The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-08-11
Homicide TRIALS.

Ihere is some discussion going
on In the Press Of this State and
elsewhere, the subject being the
verdict in the Williams homicide
case at Greenville. A few years
ago a secret murder vas committed
In Charleston, and the investiga-
.tion before the magistrate was a
scene that would put blush the
hoodlums of San F'aIr 90.
Numbers of peoT.e thought the
detective had the right man, but
he was driven from the city in dis.
grace. Then came the Jones triple
murder I'm Edgefeld, the Dawson
homicide In Charleston and the
Greenyille incident. The verdict
in this cas- Seems to have been
the hair on the Campbelps back.
IL Is not very difficult to find
the philosophy of miscarriage of
justice In homicide cases In the
South. The war had its effect;
after the war for years in the
South there was quasi Wharf.-The
present generation was reared In
q time when men and boys felt
that the law, as administered, was
but a pitiful reliance. In the midst
of war the laws are silent. But
the times are now different. When
the reason fails the rule should
fail also; the administration of JUS
tice Is now in the hands of our
own citizens and for the protection
Of human life and the peace Of So
ciety the law of homicide should
be rigidly enforced. We think
the law stands in the books as it
should. Various remedies have
been suggested, and notably grad
uating felonious homicides into
first, second and third degrees.
This might answer.
There Is another view to take Of
the matter. The population of the
State is exceedingly sparce; q large
majority of the male population is
excluded from the jury box by rea-
son of unfitness and properly. AS
a rule throughout the counties in
innate social and business rela-
tons exist among all the white
people, and these relations largely
influence the motives and conduct
of jurors. 1t is absurd to suggest
that the very lowest Of u white
people have been or ever r APP
preached with mercenary consid-
erations, In u view it is the
strong community of social inter-
est THAI operates to influence the
result of the verdict in a homicide
case. Ii this is the trouble here
Is the remedy: let the thilty-siX
petit jurymen drawn from the
county for criminal cases be drawn
from the circuit at large, and serve
only for criminal issues. Railroad
facilities make the scheme feasible
and the extra mileage is but a
small addition to the expense. In
dependent of this, 1t should be a
misdemeanor severely punishable
for any one to approach a juror
and discuss with him any matter
connected with the court. AS the
law now stands requiring the jury
drawn from a vicinage of the
county 1t is scarcely practi.
cable to get n panel of twelve men
totally u~ninnuenced by social, fam
lily or business ties. II this should
~ found impractjcable tho end
~ be secured by charging the
nuinh"r .rial jurors, say to fifty
Sr sixty, giving to the State and
accused relatively q larger number
Of peremptory challenges, and dis
charging all but thirty-six jurors
when the capital cases are disposed
of. In addition to this an assist
ant solicitor should reside in each
county, who by his knowledge of
Jurors and witnesses, could give to
the prosecuting attorney invalu-
able assistance in obtaining an IN
BIASED panel.