The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-07-05
A BennettsyiIle Case.
The Bamberg Herald contains the
following remarkable story:

The Bamberg Herald contains the
following remarkable story:
"a short time ago a young white
man entered the railroad depot at Ben
n~ettsvllle in the night time and stole
over 500 and a number of checks from
the safe. The young man had been
working at the depot without salary to
learn the business, and had access to the
Sate and knew where the money was
Kept. Suspicion attached to him at
once and his room vas searched and
most OF the money found. He had de-
stroyed the checks. He confessed the
crime and was put in Jail. The railroad
company agreed not to prosecute him
IT the money he had spent was re-
turned, which was only $31. The boys
1ather wrote that he was not able to
pay the money, or to come to see about
it, so several of the prominent citizens
OF the town endorsed the young mans
note, the money was returned, and he
was released from Jail. He hen said
he could not go back to his father. so
ne was given a position in the town
and went to work. There is much food
for thought in this incident, and we are
proud OF Bennettsville, for it is our ma
tive town. The young fellow was not
a hardened criminal, but he was a
stranger there, having lived in the
town only a few months. Yet the good
people went to his rescue and gave him
a chance to redeem himself and make a
man.. h action of those Bennettsville
people is all the more commendable
when one realizes that such a course
would not have been followed in most
towns, even in South Carolina. In
most places no notice would have been
taken OF the young fellow and he would
nave gone to prison no doubt and came
out a hardened criminal with all good
gone, All honor to the people
OF bennettSvllle who gave the young
act" '"'
This incident is suggestive. In the
first place, it does not show the At
iantic Coast Line Railway in a favora-
Die light. The Railway Company
should have prosecuted or it should
have refused money not to prosecute.
10 refrain from a criminal prosecution
Tor a money consideration is to be
guilty of the crime of compounding a
felony. 1t would have been a merciful
and ~praiseworthy thing for the com
pany to refuse to press this boy and so
give him an opportunity to redeem
himself but it was ~inexcusable for the
company to say in effect that it cared
nothing for the enforcement of
law provided it was not nothing. Not
long ago a young man was prosecuted
IN this State on the charge of stealing
many thousands of dollars from this
same Company and the jury failed to
onvic him. If the Company's attitude
Is to prosecute only when it can't re-
v the goods, how can it protest
when the jury also fails to show a pro-
per regard for law and justice?
Another suggestion that the incident
brings to mind is that the State should
have a reformatory for youthful Grim
lnals, according to the wishes of the
Women's Federation of Clubs. The
Bennettsville people were generous and
merciful- otherwise this young boy
white boy would have gone into asso-
citation with the hardened criminals of
the changing. There is a good
chance now that he may make a useful
man. He would have been irretrievablv
and inevitably ruined had he been con-
picted and punished for theft according
TO our ways of punishment.
The State should not in such cases
leave the only hope for an erring bow
to turn upon the impulse of a commu-
nifty.