The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-11-13
PRELIMINARY HEARING.
Smith and Dennis are Brought Back to Face
Their AccrsorS.

The time for the preliminary
hearing of Smith and Dennis was
set for 10 o'clock Saturday. Nov.
2. Judge Garner finding such an
immense crowd in town to hear
the trial, adjourned court to the
Palmetto Warehouse, where the
proprietor, Mr.. Apple, kindly
furnished seats and conveuiences
for the court and large part OF
the crowd. The trial brought in
numbers of people from the
country, and especially from
Clarendon county. Court was
called to order about 2:30 and
closed at $50.
Col. Jos. F. Rhame Of Manning
and Hon. J. W. Ragsdale OF
Florence representing the de,
PENDANTS, and Z. T. Kershaw
Esq, representing the state.
Every particle of the evidence
was closely sifted and the able
lawyers for the defence studied
closely the interests of their
clients and contested every point
where the letter of the law was
not followed exactly.
Mr.. J. W. Warren and Mr..
Brooks Atkinson, the night po-
liceman, were the first witnesses,
testified that they were the first
on the ground and that the fire
started in the store of Smith &
Dennis. Messrs. A. S. Culpeper
and J. F. Hatchell heard a horse
running just before the alarm OF
fire and Mr.. Hatchell saw the
horse 60 into their yard and rec
ognized Mr.. Dennis on the horse.
Mr.. S, S. Carroll testified that
he conducted a mercantile bust
ness next door to the defendants
and that while they complained
of hard times and dull sales,
their stock diminished rapidly.
W. E. Horn had seen them the
night previous to the fire remove
a few goods.
DR.. J. A. Cole accompanied
the committee Of citizens as
mayor of the town and helped in
the search. He said that nothing
suspicious or out of the ordinary
way had been found in the dwell
ling, but that they found two
barrels of shoes and hats and
several boxes of goods hidden
under the hay in the barn. Mr..
Dennis said he knew nothing
about these goods. DR.. Cole then
ordered Mr.. Dennis arrested.
Mr.. ". II. Loman was present
with the committee and left in
charge of the goods which were
moved to the warehouse of ".
H. Lewis. The goods consisted
of shoes, hats dry goods, no.
tions, etc., etc. They are now
supposed to be in the hands of a
constable.
Mr.. J. W. Revell lived next
door to Smith and Dennis but
had never seen anything suspi,
cious in their actions. T. W.
Privette, chief of police, who had
arrested Dennis, testified that
Mr.. Dennis stated to him that
the goods were placed there for
the brother of Mr.. Smith.
After hearing the foregoing
testimonies Judge Garner sent
the prisoners back to jail tc
await the court Of general ses,
sions.
Application will be made this
week in Sumter for bail and if a
reasonable amount is fixed, it
will be easily given as these men
have a large and influential con-
nection in Clarendon and Sumter
counties Of course no evidence
was submitted at this trial for
the defence, and the public are
still ignorant as to the testimony
that will be brought forward to
prove their innocence from the
serious charge of arson.
These men have heretofore
born a splendid reputation for
honesty and uprightness and
the community generally are