The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-15

brave lawyers to fight battle up stream
and against the tide. l tell you, gentle
men, it takes brave jurors to find yer
dict III the face of public opinion and
public sentiment. 1t is your duty in this
case to bring your verdict according tC
the law and the evidence regardless OF
the prejudice and high feeling which has
been aroused. In addition to the able
Solicitor, as learned counsel as can be
found in any State have been employed
to prosecute this cause against these dc
PENDANTS and with all that array of legal
learning and the machinery Of the State at
their disposal they have absolutely failed
to produce one particle Of evidence to
prove that that storehouse was broken or
entered. All the witnesses tell You that
that house was locked and barred on Sat
urday night, the night it was claimed it
was entered and robbed. aud on Monday
morning following it was likewise barred
and locked. But they would have YOU
believe that Il window with tap on the
inside was the place through which The
store was cntcrcd, but that tap was on
the inside and how could they get to il?
They say something about one scratch on
the wall to show that ladder was used
but III this country did YOU ever see Il
Ladder with only Que prong? Now. gen
tlculcu, in this case the State has got to
prove that that house was entered and
broken in order to make out their case
II illcy cannot do that The State cannot
ask YOU FOR Il verdict Of pLilty and to do
what it cannot do. THIS case reminds
me OF Il trial We read Of in Holy Writ
in which the Judge before whom thc
prisoner was brought, said: ~ find no
~ l,,I II,
They have been unable to prove any
guilt on the part OF these men in the
breaking and entering Of that store, but
tlcy say to You take them and ciicifv
ihrm. Find them guilty. We cannot
prove 1t, but they arc guilty. care
nothing about the excitement III regard
10 this case and about public sentiment
for This case rests with you and YOU are
for your verdict and You mus,
take that responsibility and bring in your
verdict according to the evidence, All
the witnesses that went on that stand
have failed To prove that that StorchouSc
was hrukcn and entered and vet they aSl;
YOU to do what they have failed to do on
the oath ct their witnesses On the first
count III this indictment YOU must bring
ont verdict of not guilty. II the goods
he'd h>ch put out of that window on that
might there would have been some tracks
there. ask YOU not to couiound these
charges Take the case against
l"S. y. Riser and they have not proved
house breaking or stealing. The only
Charge then against him is receiving
stolen goods knowing thc,n to be stolen.
Were they stolen? No. lie tells YOU he
hnuyh, them; "roSperi,v aud Ncwbrrry
tnd explains Gu why they were not
,n2dr UP. His wife had her invalid
mo,hcr to take care Of He tells YOU
where lie got the Hcll Meade flour. he got
II from II. llipp. He tells YOU why he
did not lis" il. The other flour lie bought
:r"m Willie and that Willie had beer
krCpiuG goods for his hands. No doubt
,hiS detective could take out 4 warrant
against any man on this jury and find
IOulc goods i'll his house not made ND
and yet would that be sufficient ground
for bringing All indictment against any
one Ol YOU for receiving stolen u0oG;
When they went to his house MIR. Riser
told them to look, TO go in and search nj
,hrir own free win. 1t matters not
whether lie WAS III the house or 0ut ot IT,
III his feet or on his head. lie invited
,hcln TO dinner with him. \ thief invit-
n% those who were searching his house
Tor stolen goods to dine with him! Gen.
t'rm"n, i, is absurd. What reason can
you give 10 brand this family--this repre-
family who have never known
,iiShon"r rs thieves and robbers? Old
man RlScr and old Mus. Riser did not
know thc&c goods were stolen if they
were stolen. They say they did not.
THIS man has passed his three score
years aud ten and it is late in life for him
to become a li2r, and he would not do il
Il Christian, upright life Of forty wears
cauuot affect man charged with crime
and have It's influence with a Jury who
are TO try him, then tell the Young men
ot this county it is SO and il is no use 10
live such lie, for 4 stranger at $500 a
day can come Into any community and
OH suspicion damn them in their old acc.
They asl; You to send this old woman
home withou, her husband and without a
enid to close her eyes when the summons
comes ior her 60 go up Wonder. They
ask YOU to separate these people who
have lived III peace and as Christians for
over forty years. Are you going to do it,
40, GEM lrhcn, you cannot Oh the tcSti-
m"ny. Eut even if you do it will not be
Tor long, they will soon meet beyond the
clouds. Public sentiment and the news
payer lcpol IS cry for vengeance and some
body must be punished. Are YOU poinu
TO i!s'cn 20 these reports and Weld to this
public *cntiincnto say 10 YOU, gentle
men, the responsibility rests with YOU
and your conscience must answer by vour
verdict.
Mr.. Hunt made good argument from
hlS side OF the case and went into an cx-
OF the testimony and the above
Is only bi,ct outline Of what he said.
lhe next argument was made by
M%. r. II. WEIGH
Tor the S,AtH. Mr.. Wclch did not spcal;
mp'c than thrcc-quartcrS OF an hour but
made very lorciblc argument Address
ln% the Ju,y he said that The last arpu
m"nt he had made i'll The court house he
made The proposition if the jury would
give hun strict attention he would not
speak over fifteen minutes and lie did
MOI. In this case he would be willing TO
make The same proposition. Continuing
he sad: My feelings in this case are De.
cullar. During The years of my infancy
and childhood which were spent in the
community OF Pomaria my first lessons
III Che catcchisin as Sunday School pupil
wee administered to me by MIR. Jas. A.
Riser as Superintendent of the Sunday
School at Bethlehem, and my first school
days were with Albert and Willie. the