The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-04-12
The Change Granted.
Cr1wford Will Be Tried In kel-
shaw County.

Inc SGdASS GIdii.s"-
Cr.wford Will Be- Tried In kel-
shaw County.
Columbia Daily Record.
The first matter before the court
this morning was the hearing Of
arguments on the motion for achange
of venue in the case of Constable
Crawford, charged with tie murder
of Mrs. Stuart. TIE defense and,he
prosecution had a number OF sH
dsv;ts, which we're read and intently
listened to by the large crowd pres
ent. Mr.. John Stuart was in the
court room. He has practically COM
pletely recovered from his wounds
aud there is no scar on his face to
indicate where the bullet entered
Mr.. John McMaster is assisting the
solicitor while Mr.. Cole L.. 81 a g
and Mr.. John P. Thomas represent
the defendant.
Nj. Thomas read the affdavits OF
the defense. The first was from
Col. John D. Frost, assistant adju-
tant general. He said that on the
night of the shooting the crowd in
front of the magistrates Office was
| determined and excited and he be-
lieves that for the presence of the
military the constables would have
been lynched. Capt. Walter N.
Kirkland states that on orders from
Col. Frost he had assembled a squad
Of his company around the office that
the crowd of 400 or 500 people were
very excited and boisterous and that
when his company came up they
were ieered and booted at, and stones
were thrown at them one of his men
being injured. His company was
stationed in the rear of the office and
he had to charge bayonets On the
crowd in order to dispense them.
Toe bitterness was great against the
| constables and he thought the pre-
JUDGE against the dispensary aud
everybody connected with its en-
forcement was so intense in Colun-
bia that Crawford could not receive
an impartial trial.
Mr.. Meltiah 3. Green affirmed that
the crowd was very loud and angry
in their demonstration. That he
saw a man with rope with which
he said he was to hang the consta-
bles; that The efiant had left a rope
on the fence at the ice house and
that it had been taken away by some
Of the crowd.
Secretary of State Cooper affirmed
that he had resided here since Jan
uary, but previous to that had to
visit tho city often in his official
capacity as a member Of the board
of control. He is familiar with the
feeling of the people as to the dis
pensary law and be does not hesitate
to say that the prejudice against that
the defendant cannot get a fair trial.
Colonel Vance swears that the
feeling and temper Of the people, in
his Judgment, is such that the de-
PENDANT can't get a fair trial.
Mr.. J. Barnett, 50 years old, has
lived in Columbia for twenty-five
years and believes that there is a
prejudice against the dispersary law
and a general feeling CT resentment
against the constables in the exercise
of their duties, especially in this
narticuiar instance.
E. H. West6eld testi6es that there
is a deep seated prejudice against
the dispensary law, and that there is
general sympathy with the violators
of the law.
John Black, shipping clerk at the
dispenssry, thinks that while there
are men in the county who would
give constables a fair showing on a
trial, yet there is such general pre-
JUDGE that he does not believe they
would receive justice.
Col. W. W. Bruce believes there is
great prejudice against the dispen-
sary and the constables, and that the
feeling has been intensified by the
killing of Mrs. Stuart.
r. NJ. Stevens, formerly of Gaf-
ney, who has lived here for several
years, believes there is intense pref
dice against the ~dispensary law and
it's enforcement.
J. B. Coleman, one Of the consta-