The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-22
THE COURT.
Not a Heavy Sessions Docket-The Charge
of Judge Norton-The Presentment
of the Grand Jury.

of Judge Norton-Ihe Hcesentment
of the Grand Jury.
The Court of General Sessions was
convened at Newberry on Monday.
Judge Norton is presiding, and the ses-
sions docket is light one. The Grand
Jury was organized with J: H. Smith
as foreman, and Solicitor Schumpert
soon had a number of bills before them
and the Judge delivered his charge.
Among other things aud in addition to
instruction as to the bills in hand, he
said: 1t is the duty of the Grand Jury
to have an oversight Of the various
county officers, and especially to look
after the trial justices, those being a
! blessing or a curse according as their
powers are exercised wisely or lgno-
rantly and corruptly.
| He referred somewhat at length to
the matter Of carefully supervising the
expenditures of public monies and en-
phasized the Importance of improving
| the public road system, and looking
after county poor, preventing the i'm
position upon the county of able-bodied
persons, and taking proper care Of those
deserving charity. He then charged
them as to the law OF the bills in hand,
which were only of burglary, larceny.
larceny of live stock, house-breaklng,
assault and battery with intent to KILL
and so forth.
The first case tried was case of
assault and battery, which was the re-
suit of a fight between two white boys
in the upper part Of the county last
January-Messrs Hartman and Chap
pell-and it seems that Chappell got
the best of the fight and hence the
prosecution. Harman was badly cut on
the face and had a scar on the head
from a blow with a scantling. The
charge was assault and battery with
| intent to kill. TIE Solicitor was as
sisted in the prosecution by Geo. b.
Cromer, ESQ.,, and the defense was
represented by w. H. Hunt, Jr., Esq.
The jury returned verdict of guilty of
assault and battery of a high and ag-
gravated nature.
The jury in the above case signed
the following petition which will be
presented to his Honor when be comes
to pass sentence:
To His Honor, J. J. Norton, Presid-
ing Judge: The undersigned jurors,
empanelled to try the above entitled
cause, feeling that the youth of the de-
fendant entities him to the tender con-
sideration of the Court, would, there
fore most respectfully petition your
Honor to impose as light fine upon
the defendant, who is poor boy, as
your discretion will permit.
Will Ropp, alias Will Trapp, was
convicted of house breaking. He acted
as his own lawyer.
William Jackson was found guilty Of
larceny of livestock.
Fern Gary was covicted Of an assault
and battery with Intent to kill.
Martin Wheeler was tried on the
charge of burglary. He was defended
by Geo. B. Cromer, Esq. The State
was assisted in the prosecution by W..
II. Hunt, ESQ.
The jury found Wheeler guilty and
recommended him to mercy.
Dan Lever pleaded guilty Of assault
and battery, and John Ford Of house
breaking.
The Stevens homicide case is set for
trial On Friday; the witnesses were ab-
sent. 49,
George Scott was tried yesterday af-
ternoon for mdrder and acquitted. He
was defended by Messrs. George Gro
mer and G. L. Blease.
Outside of the Stevens homicide case
there are no cases of importance and
the business will be finished to-day.
No sentences have been passed yet.
THE PREsENTMENT OF THE GRAND
JURY.
We had expected that we would have
the presentment of the Grand Jury for
this issue, but It will not 5efead before
this morning. although the jury had
finished its work practically yesterday.
The jury and its clerk declined to let
US have copy of, the document or to
indicate it's contents, and hence we will
give only general outline of what it
will contain without knowing exactly
its contents.
Of course the presentment will say
that all bills handed out by he Honor
able Solicitor have been passed upon,
which is correct. A committee or COM
Inittees also visited the offices of the
treasurer and auditor, clerk, probate
Judge and sheriff, and school commits
sioner and will report these Offices in
proper condition and books we'll and
properly kept. AS the law requires
that the foreman be present at the
annual settlement of the treasurer with
the comptroller general, no minute ex-
animation was made into the treasu-
rer's office, but it will be more fully re-
ported upon at the July term of the
court. A committee also visited the
Door house and will congratulate the
county on the nice buildings that have
been erected there and will also recon-
mend that one or two Of the houses be
finished by ceiling. We understand
that there are now fourteen paupers
there-three white and eleven colored.
The county:is not imposed upon in
this particular. The committee that
visited the Jail, found the prisoners we'll
cared for. Some little repairs are found
to be necessary at the jail and around
the premises, and these will be recon-
mended to be made; also some little
work on the front of the Court house.
An examination was also made into
the office of the County Commissioners,
and the books and papers were found
correct.
A remarkable fact in connection
with this report is that no complaints
have been made in regard to the pub
lie roads.
The report will also recommend that
the room in the Court House back OF
the Clerk of Court be fitted up for use
by the School Com missioner and thus
save rent for bis office.
Complaint is also made that some of
the Trial Justices do not properly, &C.
cording to law, report to the Auditor
and Treasurer.
This report is not official, neither is
it from the book or the record, but
it is about what the Grand Jury will
present this morning, as near as we
can guess at it.