The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-10-11
Court.

The court of common pleas remained
In session until late Saturday afternoon
before it adjourned for the term: from
Wednesday it was one steady battle
with the case OF J. T. Wilder against
ID. ". Alderman Sons Company. This
is the second time this case went to a
jury and each time there was mistrial.
The first mistrial the jury stood to6,
and this time 9 to 3. The jury an
nounced 70 the court, it was impossible
to agree wnereupon Judge Watts or
dered mistrial and discharged them.
The case was hard fought. Counsel
for Wilder, the plaintiff, were J. T.
Rhame, P. A. Wilcox. F. L. Wilcox
and J. H. Lesesne, Counsel for Alder
man were J. S. Wilson, Charlton Du-
Rant. W. C. Davis. Both sides were
managed with adroitness and skill
and the arguments before the jury were
magnificent and ingenious. The case
is dispute over little piece of boggy
land of the value of less than S., over
which the D. W. Alderman Sons Co.,
have run tram railroad. Wilder
claims the land, and is backed up by
surveys and deeds: Alderman claims
the land is not Wilder's, and he is
backed up surveyors: the surveyors
differ according to the side they are
summoned for, and they are as wide
apart with their measurements as are
the lawyers with their arguments. It
is therefore easy to understand why
iurymen fail to agree when experts
disagree.
1t is unfortunate such case is in
our courts, because, the expense of
irving these suits fall heavy upon the
county. and because, it is clearly evil
dent that no good spirit exists between
the contending parties: the actua!
money value of this land over which
the Alderman's tramroad is running,
and which Mr.. Wilder seeks to re-
strain. is not in question, but the
matter is rooted in business rivalry
between two men who have large
means a. their command. Wilder. Of
course, claims to be maintaining his
property rights, and that ia crossing
his land, the Aldermans did so with
out authority from him. The Alder
mans own large timber interests in
that section. and so does Thomas vii.
son: this little piece of Wilder's land
is, as we understand it, so situated that
for Alderman to reach the timber be-
yond Wilder, he must either cross
Wilder or Wilson, or turn his track
and 90 back several miles around. SO
in this case, the land claimed by
Wilder is,an obstruction TO the Alder
mans, and bulwark for Wilson. The
case has been tried in Clarendon twice.
and if the contendine parties will not
get together to effect an amlcable set
Element, then we would suggest they
take the case to some other county:
neither side has any confidence IN the
integrity OF the other, both sides be-
lieve unfair methods are resorted to,
tampering with jurors. and other
practices, which if true. should be
ferretted out and the miserable hire
lings, together with those who hired
them punished severely. If our courts
can be run with money and liquor as is
alleged. no man is safe in his property
rights.
In the matter of Davis Carter against
the North Western Railroad in which
a verdict for $1,000 damages was given
to plaintiff, and the case of Thos. h.
Fielder against the same comoapy on
verdict for plaintiff for 5000, for being
struck by the depot agent at Davis Sta
ton, motion for new trials will be ar
gued before Judge Watts in Sumter on
the 30th inst.