Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-12
THE SELLERS CASE.
Looks Like Officers Are Without Pro-
lection of Law.


lection Of Law.
OF course there was a mistrial in
the Sellers case. For years this man
openly detied the law. For years Sell
lers glOried i'm the audaciOusness Of
his lawlessness. He found lawyers
willing TO sustain him in his nefariOuS
occupation by being his standing at
| tOrneys when his every act of business
was widely known to be illegal, and
when every dollar paid to retain "le-
GAL counsel to defend illegal acts
was, by public knowledge, ill-gotten.
Where does the greater blame for
the continuous offenses Of Sellers that
! finally led to the Staying of an officer,
rest? He treated the law with con-
tempt 1t interfered with an easy
method for him to secure wealth. Is
he. or the weak ''arms of the law"
that he made subservient to his will,
to be held in greater contempt by the
public? If he could hire lawyers to
reveal loOpholes, intercede with Off
cials, or defend him before a jury, he
the open law breaker with a moral
code Of ''might''-could not be expect
ed to pursue another course. If he
| could make deals with state and city
| officials to escape proper penalties, 1t
was in accord with his code so to do.
If he could turn into a huge joke his
disregard Of law within the shadow Of
the state house, and on the same street
with the city hall and police station,
it was in his line of business to work
| the joke.
Is it wonder that in few years
| the erstwhile newsbutcher, able to
hire legal talent by the year. and to
| treat with state and city officials,
should come to disregard not only the
dispensary law but other laws? Is it
wonder that, confident of immunity
| for one class of offenses, he became
confident of immunity for any crime? ?
Is ii a wonder, after the long expert
ence Of Sellers In this city, that when
a constable, armed with search war
rant, went to his house and demand
ed admission, that admission was re-
fused, and when the door was kicked
| open by the officer, that Sellers, hav-
ing a feeling of resentment against
| that particular officer who had latter
| ly been making ii uncomfortable for
| him, should shoot down that officer
| like dog?
| In two or three short weeks there
after Sellers was driving around the
streets of Columbia. The constitution
| Of the state of South Carolina says
that bail may be granted in capital
cases except" when the evidence of
| guilt is strong or the presumption of
guilt is great, yet Sellers was granted
bail, and had enough money saved in
a flOurishing business to put up cash
bond. He went to trial willingly, and
stand The point was made by the
defense that Constable Farmer, not
having given bond, had no right to
execute that warrant, but in his
charge the judge did not. leave the
| jury I'm doubt on that point. On Sat-
urday evening the jury was turned
loose-not that it would have made
any difference had it been tied up
and between midnight and 4 o'clock
on Sunday morning, one of the ju-
rors was observed under the influence
of whisky in blind tigers in the noto-
riOus quarter Of the town. He attempt
ed to talk to. a policeman about the
Sellers case, and had it on his mind to
collect $42 that was due him by some
one in that locality. And, under the
law, the state of South Carolina seems
impotent to protect itself against this
horrible condition that is q stencil In
the nostrils of decency.
OF course there was a mistrial in
the Sellers case. But these remain
the facts:
| First, that Sellers was notorious,
| persistent violator of The dispensary
law-the king Of Blind Tigers"
| Second, that Constable Farmer OF
the dispensary force had a properly
issued warrant for the search Of Sell
ler's house, in which, it was alleged,
Illicit whisky was stored.
Third, that in the day time, openly,
Constable Farmer went to Sellers
| house, repeatedly knocked, announc-
ed his business and demanded admis-
sion, that finally, admission being re-
fused, the door was kicked open by
Farmer, who, while standing on the
threshold was shot down with rifle
by Sellers.
Fourth, that contraband whisky was
| found stored in Sellers room.
| Did the state of South Carolina
send an official to his death without
the laws protection?-The State.