Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-01-03

such absurd ideas could have orlglnat-
ed we are unable TO explain. 1t is
true that improper ideas on the part
of arresting officers, on this subject,
have never caused much bloodshed in
this section; but that was due more to
the lack of occasion than to any other !
cause. Now, however, there is not so
much danger. Arresting officers gen.
orally realize that in dealing with
prisoners they have practically no
authority beyond the common laws of
self defense, and that if they kill an
escaping prisoner, who has not pre-
viously placed their lives in jeopardy,
they are liable to punishment for MUIR
der. 1t seems to be generally under
stood that the proper way to transfer
prisoners from the place of arrest is
not by the intimidation of a revolver
but with the help of a good stout rope
about the hands and arms, and feet
also, II necessary.
But in our view, the former ideas of
arresting officers was only phase of
mistaken notiops which too largely
pervade the body polite. The form of
an indictment presented by grand
jury which reads the Estate against
William Rowdy," ought to be sufficient
to teach the object of a prosecution at
law. From this every individual in
the land should realize that he per-
sonally is at once the prosecutor and
judge against William Rowdy. If
William Rowdy has committed an Of
fense at all, and that is the first fact to
be determined, then that offense
is against every citizen of South Caro-
lima, and the object of furnishing him
is to prevent him from repeating that
offense. If the state of South Carolina,
i. e., individual citizens, fail to concern
themselves on the question as to whetb-
er William Rowdy is guilty or inno-
cent, or if for any reasons except cold
blooded principles Of justice the citi-
zens of South Carolina allow William
Rowdy to go unpunished, then there
is just that much encouragement for
William Rowdy to repeat against some
other individual the offense for which
he was not properly called TO account.
Not long ago, in the lower part of
this state, desperate of influence and
position killed fellow man in cold
blood. The man was brought to trial
but through the Influence of friends
on some of the jurors, they failed 10
agree. He was released on bond, and
the result of the second trial was the
same. During Christmas, while wait
ing on his third trial, and probably
acquittal, the fellow was murdered by
relative of the man he had killed.
Comment on these facts is unnecessa.
ry. There will naturally be feeling
that if the first murderer was really
guilty, he got justice at the hands Of
the relative. Maybe so; but that
does not settle the matter. The rela.
tive had no legal or moral right to
commit murder and instead of set.
tling the account he only placed him
self in the murdered mans shoes.
IF the jury in the first place had done
its duty to itself, its state and its God,
| it would have returned a verdict of
guilty of murder or manslaughter as
the case might have been, and that
would have settled the whole matter,
so far as the State of South Carolina
is concerned, forever.
The Haselden. Sellers affair is mat
ter that is still fresh in the public
mind. The Haselden's made a mur-
derous attack against the Sellers, and
the two parties shot it out among
themselves. A great crime was then
and there committed against the state
of South Carolina and Marion county.
So far as we have heard, not one thing
has been done to punish the guilty.
How does this affect the view of our
own people as to the sacredness Of
human life in their midst? How do
they know when they might be the
victim of some lawless thug, who in
the carrying out of his .bloodthirsty
design, fears but little restraint beyond
his own brutal inclinations. We who
feel that we ought to have the protec-
ton of law, how do we know when,
unarmed and defenseless as we have
to be if we keep within the law, may
have to yield up our lives to armed
desperadoes?
A number of years ago, in this coun-
ty, Negro was charged with horri-
bic murder. AS the result of the deep
and patriotic interest of whole neigh
borhood, he was convicted beyond a
shadow of doubt. Owing to the
complexity Of the case and the large
number of witnesses required to estab-
lish the different links in the long chain
Of testimony, there was reason to be.
lieve that if new trial could be
secured the case could not be made out