The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-05-23
SESSIONS COURT
TOOK UP WEEK
ALI Motions for New Trials
Oyerruled.
WALKER GETS 4 YEARS
After Due Consideration lie Abandoned
His Intention of Taking Appeal to
the Supreme Court.


The first week of the court of Cen
eral Sessions and Common Pleas was a
very busy one, the entire time being
taken up with criminal business. The
second week of court opened Monday
morning with common pleas causes.
Two of the most important cases
tried last week were those of the State
against l.. d. Walker, charged with
murder, and John @. Cole, ct AL,
charged with assault and battery, in
terfering with peace officer in the
discharge of his duty and carrying con-
cealed weapons.
On Saturday morning counsel for l..
d. Walker, who was tried last Tuesday
on the charge of having killed John p.
South and convicted of manslaughter,
argued the motion for a new trial, So
licitor Cooper replying for the State.
Judge Dantzler overruled the motion,
stating that Walker, in his opinion, had
had fair trial, and therefore he could
not grant the motion.
Walker was commanded to stand up
and after being asked if he had any
thing to say why sentence should not be
passed on him to which he replied in the
negative, the court sentenced him to
serve term in the State Penitentiary
for period of four years at such labor
as he may be able to perform.
Walker is not a strong man physi-
cally apparently and, besides he is suf-
~, of l..
hands received three weeks ago while
at work in one of the cotton mills at
Greenwood.
At first it was the intention of Walker
and his friends to appeal the case,
through his counsel, to the supreme
court, but it was announced Monday
that this had been abandoned and
Walker will be carried to Columbia at
once to begin his sentence.
Chas. Caldwell, colored, charged with
murder, was acquitted.
Thursday and a portion of Friday the
court was engaged with the trial of
the State VS.. j. @. Cole, l.. w. C. Bia-
lock, r. r. Riddle and Pressly Minis,
all of Goldville, who were charged un-
der one indictment with assault and
battery, etc. The defense was repre-
sented by Ferguson & Featherstone,
while w. r. Richey assisted the State
in the prosecution. After remaining
out about four hours the jury returned
the following verdict: "Not guilty" as
to l.. w. c. Blalock; John @. Cole,
guilty of aggravated assault and bat
terry and carrying concealed weapons;
Pressly Minis, guilty of assault and bat
terry and resisting peace officer; R. r.
Riddle, guilty of carrying concealed
weapons. Motion for a new trial was
also refused in this case and the SEN
tences imposed were as follows: Cole,
three months or a fine of $100, Riddle,
thirty days or $50, Minis four months or
$125. BY agreement the fine of Minis
was reduced to $100. In each case the
fines were paid.
This case grew out of an attempt by
Deputy Sheriff Arnold of the Lydia
Mill, Clinton, to arrest at Goldville
Vaudie and Kit Minis, mill operatives
at the Banna cotton mill, located in the
town of Goldville. Arnold was accom-
panied to Goldville by several persons
from the Lydia mill village. In endeav-
oring to effect the arrest of the Minis
boys, in field near the Goldvile mill
village, the arresting party fired sew
eral shots, not at the defendants, but
simply to make them give up. This con-
duct frightened the women and children
and enraged some of the citizens, in
cluding those named in the Indictment,
who sought to drive the Clinton party
out of town, after rescuing Vaudie Minis,
who had been placed under arrest. Cole
and others assaulted Arnold and as the
party was driving away from the scene
several shots were fred at them by the
Goldville party. In the testimony it was
shown that Mr.. Blalobk had no pistol
and that he did all he could to prevent
clash.
This all took place on Sunday morn
ing, Feb. 25, this year.
Friday afternoon Vaudie and Kit Minis
were convicted of assault and battery as
to Vaudie and simple assault as to Kit.
They were charged with assaulting Mr..
Cothran and family, mill operatives at
Lydia Mill, on Saturday night, Feb "a,
or the night before their arrest was at
tempted at Goldville, tof which grew
the trouble between Arnold's posse and
the Goldville crowd.
Vaudie Minis was sentenced to 80
days on chaingang or pay fine of $50;
Kit Is daYS OR S1b Both maid