The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-06-11
Court.

The summer term convened last Mon
dav with His Honor Judge klugh or
the bench. Although Judge Klugh i:
on this circuit, we hardly expected hin
to be here on account of a very sad al
Fiction in his family. with which he
has the sincere sympathy of all of his
friends throughout the State.
Solicitor Wilson almost stepped out
of the Florence court into ours. The
grand jury returned the following true
bills:
William Pringle. assault and battery
with intent to kill and carrying con-
cealed weapon.
Adam Lawson. larceny from the field
Preston Mcdonald and Jack Ragin,
arson.
Aston johnson, rape.
Robert Dray, burglary ane attempt
to cammit burglary.
Henry ElmOre, arson.
Jake Plowden, violation dispensary
law.
CASES TRIED.
Ed Rhodes, violating dispensa'r y"
not guilty.
Alston'Johnson, rape, not gui ;.
Luke McKinnie, assault with intent
to ravish, guilty and sentenced 10 SIX
years penitentiary.
Robert Dray, guilty, one year on
chaingang.
William Pringle, guilty: sentenced
SlG0 fine or y months on chalngang.
Henry Elmore, arson; not guilty.
GRAND JURY PREsENTMENT.
MANNING. S. c., June 9, 1902.
To the Honorable J. C. klugh. Judge Presiding
at June Term Court for Clarendon County,
1902:
We ask to make this our preSentment
We the grand jurors have passed on the bll!S,
giving due and. we trust proper care to each
and every one Of them. We endeavor to adopt
the best rules OF procedure ana are GUIDED Us
also assisted. by instructions from your honor.
We would ask to say. that while we can make
no report except in general way, as TO the con-
duct of our county officers. we hesitate not 10
say that they are faithful and ehiclent HOW
ever. by committee we will. VIC hope. oe ape "
make u report such aS is expected and should
be required to be made by the grand Jury.
The committee having its special work to
perform. that is TO say after making Specia. in
and passed on report. all will be presented TO
the Court. Realizing the Importance OF oelns
expeditions in our work, and in response to the
suggestions made by your Honor; we pass on
only such matters as demand no delay.
Referring to matters Of general and we would
say. weighty interest TO the commonwealth. we
ask to mention that all Of the honorable Judges
presiding here have calleG Ittentlon TO the 1act
that our court house is far below those OF our
sister counties. 1t is with pleasure that we re-
port to your Honor. that our County supervisor
proposes 70 act at once IN this matter. He re-
quests that his plan be submitted 10 the CourI T.
He would add 20 feet to back end OF court house
making two rooms below. one to be occupied oy
grand jury, the other to be used by trial justice
or magistrate. The two rooms above 10 oe
used by the petit 1uries. This Will we thlnk'
provide not only more commodlouS quarters,
but comfort. The small and wholly inadequate
rooms now being used as petit jury rooms as
also the judges seat to be turned $50 TO Speak)
into the court house.
The Supervisor also suggests that more mod
ern seats be provided for the jurors: that the
chairs be elevated one above the other as IS
usual now. with comfortable footlngS. He pro.
poses to have stairway entrance from grand
Jury room into court house Immediately to left Of
judges seat. BY this the entrance can De MAGE
more quietly. Also in plan submitted oy MT;
Owens, the supervisor, the county ohceS wlll
be made more nfortable-convenlences added
to them: wainscoating to be substituted for the
broken plaSterlng etc.
We have examined the jail ard find that 1t is
kent as well as such building can be. we 90
not wish to make presentmentS which are un-
needed. and so heSitated to say very much ABOUT
this matter in our preSentment 10 last court
his Honor DantZler presiding. Grand 1urles ior
the last ten years have called attention to this
death trap without avail. We consider 1t our
duty to reiterate what has been said. We
would be glad if our Legislature would give at
tention and render 1t Unnecessary TO fCrtner aS!-
tate this matter. The jail building is unsanl-
tary: Our predecessors have Sala Inns. a, we
saw it is unsafe, inhuman and unfit for connne.
rnent CT q human. 1t is built OF pine, very old
and dry With the staircase where 1t IS, II
hre ever gets started in it we feel sure that the
prisoners would meet horrible death (wlthout
hope Of reScue). We consider this Of vital I'M
portance. We need men who Will in our Cen
eraI Assembly deal with these matters in con-
scientious and statesnanllke way.
One Of our body in communication aooressec
to the Foreman Of Grand Jury" calls atten-
ton to encroachmentS made on public high
ways He saws that it is impossible for one con-
yeyance to pass another without driving over
crops. 1t is known to this jury that in sections
Of our county the public roads are p!oWeo INTO;
and in some sections an utter disregard is paid
70 the law. We ask that the law be enforced.
It is our painful duty (and we deeply regret
that such is the caSe) to report that Marion L.
Bochette, white man, and Alice RichooGrg; a
black woman, are living in adultery. j. H. Bo-
chette and r. NJ. James have been named as
witnesses to prove guilt Of these parties
AS hereinbefore stated, we have not under
taken to make any investigations Of the county
offices for reasons quite obvious to your honor:
Later in the year by special committee we shall
perform this duty, ana make report TO next Slt-
ting OF court.
we would state that from a g balance OF special
loan from 1901 with special loan Of 1902. aSgre-
eating the amount Of fifteen hundred and sixty
seven S0-100 dollars for court expenses for pres,
ent year 1902. AT March or Spring term Of 1902
six hundred and eighty-four and l0-1s0 dollars
was diSburSed, which leaves balance OF eight
hundred and eiGhty-three and 70-l00 dollars for
further court expenses for present year l9G2
It is reported to this jury that irresponsible
parties are in the habit Of building fires on the
causewayS Of Black river and other caSueWayS.
often on bridges; the bridges often charred and
weakened, this being done by persons while
fishing at night time. We regard this nui-
Sance, menace to public safety. We ask that
the law he enforced.
Respectfully submitted.