The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-09-30
Mr.. ]. {. H'DOHALD
WRITES 4 LETTER
In Defense Of Former Judge 0. v.
Buchanan.
20 the Editor of The State:

In yesterdays issue of The State,
in publishing the letter of Chief JUS
tice Pope, giving letter Of myself and
telegram of Judge Buchanan, your
headline writer uses the following
language: Telegram from O. W.
Buchanan telling him something had
been done which had not been done. "
This, taken in connection with your
editorial in a recent issue, and also
that of today, charging, at least by
| implication, juggling with the Judi
ciary is so unfair, and in the implica-
ton conveyed to the public so unjust
to Judge Buchanan, that crave your
| indulgence to make a brief statement
of facts, in order that the record may
be kept straight.
Let me say, first, that when my let
ter was written to the chief justice, [
had no knowledge or information
whatever. ncr had any member OF our
bar, so far as I am informed, that the
attorneys representing the State in
| the case against James Il. Eillman
had made, or intended tc make, a
motion before the chief justice to re-
woke his assignment Of Judge Town
send to hold the court at Lexington.
Second, early in the week, before
the letter was writer, there was an
informal meeting of nearly all of the
members of the Winnsboro bar, IN the
Office of Messrs. A. S. & ". D. Doug
! lams. We were in a state of uncer-.
tainty as to who would preside at our
approaching term of court. 1t was at
first suggested that the members OF the
bar Join in a letter to the chief Justice
on the subject. After discussion OF
the matter, it was thought best to
await Developments, as git vas con-
cluded that some order might be made,
later in the week, that would remove
the state of uncertainty. There was
no petition of the bar for a special
fterm, or TO call off the regular term,
| and I have no. idea that the. chief JUS
tice so stated at Spartanburg. Judge
Buchanan did not participate in this
| meeting, and as soon as the subject OF
the meeting was made known he With
drew. stating in substance, that as his
| brother -in-law would be on trial at
Lexington. he did not feel that it
| world be proper for him to join in a
letter to the chief justice, as his &C
tion might be misconstrued. mere
was not only nothing in Judge Bu-
chanan's actions on that occasion tDat
could be criticized, but on the contrary
as T thought then, and still think,
his conduct and attitude were highly
commendable. These facts were stated
to YOUR correspondent on the l4th in
slant The members of the bar pres
ent at the above mentioned meeting
were unanimous in preferring spec
ial term of the court, and that the
regular term go by default if any one
except Judge Townsend should be as
signed to hold our court, inasmuch
as he had been regularly assigned to
Fairfield in December. 1902.
Third. having waited until late
Saturday evening, ana no oroer as.
signing any Judge to hold our regular
term having been made, except the
order making the regular assignments,
I wrote a letter to the chief jasslce on
nv own motion and without any
further consultation with any mem
ber of the bar. The letter was written
shortly before I closed my Office Tor
fine evening. Just before l enclosed
the letter in an envelope, Juoge oU-
chanan came into my Office to return
book, or to get one-l do not Iemem, n,
her which it was. | stated to him
that I had Just written to the cher
;ustice. and either read the letter to
him, or handed it to him to read. d.
Hen, Hence, be was fully aware of its
contents when he sent the telegram
to the chief justice. l had addressed
the letter to Newberry, not know.ng
that the chief Justice was at Saluaa'
AS stated to me at the time his Je!ee e
gram was intended to inform the chie1
Justice that l had written him a
letter on the subject, as it was not
then known that he had received IT.
it having been addressed to Newberry.
The telegram from Judge Buchanan;
therefore, was not intended to mislead
the chief iutsice as it called attention
to my letter which stated the laces
,.I tol-t,>u the two to-