerning the drawing of jurics.
There is in each county a Board
of Jury Commissioners, composed of
three men, one Of whom is appoint
ed by the Governor, and known as
the Jury Go: missioner, the other
two being the county Auditor and
Chairman of the Board of County
Commissioners.
What are the requirements of the
law rs to the essential qualifications
of the jurors to be selected by this
Board? Section 2,236 of the Gene
raj Statutes prcscribcs that "the
Board of Jury Commissioners Of
each county shall, once in every
year, during the month of January,
prepare list of such Inhabitants of
their respective counties, not abso-
lutcly exempt, rs they may think
we'll qualified to serve as Jurors,
dei'ag persons of good morol chav-
acter, Of sound .iudamcm ana free
from aU legol exceptions, Gtalics
oWs,) which list shall include not
less than one from every twenty
voters, nor more than one from eve
ry ten voters of their respective
counties"
Here is given the essential person
al qualifications of the men whose
names arc to be put in the jury box
from which the jurors for the year
arc to be drawn. They must be
persons of good moral character, of
sound Judgment as well as free from
all legal exception.
1t is evident from the composition
of the jury drawn to serve on the
trial of this case that the Board of
jury Commissioners had sienally
failed in the proper discharge Of
their duty in making up the jury
box for the year. Why such large
proportion of negroes on The panel /?
Surely there must have been some
thing like the same proportion of
negroes put in the jury box from
which the jurors for the June term
of court were drawn. And if so,
how can the Commissioners claim
for themselves the proper discharge
of their duties? DO they believe
for a moment that the negroes Of
Charleston county are rs well or
better qualified to sit on her iurics
than her intelligent and consccn-
tious white men? If such is their
judgment, then it is evident they
arc incompetent for the discharge OF
the responsible duties OF their posi-
ton, and the Jury Commissioner
should forthwi be removed by the
Governor. But there are many
white men as unfit to serve on our
juries as negroes, and if the Board
were negligent or willfully corrupt
in choosing such large proportion