The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-03-19

aay evening the Court Hous,
wasIfeS4nd there soon assembled +,
fairlya good crowd, considering tn,
Indictment weather, composed Of tn,
County teachers aud their many friends
mere. The purpose Of this meeting was
to hear an address on education by The
Hon. w. d. Mayield. Mr.. Mayfield
however, did not appear, and the audi
ence failing to supply any extempore
talent, it was about to dispense in o gen,
eral fiasco. Happily, at this moment
Prof. Watkins with far reaching fore
sight to enjoyment and entertainment,
suggested to several young men that O
mock trial would be an appropriate pro-
gram to while away the hour. The idea
was heartily received and Immediate ac-
ton taken thereon. So thus, without the
slightest forewarning, and in about ten
minutes after Prof. Watkins suggestion,
the young men entrusted with the ar.
rangements, had everything in readi.
ness Tor a murder case. Even the room
assumed q legal aspect, and an atmos-
phere Of solemnity and gloom pervaded
throughout.
His Honor b. Y. Culbertson presided
with his accustomed im%partiality. So
lIcitor u. q. Bowen and Stenographer
Clifford Babb, as well as Clerk of Court
Berk Lee Clardy and Sheriff Edgar l..
Barksdale, were at their respective
places. Numerous c%onstables, with the
accustomed rods of rule and order, kept
silence and sobriety in stunning shape.
Promptly at o o'clock p. NJ, Sheriff
Ed B~arksdale, elbowing through the ca
ger, excited throng Of spectators, usher.
cd ID the famous prisoner, Sir Walter
Scott, alias Fleming Jones, who was i'm.
mediately followed by his counsel, that
Nestor OF our Bar, Pierre ii. Fike. A
simultaneous sound, both OF admiration
IL anger arose along all aisles, as the
prisoner seated so steadily, 80 securely,
scowled satagely on the sturdy Solicitor.
Then notice was given that all was in
readiness for the trial of Sir Walter Scot
for the murder of the "Lady of the
Lake. After the a~rraignment, draw
ing of the jury, (Which by the way was
composed Of some OF our best c~itizens)
confabbing of counsels, etc., the case
caught sail and was steered with fairly
good Roadway and vim.
The States witnesses We're: Capers
Anderson, Carroll Miller, NJ. p, Rt.
Hon. w. Ross B.al;ely and Mr.. VIM,
Mcredith-expert testimony in this great
case WAS rendered by Drs. Aiken and
Anderson, WHO were paid in advance.
The defense then put up as witnesses:
Count do la Philpot, Elk. Chancellor
Reed Miller, that ancient peer Young
Fowler, who resides near Abbotsford,
1T. Hon. s. P. Babb, and Dake VIM.
III. Anderson, proprietor OF Mc!rose Abb
hey, which the prisoner, Sir Walter
Scot, has immortalized in ve-so.
me testimony was rich, TO say the
least, and mods and becks and wreath
ca smiles accompanied all utterances.
Ii is scarcely necessary to add that til
mysteries OF Blackstone and Kent A'
superfluously veptilataau IN tha
guished COUNSEL
q point or flaw IL
Many were the o6jectf0Ss S;s
cited. In his im~perishablo work of hui
NOR, "Pickwick Papers," Charles Dick.
ems tells us that there arc two classes OF
witnesses lawyers religiously avoid, viz,
the too reluctant, and the too wiiiing'';
and n%nluckily for the defense, Ex-Chan.
cellor Reed Miller (Winkle-like) figured
as both. at one time the eloquent So
licitor went SO far as to bring testimony
that impeached the veracity of one of
defendants witnesses. Council Fike
returned the Roland for the Oliver by
denounclng the States best witness as
an ~"absconder." The case was fought
with skill and a%droitness surprising.
The testimony all in, the audience
breathlessly awaited the a~reuments.--
Contrary to precedent, the silvery toned
Solicitor opened, and it is justice only to
him to say his speech eXcellcd any prior
effort at this Bar. lie began by stating
that the States testimony was so con-
victing and condemning,that words were
unnecessary to reproduce the guilt OF
Sir Walter Scot. lIo spoke clearly ana
boldly, sweeping all points of the de.
tense like an avalanche. After destroy
ing the character Of one Of Sir Walters
witnesses and proving another insane,
the removed orator took his seat to be
G0ngratulated by q host OF spectators.
lie was quickly followed by Mr.. Fike for
the defense, whose i~ncisive and sarcastic
n%tterances were thrust as deep to the
point as the knife in the body Of the
Lady OF the Lake" Not content with
matters prosaic, Mr.. Fike let forth his
boundlcss imagination upon the field of
thought, with Umeric majesty and sweep
and at last succumbed with an effort
Demosthenes might have envied. Hav-
reseated himself, be was the recipient of
many congratulations from friends and
admirers, prominent among whom was
the Solicitor himself.
Then Judge Culbertson, in q charge re-
markable for its brevity, it's rep!eteness
VI NlSuOlD anu llS eXCCSB Oh legal lore,
dismissed the Jury, who, after being out
about twenty minutes, returned with the
following verdict:
We, the Jury, find, after consultation,
that as the "Lady of the Lake" has been
murdered SO often by amateur elocu-
tionists, that it is impossible to clearly
convict this Defendant. AS he has been
in jail for some time, and shows other
evidences Of HARD WARE, we therefore
find him guilty, but recommend him t.
the mercy OF the Court.
IENRI FURNISHED, Foreman.
After the reading of which, the j Judge,
knowing Sir Walters weakness for hard
wear? gave him ten years in the Peni.
Tertiary at hard labor. Blonde.
n. B.--The next case was then called.
The grand jury (of public ~opinion) hav-
ing found a true bill. Il well known
young man about town was put upon
trial under an indictment for "Naprancy
of q high and aggravated nature with in
tent to be Il Dude.' This case is still in
progress as we go to press.
blonde.
1sk DNHKEH2