The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-03-14
THE ANDERSON SENSATION.
Report of Jury in the Famous "Slov-
cry" Cases.

| In the SO-Cdlleu AuQSlSOH SldNeis SS~>
es. 1t will De remembered that Judge
Benet ordered an investigation by the
grand jury, which was duly made. and
the report of that body was rad ON
Thursday.
The court room WAS packed. Thu
| main floor was occupied by white pec
pie. and the little gallery was crowded
with negroes. Interest was most n
tense, for not word OF thA pape-s
| contents had BEN divulged. The fore
man. Mr.. r. A. Sullivan. handed up
the paper. which was read.
W'he? the reading w2s completed. It
was ;inri, Tor dinner recess. On re-
ccnyen:ng. Judge Benet addressed the
grand jury:
JUDGE BENET SAL.
"Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen OF the
Jury: Your presantmeIt affords me
profound satisfaction. You have done
| ;olr duty. not only ably and fearless
! iv. but fairly. | am ssrCck with tEe
! s.atemen. that you Ave refraincl
hom reading the newspapers, some Oh
which have published sensational stor-
tes. and that you have re.rained from
seeing or hearing any commen:s that
vould prejudice you in your investi-
xa.ion. It will surprise You, therefore,
! to know how much excitement there
has been all over the State and the
country.
SENSATIONAL NEWSPAPERS.
at the north have forgotten that the
investigation was ordered and was
/ being conducted. They conveyed the
idea that the newspapers had discoV-
cred the scandal through their own
! efforts.
Your work and .he work df the
court is not referred to in these artl-
cles. /, does say that happily some
local efforts are beng made" but the
reader would infer that these efforts
are due to the newspapers. Little IS
! found II these accounts beyond Wnat
was taken from the records Of the
J court. and that little is false TheSe
newspapers would rather be sensa-
, tional than just.
, In ordering this investigation thls
court was only doing its plain duty.
quietly. unostentatiously, but earnest
| ". 1t is peculiarly the work OF this
court, but the court viii do its duty.
and does not propose 10 be interfered
with by political busybodies in or out
| of congress. When the charge was
made three weeks ago the court hau
no idea of doing more than shoWlng
YOU grand jurors your duty, and 1t had
no thought nor expectation that the
charge of the court would be heard be-
yonJ the four walls OF this court
room.
STATE PRESS COMMENDED.
Though the Journalistic enterprise
of your local paper, the Daily Mall
actuated by the purest and most
praiseworthy motives. the charge was
! Drblished. II was done not after the
manner OF what is called, in newsp2p-
er slang. yellow journalism. but SIM
plv that the good people Of Anderson
cour.v might see that the inquiteus
sv.=tem would be thoroughly looked
into and put an end to; for the en-
couragement Of the law-abiding and
terror to evil dcers; that it might De
seen and known Of all people OF this
county white and black, that the
strong arm of the law would be
stretched out 20 protect the humoleSt
negro against oppression and "rone'
"Other newspapers throughout the
State acted in the same way, not ss
sensation nongers, but as good citi-
zen, and champions OF a righteous
cause. There were no flaming heau-
Iiras. no startling scareheads. Bnt
! the public alton was accompanies WIN
| s.rong words or condemnation OF the
irhuman treatment of the negro. and
with eoually strong words OF commen-
dation OF the charge OF the court.
"It was to be expected that news
papers in other States would take no.
tice OF a matter CT 80 much public IN
ferest-nor had we any desire to hide
this ugly thing from the eyes o. OUT
sister States. Newspapers were only
doing their duty in giving it the Ut
r.o:t publicity and in condemnlns i
in scathing terms.
1T gives ME pleasure to say thal'
with few exceptions, the great Journ,
ais in all parts Of the country dlu
their duty in this regard; but som"
newspapers, and notably one, wen'
far beyond the proper limits OF joarn-
aIistIc criticism. refer especially 10
The North American, Phl!aaeipA!a
newspaper.
"It seems that that paper sent a
staff reporter to this county, and while
we have no desire to discourage the
sending of special correspondents
from Philadelphia to Anderson county
fcr the purpose of finding out the eX-
act truth. let them tel the truth; let
| =, -. , eo-;ouc cnhifrt like this