The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-20
COURT COMMENCES.
Several Minor Cases Disposed OF -
Judge Cothrnn as Solicitor-ROw-
low Ease TODAY.

Several Minor Cases Disposed OF -
Judge COthrnn as SoIicItor-ROw-
lev Case Today.
The Court of General Sessions convened In
the Court House on Monday morning. The
rors, and all answered TO their names except
three. This Is Il remarkably good attendance
especially for the January Term OF Court.
Judge Gary who presided at this term after
short but able charge to the Grand Jury,
which will be read with interest. We give II
In full:
| Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen Of the Grand
Jury: In the outset OF its association with
those who are to perform your time-honored
and inestimable functions, II Is venerable
custom for the Court TO afford some brief ex-
| preston in defining your duties and in out.
lining their Importance TO the public welfare.
To some OF you this may be unnecessary.
But inasmuch as your duties rs Grand Jurors
are among the most important that you, as
citizens, owe TO the community In which you
i've and are O part, they can never be too
forcibly Impressed upon you; nor TOO well
understood,
Ineed not tell you that the origin of the
grand jury may be traced TO remote period
Of English history. The institution came
iorefathers, who established and peoped the
| American colonies.
Let me impress upon you. gentlemen, In the
outset. that you are not here on pleasure bent
nor are YOU here for the transaction OF private
| business. But you are are here In the per-
fornance of very grave ana responsible
public duty. w
erty OF the citizen, but also OF the safety and
| security Of the public. In 30 far al these may
oe affected by violations OF the laws OF our
common country: You have oeen termed med
the electric button that puts the machinery
of this court in motion. Untlliyou have acted
| the court Is powerless.
The law OF the land Is, that no one charged
with a violation OF the criminal law, can be
nut To his trial till he has been indicted BY q
grand Jury. You are not the triers Of any
case. But you simply prefer an accusation
in the name of the State OF South Carolina.
The oath which has just been administered
to YOU should be the chart by which you are
guided In the performance OF your duty as a
grand juror.
| forts are paralytic, why 10 that extent you
parsIyze the right arm OF the court. 10 him
| then who would have aud deserve the good
opinion of his fellow man, need not dwell
upon the weighty Character and binding OBJ
| liyation of that dual responsibility.
am sorry 10 admit TO you gentleman. that
the oft repeated charge that the law has
This fact let met impress upon you, that 1t IL
NOT from any defect In the system under
| which our laws are administered, but the
| fault, is in those who undertake to admInis-
ter, or VINO are cnarSeu "iIu' Ihe au"i nie' u
I'll The human mind has not been able to i'm.
prove upon the system. =.
Let me remind you. gentlemen, that you
are the representatives OF q County whose
past and present history (with the exception
of a brief intervaD has reflected such glory to
| her name, in which all Of her sons have q
lust pride, whether on account OF the necessl.
| Indies OF fortune or from any cause they have
crossed her borders, they have always cner.
| ished a pride In the glory OF Abbevllle. But
| while, gentlemen, we may lndulgs In natu'
| raj exultation in The renoWn OF our country,
and while we may Justly boast OF the beauty
aud symmetry OF our laws, oy Indifference
and inattentiou we may endanger The one
and give reproach TO the other.
/ The patriot has been loQuently reminded
that "eternal vigilance IL the Price VI iioel
III Il has also been said that the service of the
Juror is the 'patriotlsm OF peace"
l. You should then be reminded, gentlemen
| that YOU are dealing with the worst enemy o.
socleiy- the criminal. The individual who
wiIiuily violates the laws of his country. The
object Of all law Is TO promote peace, hapPl
ness and good order TO society. And II, lr
dealing with this enemy 10 society you are
| misguided or improperly Influenced by any
consi deration other than Is contemplated by
law and the spirit OF your oath, you put SOW
| cancerous sore in this com results
| OF which you cannot estimate.
| Who eau say that sooner or later, the loving
| wife you left 1T home, or the innocent naoe
| may DeCOme SlcLlHis W ihPioPei eoueiuSio
The State furnishes you counsel in the per
son OF her solicitor. II In your intercourse
with him you are In doubt upon any question
that may arise, you are weie9me 9re 70 @ nave suci
Entertaining the belief that when your du
ties are ended, may congratulate the puoll(
upon their value, you may now retire.
Solicitor Ansel, being absent attending on
the session OF the Legislature In Colum oia
1E3tFn L
ran was substituted In his place as Solicitor
by order Of the Court.
Albert Jordon charged WITH houseDreaulns
and he was arraigned and PLEADED guliiy u
the charge Sentence was deferred until his
attorney, Mr.. Giles. could be present
The case against young Peter RowleJ
charged with murder, which case was trans
ferred to this county from Greenville, hal
been set for trial on today, and Will be taker
up first thing this morning.
The first case tried was tnat against Adam
Martin charged with resisting arrest o,, anu az ~
Dy E. q. Graydon, ESQ.,, ana the jury loun1
him not guilty.
Mr.. j. II. Knox was then arraigned under {
charge of murder. Defendant pleaded no
guilty, and the case was set for trial.
The Grand Jury found no bill In the cast
against Harle Arnold charged with murder
.. and on motion of Messrs. Magill and Greene
the defendant was discharged.
The next case tried was that Of the STATE
against BIuet Thomas charged with sssaui
ant was found not guilty by the jury. Mr.. +
, g. Graydon represented him.
sydney Smith pleaded guilty OF forgery
and was sentenced To one years labor On TIT
| public works # the county.
The Grand Jury returned true nlilS IN tht
following cases: Milledge Malone chargee
: with murder, Sloan Morrow anu DaVlu MIL
ing charged with assault and battery with III
tent 10 Kill. Joe Starks charged with forgery
Iand Tuwrence French charged With forgery
The last named pleaded guilty and was sen
fenced TO one years labor on the public works
Jim Devlin was next tried under charge
, of grand larceny, and was found guilty
petit larceny. His attorney, MIR. w. n. cray
don, gave notice OF q motion IN arrest .
Judgment, on the ground that the Court hae
. no Jurisdiction. ,,,, ,,o,o,
Tom Hunter and Amos Gibson PLEADED
: guilty to the charges Of assault with The In
tent 10 ravsh and OF larceny OF live stock re
spectively.
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