The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-01-05

OO 6sstssyt ,
jail OF fine, 33; penitentiary for term,
65; penitenfiary for life, 8; death
sentence,
Fourth Circuit-Mistrials, L; no
bill and discontinued. $50; not guilty,
80; guilty. so; grand total, 2S2;
Jail or fine, so; penitentiary for term.
Is; penitentiary for life, 3; death
sentence, l.
Fifth Circuit-Mistriais, no bill
and discontinued, So !; not guilty. So;
guilty. l19; grand total, 235 !;
jail or 6ne, O.; penitentiary for term,
10 penitentiary for life. O.; death
sentence. 0,
Sixth Circuit-M Mistrials, no bill
and discontinued, 81 :; not guilty,
=6s guilty 90; grand total, 212 jail or
fine, 6 penitentiary for term, IS !;
penitentiary for life, q; death sen.
tence, l.
Seventh Circu:t.-Mistrials, l no
bill aud discontinued, 1872; not guilty,
40 !; guilty, 1872 !; grand total. 313 !;
jail OF ine, 104 I; penitentiary for term
q penitentiary for life, q; desth
sentence, 8.
Eighth Circn,t-Mistrials, Q; no
bill aud discontinued, los not
guilty, 10 guilty. l43 grand total,
3lS jail or fne, 80 penitentiary for
term, 55; penitentiary fer life, 4 !;
death sentance, o.
Total-Mistrials, 20 !; no bill and
discontinued, LOSS, not guilty, 434 !;
gnilty $50 grand total, 2.472. Jail or
fine, Al !; pententiary for term, Al /;
penitentiary for life, 26 death SEN
teDce, 6.
in Richland county during the year
there were 10 cases, 80 convictions.
18 acqnittals, no mistrials, 20 cases
discontinued or thrown out by the
grand jury and l man went to the
penitentiary for term. The rest all
went TO ths chain gang.
The table showing the character OF
the crimes committed aud how pun
ished affords most interesting study.
There were 433 cases for the viola
ton Of the dispensary law against
.627 for the preceding year. There
were 81 convictions and As scquit-
tais, while 297 cases were either dis
continued or thrown out by the grand
jpries.
The most common offenses were
assault with intent to kill and aggra-
vated assault and battery. There
were COZ cases against 700 the pre-.
ceding year 228 convictions ;94 &C.
quittals and $50 discontinued or
getting .sno bill" !" Housebreaking
and larceny of live stock and larceny
from the field were the next most
common crimes, after murder and
manslaughter. The statistics as to
tbe last ofEense are very bad. Out of
the 225 cases there were only u
convictions against 100 acqnittals
and 81 .no bills" and "discontinu-
ed y
There were "a cases of the crime
of rape against IA the preceding
year. Twelve Of these resulted in
con1ictions. These figures do not
include the number of cases of rape
which resulted in lynchings.
The attorney general calls atsen.
ton TO the condition of the 3ails Of
the State in this way
81 have been requested by the
State board of health to call the at
tention of the general assembly to
the sanitary condition of many of the
iaiIs of the State Prisoners until
convicted are presumed to be inno-
cent, and are imprisoned for safe
keeping and not for punishment
The iails should therefore be made
as comfortable as possible, and their
sanitary condition should be such as
not to endanger the health of pris-
oners. Laws should be passed se
curing to prisoners ct least the pres
ervation Of their health while con6n
ed for trial"