The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-09-27
WORK OF SESSIONS
COURT CONCLUDED
Several Important Cases
Were up for Trial.
CHILDREN RESTORED.
Powell II. Baldwin and Others Not
Guilty-.-WelI POis0ner Convicted-..5
Years for LOnnie Fleming.

The work of the fall term of Gen.
eral Sessions Court was finished Friday
evening, but it was not adjourned until
Monday morning in order to hear ar
guments in one or two appeal cases.
Common Pleas was opened Immediately
upon adjournment of the Sessions.
The last case disposed of by the jury
was that of Lonnie Fleming, young
negro of Clinton, charged with killing
Jay Rhoden, also colored, last summer.
Fleming was found guilty of man.
slaughter with recommendation to
mercy and the Court gave him FIVE
years. The jury in his case was out
about eight hours.
All day Thursday the Court was en-
gagged with the trial of Powell H. Bald
win, Billy Young Baldwin, brothers,
and the negro, John Wesley Hender-
son, who were charged with the MUIR
der of Abe Mcdaniel, the old negro
farmer of the Poplar Springs section,
who was killed by crowd of "white
cappers" last April. The jury was out
about fifteen minutes and returned
verdict of mot guilty." Thus ended a
rather celebrated case.
John Miller, one of the negroes sus-
pected of the t,a,,sardly attempt at poi
soning Mr.. Waters Ferguson and
family two months ago by putting
snake heads, lizards, frogs and match
es in the we'll was promptly convicted
and sentenced to the Penitentiary for
term of ten years the full limit of the
law provided for such crime. Wash
Carwile, the other negro, implicated in
this crime has not been apprehended
yet.
One of the most remarkable cases be-
fore the Laurens Court in long time
was habeas corpus proceeding in
stituted by the attorney representing
Mrs. Emma Florence Cannon of Eaton
ton, Ga, for the purpose of regaining
possession of two of her children, John
Bardwell Cannon, aged and jamie Re-
becca Cannon, aged 5. After hearing
arguments in the case Judge Mem
minger promptly decided that the
mother was entitled to the children and
ordered that they be turned over to
ker. Mrs. Cannon appeared to be very
happy in the recovery of her children
from whom she had been separated
since July and she left the city late
Friday night for her Georgia home.
Briefly stated this separation was
brought about by the domestic troubles
existing in the Cannon home which cul-
minated in the separation of John Bard
we'll Cannon, father of the children,
from his wife. When he decided to
leave home he took the two children in
question with him and brought them to
his brother, Mr.. j. Pat Cannon, who
lives near Mountville, this county. He
told his brother to keep them, until he
advised otherwise. The father then re-
turned to his work, being employed on
the railroad at some point in Georgia.
He has not returned to his wife to this
day and it is understood that divorce
proceedings have been commenced in
the Georgia Courts. This however did
not figure in the Laurens proceedings.
On the other hand letters alleged to
have been written by j. B. Cannon to
his wife were put in evidence, showing
that reconciliation had come about
and that Mr.. Cannon was willing for
Mrs. Cannon to have the children back.
But the question was to get them
away from Mr.. and Mrs. j. Pat Can
non, who had become very much at
tached to the little ones. 1t was rather
touching and dramatic scene when they,
in obedience to the mandate of the
Court, had to tell the little fellows good
bye and and see their mother proudly
lead them from the Court room.
Mr.. and Mrs. j. P. Cannon are
very excellent people and the children
were in splendid hands.