Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1899-08-16
AULD LANG SYNE! !!
SOME PERSONAL RECOL.
LECTION,S OF INCIDENTS
AND MEN YEARS AGO.
BY AN OLD STAGER.

The Judiciary system of South
Carolina has undergone some
changes in its organization since
1884. There was then chancery
Court and a law court, each with
its separate court of appeals. The
judges Of the chancery court were
called chancellors and those Of the
law court were called law judges.
The chancellors had no jury, but
decided upon the law and the
facts. The other judges had charge
of trials, criminal and civil, tria-
BILE before jury. The judges ex-
pounded the law and commented
on the facts. Parties charged with
felony or other infamous crimes
were not allowed to testify in their
own behalf. Convictions were
more frequent, and punishment
more certain and, per consequence,
crimes much fewer. The position
of judges prior to the war was re-
coynized as one of more marked
dignity and honor than now, and
was invested in the eyes of the
populace with something nearly
akin to kingly authority.
The sheriff of the district, with
sword and military hat, escorted
the judges and chancellors to and
from the court room. The crowds,
gathered on the public square,
at lis approach, stood aside and
were on their good behavior as be
passed along. Probably the first
chancellor was ~. Caldwell, and
others filled that high position in
the names of H. W. Des5ausure, G.
W. Dargan, Theo. Gaillard, Rich
ard Hutson, j. Il. Hunt, Wm.
Harper, w. D. jams, David john
SOL, J. Matthews, Wm. Marshall,
Hugh Rutledge, Waddy Thomp-
son, Job Johnson, D. F. Dunkin,
F. H. Wardlaw, James P. Carroll,
John A. Jnglis, H. D. Lesesne, w.
D. johnson. The last named is
the only one of these old chancel.
lors who now survives, andis liv-
ing all honorable life in his native
county of Marion, s. G. Of these
honored men two were Of Edge
field and third, Thompson, if we
mistake not, married an Edgefeld
waman, a Miss Butler. Among
the law Judges we mention, ]. S.
O'Neall, J. j. E, ans, Andrew Pick
ems Butler, an Edgefeld man who
afterwards became United States
senator, and about whom Hon.
Preston s. Brooks caned Sumner,
d. L. Wardlaw, Edward Frost, T.
Withers, J. N. Whitner, Thos. w.
Glover, Robert Munro. J. B.
O'Neall was made chief justice and
occupied that position at the time
of his death. He was q devout
Christian and allowed no suitable
opportunity to pass without in
culcating total abstinance from
Intoxicating drink. He was the
author of a pamphlet called the
"Druukard's Looking Glass" We
remember once, being in court
when a small boy and heard him
cay, upon the trial of some person
for a crime for which public whip
ping was a penalty, that she had
once sentenced a man to be whip
ped and that the party afterwards
moved to the State of Georgia and
became an honest and useful citi-
zen" This remark was called
forth in reply to something the
counsel for the defence had said
upon the line of the ineffaceable
degradation such punishment
would fix on his client, and de-
stroy his future usefulness in life.
Another thing we recollcct hear
ing from him in the court room,
in the trial of q case for assault
and battery, the solicitor, who was
from Walterboro, in pleading for
the conviction of the party under
indictment insisted that Edgefeld
people must be taught a lesson by
conviction aud punishment, and
stated tina! in his county the courts
were very seldom ever troubled
with cases of that sort. The judge
in his charge to the jury replied
that whilst it was true as the So
licitor had said Of his county, but
it was also true that there we've
numerous csses on tie docket for
hog and sheep stealing, whilst
Edgefeld was free from such ln-