The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-16
Court OF Sessions.


The Sessions Court did a heavy busi.
jail. 'ne
John Miller, colored. conv,ctod .,
manslaughter in killing Spencer Simp-
serve fifteen years at hard labor i'm the
state Penetentiary. When the sen-
tence was pronounced he seemed
shocked and stunned, as 1t were, but
HIS Honor had split the difference be-
tween Two years, the minimum. and
thirty years, the maximum, for this de-
gree OF homicide. Eli Childs and
Lewis Watts were acquitted of murder,
THESE had luck. When the Solicitor
called his witnesses he understood all
as answering, but 1t transpired after
ward nat some one had answered for an
absent sick witness for the State, and
her ABSENCE was only discovered when
called to testify. The accident or de-
sign operated favorably for the De-
PENDANTS, for otherwise the case would
not have been entered upon. So, II
may be better to be born lucky than
rich. ""
r.. d. Suttles and Allen Riddle
pleaded guilty to violation of the Dis
pensary law and got 800 or three
months on the chain gang.
John II. Medlock pleaded guilty to
larceny and received as a doucier OF
htteeu months on chain gang.
John Simpson, fifteen months on our
roads, for larceny.
webster. Fisher, guilty OF larceny
got q like dose of handling Laurens dirt
and stones.
In the case of John Booker, a col.
ored boy, murder, clearly q case of &C
cidental killing of another colored
boy, the Solicitor after the evidence
guilty"
Until Thursday morning @ great
crowd packed the court room, and
standing was scarce, but by moor
OF that day the ~''scrouge" was not so
great and a seat in the great room was
practicable. Before noon on Thurs
day the case of the State against Will
Wright and Ned Roseman, colored,
was entered upon for the homicide OF
a little colored girl, Agnes Fowler
1t was in some features peculiar
Wright and Roseman fought with pts.
tolls on the night Of the 23rd of Jan
uary:. Agnes was an inmate of the
house Of Wright with others; after the
smoke Of battle had cleared, the lamps
lighted, (Which in the melee hao been
extinguished), it was found that Agnes
had been shot through the head and
killed. Both the eombatants we're in
dicted, the question left to the Jury
who shot the fatal shot, the battle
being largely fought between the coun-
sci for Rosemau and Wright.
In the case of the State against Will
Wright and Ned Rosemoud the Jury
after celebrating all night long in
their room, had at 8 A. M. Friday,
a good breakfast served them by Sher-
if McCravy and announcing that they
had failed to agree were discharged.
The old barbarism of allowing a Jury
nothing but water and air and light
until they agreed upon a verdict has
been abandoned.
On Friday last at $50 A. NJ. the case
Of the State against Charlie Allen. q
colored boy, about 1Syears old, charged
with burning the barn of Mr.. w. 81.
Workman, was entered upon. There
were several preliminary motions
made by Defendants counsel, and
among them to change the and
move the case to another county in
the circuit, all of which were over
ruled. The case was given to the Jury
at 5 p. NJ. and at s they returned a
verdict of guilty. The Defendant was
represented by Mr.. Cole l.. Blease, of
Newbcrry, while tho hands of the
State were held up by Solicitor Sease,
Hon George tombstone, Of Newberry,
and Messrs. johnson & Richey.
Later, on Saturday morning q new
trial was granted Charlie Allen. Will
Johnson was put upon trial for burn
ing the dwelling of Mr.. Workman
1t was finally agreed that Allen and
Johnson would plead guilty to arson
charges with recommendations of
mercy by the Jury. Whereupon each
was sentenced to fifty years in the
~Penetentlary at hard labor. They are
colored men each aged about twenty
years.
There was very little business for
the civil side of the Court and the
Juries were discharged on yesterday.
Judge Watts will adjourn the Court
finally at noon to-day.