The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-10-21
COURT.

- ! AS COOAe w SSACAoa oS's'@ON1S
vened here last Monday morning
with His Honor Judge J. J. Norton,
presiding. After the usual routine OF
assembling the jurors and witnesses,
Judge Norton charged the grand jury
rs follows:
Gentlemen of the jury, this is your
third and last term unless for some
cause there should be no grand jury
drawn for next year. I do not think
il necessary to give you any instruc-
lions as you have already been in
sIructed at the former terms; you
ought to review in your minds the in
structions given you by my predecess-
ors. It lis your duty to make an ex-
animation of the different county Of
fees, and see if the officers have done
t!,e duties required of them. Some
Offices are more important than 9th
ers, those that have the management
OF the county finances, and I presume
that you have examined these offices.
You are also expected to listen to
complaints against the trial justices
and other officers. Very often COM
plants are made without any founda-
tion, and it is as much your duty to
exonerate an officer as to present him.
You are acting in the capacity OF
AGENTS for the people, and it is expect
ED of you to see that the people are
not imposed upon. You are to see
that the taxes paid by them have
been properly expended and account.
ed for. It also becomes your duty to
make suggestions to the county com
missioners, whenever you find any
thing that would be of benefit to the
county. But it is entirely discretion
airy with the commissioners whether
they act upon the suggestions made
by you. Should the county commls-
sioners have spent the funds of the
county without authority of law, it is
yonr duty to bring the matter before
the conrt. The solicitor has a num-
ber of bills for your inspection. You
will examine the witnesses whose
names appear on the bills, and if as
many as twelve of your number agree,
YOU can find true bill or no bill
according to the conclusions arrived
al BY you. It is not necessary to ex-
anime more than one witness if that
witness satisfies you that there is a
probable case OF guilt of the party &C
cused.
The judge then proceeded to in
struct the grand jury on the different
bills handed them by The solicitor:
The grand jury then retired, and
while the court was waiting the So
Icitor read the answer of the county
commissioners to that part Of the last
presentment of the grand jury; in
which it was recommended that the
county commissioners sell the county
iail and build new one. The an
swer set forth that the county COM
missioners had no night to sell the
iail, or other such property, and that
it could be sold only by special act OF
the legislature.
The first case tried was the case OF
the State vs.. John Lewis and Joe
Lewis alias Cash. John Lewis hav-
ing escaped from Jail, his partner Joe
was tried alone and convicted on the
charge of receiving stolen property.
The history Of this case is briefly as
follows: Last summer Nh. J. T.
Flowers pulled off his coat and vest
and hung them up in his shop. He
stepped out for few moments and
John Lewis went in and rifed the
pockets, finding a pocket book in
which there was hundred and fifty
dollars in two packages. The larger
package only was taken away. The
thief gave Joe some of the money,
and the two had picnic buying
watches and other articles, until they
were arrested. Joe conducted his
own defense.
JEFF McFaddin pleaded guilty to
the charge of carrying a concealed
weapon, as also did Reese Charles on
a similar charge. :.
The next case called was that
against Thos. Sparks, charged with
carving a concealed weapon. The
testimony in this case was very con-
ficting, the witnesses swearing point
blank contrary to each other on
questions of fact. The defendant ad-
mitted that he had the metal knucks
on his person, but denied that they
were concealed from ordinary obser-
vation. The jury returned verdict
of not guilty.