The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-04-09
SUBSTITUTE FOR LYNCHING
A Speedy Conviction of Rapist
In Special Court at Florence.


In Special Court at Florence.
A staff correspondent of the New
and Courier gives The following ac
count of the special term of court a
Florence for the tiial of julius Gibbes
negro man, who was arrested the 5Ll
OF March on charge of rape, trlet
and convicted on the 31st of March
and sentenced to be hung on the 25ti
OF April. He is about twenty years
old, and his victim was Mrs. Daisy Lee
Haynes, wife Of q well-kn0wn and re-
spectacle farmer, residing about twenty
miles from Florence. A lynching was
narrowly averted, the details of which
are well known.
The special term of court ordered
for the trial, Judge Purdy presiding,
met promptly at 10 o'clock this morning
Solicitor Wilson was at his post of duty
also and all technical preliminaries re-
ceiHed careful consideration in organ
izing the court.
Florence court house has never held
such crowd as was within it's walls
to-day. Old, young, white and black,
all calllngs, including several ministers,
/
large that court officials had much diff
ficulty in moving around in the dis
charge of their duties. The behavior
of the crowd was such as usually marks
our important occasions, the interest
shown beng almost intense. This
was the first legal trial for such a
crime in Florence County, a county
where the first execution will take
place on April 25, when Julius Gibbes
will explate on the gallows for the ter
rible crime of rape.
Absolute silence attended all the
preliminaries, a silence that became
dramatic when Solicitor Wilson asked
Sheriff Burch to "bring in The ladies'"
They cane as soon as ,.sssage way
could be made, Mrs. Haynes accom-
panied by her mother-in-law, a qliet-
faced, aged lady in black. At this
juncture their presence was necessary
only few moments, when they re-
tired, to appear again when they had
to testify.
Judge Purdy then charged the grand
jury, and his charge, while very brief
and specific, covered all points and
left nothing to be misunderstood. The
indictment was handed to the jury
which retired and returned with true
bill in twenty minutes.
Then Julius Gibbes, handcuffed and
with his hat on, was put in the dock.
He is an ordinary looking, black negro,
and the stern faces by which he was
surrounded pitilessly reflected the
hopelessness depicted upon his own
countenance. He looked like drowsy
man and seemed to be almost in q
semi-conscious condition, When he
had to say something his trembling lips
continued to move after his. words
ceased to be audible. Nothing aroused
him and he moved to his doom like
sleepy animal.
Messrs. Wilcox & Wilcox were re-
quested by Judge Purdy to defend the
prisoner, who had no counsel. Mr.. p.
a. Wilcox, In accepting the Disagree
able duty, remarked that request
from his Honor was equivalent to
command. Later he asked for assis-
tance and Mr.. Shipp was requested to
assist in the defence, and for an hour
these attorneys consulted with the
prisoner. Then a jury was empaneled,
being sworn on their voir dire, after
which recess was ordered until 3
O'Clock to allow further consultation
with the prisoner.
at this hour the trial was resumed.
Solicitor Wilson, counsel for the de-
fence concurrlng, asked that the house
be vacated by all but The witnesses
and officers of the court. Judge Purdy
answered that he knew only request
would be necessary and in few
minutes only vacant seats were seen,
The evidence against the poor wretch
was simply overwhelming, including
free confession to the prisoners father,
made in the sheriff's presence. The
defence had no witnesses, 80 counsel
stated. Solicitor Wilson made brief
but spirited address to the jury and
was followed by fearless remarks from
MI. Wilcox, who with his colleagues,
ably discharged their duty. Judge
Purdy's charge to the jury was model
of absolute fairness and impartiality.
There could be no doubt of the prison.
er's guilt and the jury returned ver-
dict of guilty in a few minutes.
The prisoner was sentenced to be
hanged on Friday, April %, and when
his doom was spoken he aank to the
floor gasping and terror. stricken. The