The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-07-23
Cour proceedings.

ersl Sessions dragged along during. the
steaming weather OF last week from
Tuesday morning until Friday in the
evening. The Grand Jury had been
discharged on Wednesday after al
honest square weeks work. We pub
lish their preseptment. 1t was a costly
court on the county, too costly, and we
intend to fully investigate the cost OF
the term, that our readers may know
what they are paying, as the tax OF
Justice and the administration of law
in 1.-THE county. We appreciate thatthere
have been reforms, but still there are
a large class of cases that come into
the General Sessions, involving heavy
expense upon the Taxpayers that ought
to be reduced and avoided " great
part altogether. The Sessions absorb
ed the entire week; no time was allow
ed civil business, and we are still salts
fled that Judge Benet lost 40 time in
~disposing OF the business before the
Court. The following is the result:
Pick Cooper, two years at hard labor
on county chain gang, convicted of as
sault with intent to kill; Will Smith
son, larceny of live stock, two years;
Dave bucket, assault OF a high and ag-
gravated nature, three years in Peni-
Tertiary; Turner Taylor, assault of q
high and aggravated nature, eighteen
months; Ben Lark, assault Of q high
and aggravated nature, nine months
in jail; Dennis Rock, house breaking,
four years in P~enitentiary; Ike Ander-
son, assault with intent to ravish, three
years in Penitentiary; Walker Young,
assault of a high and aggravated ma
ture, five years in Penitentiary. In
all these cases the parties are negroes.
Whenever the sentence is for two years
or less the punishment is at hard labor
in the Penitentiary, or in case there be
organized q county chain gang then in
the chain gang. Our readers will re-
member that the Legislature at its last
session authorized the formation of a
joint chain gang by the counties Of
Laurens, Union, Newberry and Spar
tanburg, and whenever the penalty is
for less than two years the convict is
sentenced to the chain gang, and if
there be none then to the Peniten-
tiary.
On Friday morning M. O.. Cunning
ham was put upon his trial for the muir
der of Wilson II. Boyd. Three mis-
trials had already been had at previous
terms Of the court. The following jury
PENDANT each exercising five challenges
where each was entitled to ten: ?
G.. @. Young, foreman; Robert @.
Owens, s. M. Ball, @. G. Anderson, A.
w. Symmes, w. l.. Riddle, w. H. Bry-
son, j. G. Carter, NJ. l.. Bullock. j. @ \
Stone, S l.. Turner, l.. l.. Culbertson.
The jury retired about 2 p. NJ. and
about 6 p. Nj. returned a verdict of
"not guilty"
The last and final scene in the
drama; Wash Owens. colored, was con-
victed at the February term of the as
sassination of Mr.. Dorroh Hairston.-
His case was appealed to the Supreme
Court, but q new trial refused, and he
was remanded to this court to be re-
sentenced. The Judge sentenced him to
be hanged on September 9th next by
the legal officer at the legal place OF
execution. When asked if he had any
reason to urge why sentence of death
should not be pronounced, he proceed
ed to assert his innocence Of the crime,
evidently thinking that the Judge had
the right to mitigate the sentence.
Among other things he said: "This is
a worked up thing on me; l am as in
nocent as the highest man in the Court
House; | was in Greenville county
when Mr.. Hairston was killed. Before
my righteous God [ know nothing of
Mr.. Hairston's killing and am innocent
as a baby" Owens is q tall, stout
mulatto about forty years Of age. The
Court of General Sessions was finally
closed on Saturday morning, unlitig-
ated civil matters disposed of, and his
Honor took the noon train for Spartan
burg where he will hold Court next
week and conclude the summer tern;
for this circuit.