Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-03-20

|
! by notify the County Commissioners
that we shall hold them to strict
accountability if they do not enforce
the law. Complaint has been made
that some of the bridges are in bad
condition, and VIC ask tho CouDty
Commissioners to give them their
immediate attention. We have been
hampered in our Investigations by
the failure of witnesses to appear,
and we also note the absence of
jurors. This disregard of the Court
and its processes has been too COM
mon a practice, entailing expenses
and delay. We respectfully urge
upon your Honor, and we would
emphasize the request, that examples
be made by ruling and finding absen-
tees.
DEFECTS IN THE ANTI DUIiLING LAW.
General rumor and newspaper
statements having induced us to be-
| ~ .H .
lieve that the statute prohibiting
dueling in this State has been vio-
lated, in that a challenge to fight a
duel had been sent by one of our
citizens and accepted by another, we
have thought it proper to investigate
the charge, i'll view that The parties
may be dealt with rs the law directs
But after diligcnt inquiry and care
full examination we failed to find
evidence sufficient to warrant Judi
cial proceedings. Preliminary cor
respondence only passed, and the
prompt action of tho officials pre-
vented any act coming under the
statutes. Indeed we find the statutes
so defective that nothing short of a
duel actually fought is ever likely to
be brought to The test of trial.
THE TRIPLE MuRDERER's CASE.
| We find in our Jail prisoner
indicted formurder who has beent here
for the most part Of four and half
years. lie has been tried five times.
The expense of keeping him and hav-
ing these trials has been heavy tax
upon our county. The failure of the
law to punish him, if guilty, rejects
upon the administration of Justice.
The failure Of the law to give him
his freedom, il innocent, is an out
rage on the liberty of the citizen.
The fiimsy prctcxts upon which tho
Supreme Court grants new trials, a
thing unheard of before the war, an
innovation which we firmly believe
is the source of all lynching which
has occurred i'll our State, cannot be
too strongly condemned. The State
suffers in the estimation of the world;
the taxpayers suffer from the ex-
pcnsc thereby cntailc!; civilization
suffers because every lynching
dethornes the law and holds it up to
contempt. The long incarceration
of this prisoner cxcitcs sympathy
for him. The failure of the law to
vindicate itself casts obloquy upon
its administration. The prisoner
gains at the States expense, and
justice is weakened by every con
tinuance. Continuance after con
tinuance has been granted upon
trivial prctcnccs, and we feel that we
voice the sentiment of an over
whelming majority of our people
when we ask that this thing shall
stop. We want this man released if
innocent, we want him punished if
guilty.
In view of the fact that he has
had five trials in this Court, and that
mistrials have resulted four times,
we believe that justice can be better
subscrved by a change of venue, and
we recommend such action, if it is
allowed by law.
|
CONNlVANCE AT a JAIL ESCAPE.
The Solicitor having desired an
investigation into the matter of the
recent escape from the jail of pris-
oners, two Of whom were undcr SEN
tcncc for a capital offcnsc, and a
strong public sentiment urging the
same, we have given the matter a
patient, searching and thorough in
vestigation. We regret to present
that we find the Sheriff and his
assistants have been culpably ncgli-
gent of their duty, and they are
undoubtedly responsible for the
escape Of the aforesaid prisoners.
We reach this conclusion from sworn
evidence derived from witnesses,
b. p. Covar, Carlton Bee, SiIas
Youncc, j. w. Hardy, Tribble Davis,
Il. N. Zimmerman and G. w. Walk
cr, the admissions of Sheriff QUITS,
Robert Powcl aud Marion Booth,
| 1n1 from n thorou,.,, ;,>,,o,,,...o..