Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-07-27
Negro Convicted Of Murder In pleksns.

i Pickens, S. c., July 20.-There
was high tragedy and lots of it in
the Pickens Court yesterday. Two
murder cases were tried and the In
terest was intense. Never in the
history of the county have such
throngs attended tho sessions of the
Court. There has been feeling of
nneasiness regarding the trial of
Henry Jones, the negro murderer of
Constable Columbus Il. Jones, of
Easley. There have been vague
threats OF lynching since the night
OF the killing, Pickens county
officials realized this and did their
duty nobly.
The prisoner was brought from
Spartanburg by State Constable G..
Y. Cureton yesterday and carried to
Liberty, where he was met by Con-
stable =. L. Mcdaniel. From there
the prisoner was concealed i'm
buggy and hurried by the officers to
Pickens, arriving there about an
hour before the time for the trial to
begin. The prisoner was quartered
at the Sheriff's home for this interim
and covertly brought to the Court
House, carried up back entrance
into the court room and the trial was
actually in progress before many
knew that the prisoner was in Pick
ems. The case began at 3 o'clock
and long before that hour large col
umns of men of every station and
class formed in front of the Court
House doors awaiting the call of the
court crier. The doors were locked
and as soon as they were opened
there was rush for the court room,
and it was filled in five minutes.
Not more than third of the vast
crowd could get into the Court House,
The Court appointed James p.
Carey, Esq, to-represent the defend
ants. Mary Jones was also included
In the Indictment with Henry Jones
for murder, but she was acquitted.
MIR. Carey made, a very able de-
tense, but the State had complete
case that was impregnable. Solici-
tor Boggs made strong speech
for the prosecution. He was assisted
in the prosecution by Morgan, Mau'-
din 81 Mauldin.
Only nine witnesses were ex-
amined, and the speeches were com
paratively short. The Judge was
brief, but very explicit in his charge,
and the jury retired to weigh in the
scales of justice human life. They
reached verdict in about 30 min
utes. Absolute stiffness reiqned in
the Court room. The verdict read,
guilty" The Judge then sentenced
the prisoner to be hanged publicly
Friday, August 26, between the
hours of 10 a. m. and Q p. m.
Pickens county officials and the
jurors did their duty nobly and
courageously and there was feeling
or reref WHICH swUPU Uvor Uue -vas6
crowd of Pickens citizens when the
demands of justice embodied in the
Mosaic law were ordered to be car
ried out.
The Solicitor and the Sheriff man
aged the case SO judiciously and pru-
dent!y that it was a mystery that the
trial came off 80 quickly and so
punctually. The Judge himself did
not know the trial of the negro was
coming until the officers came drag
ging the wretched prisoner through
the narrow entrance back of the
Judges station.
Another precaution taken by the
county officials was to have the dis
pensary closed for the past two days,
as the situation was grave enough
without the influence of dispensary
whiskey.
Milt Duke, on trial for killing Jake
Cannon, was found guilty of man
slaughter and sentenced to two years
in the penitentiary or on the county
chain gang.