The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-02
LET Us BIZ FAR.
a word In De1ense Of ,he m sn.x th.t
Tried tho Bookhart o.ae.

The Times and Democrat says that
In discussing the acquittal ! at or.
angeburg Of the men charged with the
lynching ofKeitt Bookhardt the Salu-
da Standard falls into several errors,
which we desire to correct. The Stand.
ard says ut seems morally sure that
some Of these men were guilty, Il not
all; but there had been hard work
among the jurymen, and then, you
know, there is a sentiment among
some people that it Is no harm to
Kill a Niger" AS to the innocence or
guilt OF the i've men tried and acquit-
ted, we have nothing to say, except
that there was strong testimony for
and against them which left at least
part of the jury in doubt as to their
guilt, which doubt was dissolved in
favor OF the accused. The charge that
hard work was done among the jury
men Is all nonsence. There could be no
hard work done among the jurymen"
after they were drawn to try the case,
as Judge Dantzler kept them together
under charge Of constable from the
time they were drawn until the case
was ended. Nor could there be any
hard work done among the jurymen"
before they were drawn, as many of
them were not on the jury panel when
the case was called, and were drawn
after the prisoners we're put on trial.
So much for the jury fixing yarn.
The Standard goes on to say that the
worst feature Of this case is that which
led up to the killing. According to ru-
mors then current, some of these white
men had been altogether too familiar
| with the negroes sister. He remon-
strated, and In the fuss raised by his
demonstration he got locked up and
fined s5, while the white men went
ho'ue to tell lies to their wives. That
night the negro, Keitt Bookhard, was
| taken from the calaboose, terribly la.
cerated with knives and sunk in deep
water with heavy iron bound to him
And then somebody's poor, long sufr.
ering, faithful wife was fored to 20
on the witness stand and swear to save
husband who had undoubtedly been
devoting a large part Of his attention
to the 'colored girl, when the wife
should have received all bis affection. "
Not word OF such evidence as the
Standard mentions was brought out on
the trial, whatever the rum0rs may
have been before.
We heard the same rumor some.
time before the trial, but as it was
not brought out during the trial, we
came to the conclusion that 1T was a
fairy story and dismissed it Since
the trial we have heard another ru-
NOR that is being whispered around,
to the effect that it was Bcokhardt's
Intimacy with a white woman that
caused his untimely taking or. We
do not believe that any woman had
anything TO do with the brutal MUIR
der Of BOokhardt, but If n woman was
mixed up in 1t we are rather inclined
to believe that 1t was white and not
a negro woman. In the trial the
State failed to prove q motive for the
murder OF Bookhardt by. the men
charged with his murder, and we do
not think that the STANDARD should
use a mere rumor In making out a
case against them in preference to
the evidence adduced on the stand.
In discussing the case we have no
right to go behind the evidence
brought cut at the trial. Every Jury
man that was on the jury swo; to try
the accused according to- O eyi.
dence,' u but the Stand s.Sl.gss-N GU
think the jury should have tried them
according to the rumors'' that we're
being whispered around. WeIhave no
objection to the Standard or anyother
paper discussing the case, but the dis
cussion should be conducted honestly
and fairly.