The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-03-04
THE STATES CRIMINAL RECORD.
Some Startling Facts Pointed Out 10 the
Report of the Attorney General.

bePoIt vi uhe attorney uenefal.
A recent letter to the press of the
State in which 1 gave the number of
homicides committed in South Carolina
during the last six months of 1907
caused a number of papers both in this
State and others to ask for a record of
the convictions for murder during the
same time. A careful study of the re-
port of the attorney general reveals
the following facts:
There were tried in South Carolina in
1907 346 cases in which the defendant
was charged with murder. Of these 10
defendants were convicted of the charge
and sentenced to death; 80 were con-
victed but were recommended to the
mercy Of the court, which, under the
statute, reduced the penalty to a life
term in the p~enitentiary; ID were con-
victed of manslaughter and given short
terms in the penitentiary or on the
county chaingangs. Besides these
there were Is convictions reported
from the Second Judicial Circuit
wherein no record of degree of guilt
or of sentence was given, and eight in
Cherokee and three in Union. The to-
tai number of convictions thus was ITO.
There were no murder trials in Pick
ems or Oconee counties. In other coun-
ties they were as follows:
First Circuit--.Berkeley, s; George
town, IS; Dorchester, 20; Orangebur;g,
Is. Total, 48. Death penalty-George
town, 1; Orangeburg, 1; Dorchester /.
Life term-Georgetown, l: Orange
burg 2. Short terms-Berkeley, 2;
Dorchester, 7; Orangeburg, G.. Total
convictions, 81.
Second Circuit-Aiken, ID; Bamberg,
IL; Barnwell, IL; Hampton, 2. Total,
40. Convictions Is but no record of
sentences.
Third Circuit-Clarendon, d; Flor
ence, 3 Il manslaughter); Lee, 6; Sum
ter, 3; Williamsburg 2 (manslaughter).
Total, 18. Death penalty, none Life
term-Sumter, /; williamsburg, 2;
Clarendon, /. Short term-Lee, 1;
Clarendon, 3; Sumter 1, Total convic-
tions, 9.
Fourth ircuit-Chesterfield, 2; Oar
lington, 2; Horny, l; Marlboro, 8; Mar
ion, a. Total, II. Death penalty, l in
Marlboro. Life term-Marlboro, /.
Short terms Chesterfield, 2; MARI
boro, Q; Marion 1. Total convictions, z.
Fifth Circuit Edgeield, 10 Il man.
c1onnhtnrl Ko,Sho" q 10 ,,,o,l
teri; Lexington, 7 Il manslaughter);
Richland, IL g manslaughter). Total,
"a. Death penalty, none. Life term
Richland /; Edgefield, 1. Short terms
-Edgefield, l; Kershaw, g. Total con-
victions, 5 (and 2 in Richland county in
which new trials were granted by trial
judge.
Sixth Circuit Chester, IL; Fairfield
4; Lancaster, 6; York, 9. Total, 80.
Death penalty-Chester, 2; Fairfield, l.
Life term-Chester, 8. Short terms
Chester, 5; Lancaster, 8; Fairfield, L;
York 2. Total convictions, II. ct is
worthy of note here that of Chester's
IL cases there were 10 convictions.)
Seventh Circuit-Cherokee, 8; Spar
tanburg, 8; Union, 6. Total, %.
Death penalty, none. Life term
Spartanburg, q. Short terms-Spar-
tanburg, 8. Total, 5. (There are no
records for Cherokee and Union.)
Eighth Circuit-Abbeville, 6 e man
slaughter); Greenwood, 4; Laurens, so
q manslaughter); Newberry, IL a
manslaughter); Saluda, II "a man
slaughter. Total, 63. Death sentence
Greenwood, 1. Life term-Laurens, 6;
Newberry, /; Saluda, q. Short terms
Abbeville, 2; Greenwood, /; Laurens,
Z; Newberry, 4; Saluda, l. Total con-
victions, 25.
Ninth Circuit Beaufort, /; Colleton,
6 q manslaughter); Charleston, 81 e
manslaughter. Total, Sd. Death pen-
atty, o Life term Charleston, 2.
Short terms-Colleton, l; Clarendon, 3
Total convictions, 6.
Tenth Circuit-Anderson, II; Green
vile, 10; Oconee, none; Pickens, none.
Total, 80. Death penalty, none. Life
terms-Anderson, 6. Short terms
Anderson, q; Greenville, 5. Total con-
victions, Is.
have simply given the figures as
compiled by the solicitors for the at
torney general. They need no com
ment further than to say that out of
346 cases tried there were only 10 con-
victions. Of course it does not follow
that the other 236 men were guilty of
murder and got off" But these fig
ures reveal the fact that the taking of
a human life in South Carolina IS not
often considered a crime against So
ciety.
One other matter: While of the 346
less than 40 were convicted by as
many juries of felonious and wilful
murder, 80 of those juries declined to
permit the murderers to be executed
for their crimes. / have often said
that more than 80 per cent. of the peo-
pie of South Carolina are opposed to
capital punishment; 75 per cent. of
these juries we're.
LOUIS BRISTOW.