The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-02-28
SWIFT TRIAL IN FLORENCE.
Twenty Minutes Only to Dispose
OF q Famous Lynching Case.

Twenty Minutes Only to Dispose
OF a Famous Lynching Case.
The Florence correspondent of the
News and Courier, writing under
date Of Feb. IS, says that Judge
Watts made a rccord-breaking trial
in the case of the State vs.. John
Livingston, charged with assault with
intent to ravish, and Of assault and
battery with intent to kill, and has set
the pace for all other Judges in South
Carolina to follow in the trial of
hrutes charged with such crimes.
Livingston was brought to Florence at
$50 O'Clock, alraigucd in opcn court
pleaded guilty sentenced lo ten Years
at hard labor III the pcnitcntlary, and
was put aboard of the train, and was
on the way for the pCntcnliary to en-
ter upon serving his sentence atY.5O
| O'Clock. Just twenty inmates. Even
| the citizens Of Florence are wondering
how quickly AID quietly il was done,
but it was done nevertheless and I.iv-
ingston is now doing time in the pcn-
Tertiary.
Judge Watts decided to have LIVING
ston brought here for trial, and gave an
order to Sheriff Burch to go 10 Column
bia and bring Livingston here. He
also empowered the sheriff to appoint
sufficient number of deputies TO as
sure the safe arrival Of the prisoner, to
sec that he was not harmed while here,
and to see that he was safely returned
to the pcnitcntiary. Sheriff Burch im-
ncdiatcly appointed about twenty-five
deputies, among whom were lawyers,
doctors, merchants and other business
mon, and notified them to meet Train
81 from Columbia, at the lrby street
crossing, near the court house, properly
armed to care for the prisoner during
his stay in Florence. At9.l5 The party
of deputies were Nn hand. Livingston
was taken directly from the train to
the court house, the Judge heviny had
the court opened early, 80 there would
| be no delay, and The prisoner was im-
mcdiatcly arraigned. Livingston when
askedby the clerk: Guilty ornot guilty?
| Answered III a stern voice. " am
| guilty - The Judge then told LIVING
ston that under ordinary circumstances
he would accept the plea Of guilty made
and would make the sentence light,
but owing to the fact that he had put
| The county and State to an enormous
| expense in capturing and caring for
him TO save Il lynching, which would
have happened had the law not have
secured control Of him, and the fact
that he would have accomplished his
purpose but for certain circumstances,
and as lesson To others who may at
tempt such wicked decd, he would
give him the highest sentence the law
would allow, and he thcrcupon sch
fenced him to the : ate pcnit cntiary
Tor 4 term ui ten years at hard labor.
The necessary papers were made out
and the sheriff and deputies proceeded
to the Irby street station, where tho
train for Columbia was in wallng.
Livingston is the negro who assault
ed the daughter Of the keeper of the
national cemetery near Florence last
fall, Tith intent to commit more hc-
nous crime, but was bravcly resisted
and finally fled, but was pursued and
captured. Preparations had been made
TO lynch hlm, when the authorities
spirited him away to the pcntcntiary
at Columbia, where he has been con.
fined for safckccping ever since until
today.
1t would have been easy enough for
The sheriff to have brought Livingston
here and kept him in jali, ior there
would have been no demonstration or
trouble, but the action Of Judge Watts
is heartily commended even by some
of those who were most cagcrm hound
ing down the two negroes.