The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-11-16
THE SESSIONS COURT.
Pleas Of Guilty Taken Yesterday
Morning.-Number Of Gases on
Docket for Trial.

Vened yesterday Woiu1nS az Io
O'Clock, with Judge S. W. G. Shlpp,
of Florence, presiding. The court Will
be in session only this week, no jury
having been drawn for next week
While there are number Of cases on
the docket, it is thought that they
can be disposed Of during this week,
and a good start was made yesterday
morning when several pleas OF gull
ty were taken in cases which would
have required considerable time to
| try.
Solicitor Cooper and all the other
officers of the court were on hand
when court convened yesterday morn
ing. A number Of bills were handed
out to the grand jury. Judge Shipp,
in charging the grand jury, stated
that he would not go into lengthy
charge as to their general duties for
the reason that they had been charged
by two judges who had preceded him
during this year. He, however, call
ed attention to the oath which they
had taken, in that they were to pre-
sent no man on account Of enmity or
fail to present any man on account OF
friendship. 4 grand juror, ne said,
had great power, holding one Of the
most important Offices which clti-
zen could hold. "The law and order
of your county," he said, "depends
to large extent on your discharge
Of YOUR duties. Your duties are not
confined to the bills which the Solici-
tor has handed out, but wherever 1t
comes to your knowledge that there
is any violation Of law, then It is
your sworn duty to. present any per-
son who has violated the law. it makes
no difference who he is. 1t makes
no difference about his social position
or whether he is a man Of wealth or
poor man, every one stands equal
before the law, and any one, no mat
ter who he is, who violates the law,
should be made to face a jury Of his
countrymen.
Judge Shipp then took up the spe-
cife bills Of indictment which had
been handed out to the grand jury
and gave clear charge on the law
as to each offence charged.
Elliott Gallman and Melvin Wilson,
both colored, pleaded guilty to man
slaughter on charge Of murder in
the killing of Nueks Tucker in Au-
gust, 1908. The case was investigated
by Solicitor Cooper, who agreed af-
ter a thorough investigation to accept
a plea Of manslaughter. Gallman was
sentenced to serve five years and Will
son three years. The defendants were
represented by Eugene S. Blease, Esq.
Jonas Sutton, colored, pleaded gull
ty in two cases to forgery. One case
charged him with presenting to Shell
icy and Summer, Of this city, a false
check, with the signature Of W. Chas.
Shealy, for $3.50 in May Of this
year, and the other case charged him
with presenting a check to Summer
Brothers, for sl5.75, purporting to
be signed by C. F. Latham. Both
checks were on the Farmers and Mer-
chants Bank of Little Mountain.
Judge Shipp sentenced Sutton to
serve one year and to pay fine OF
one dollar in each case, one sentence
to begin after the expiration Of the
other. Constable Cannon G. Blease
.;raced these checks and followed the
evidences to the defendant, who has
finally pleaded guilty, and in doing so
performed a. very clever piece Of
work.
The pleas of guilty yesterday morn
ing probably saved the court several
days work.
The grand jury returned a true
bill in the case of the State vs.. John
Wheeler and Theodore Wheeler,
charged with murder, and no bill
in the case against Odell Scott,
charged with murder.
Upon the convening Of court yes
terday morning only twelve Of the
grand jurors were present. The fol-
lowing three extra jurors were drawn
and sworn: W. L. Reighley, j. Taz
Sem, c. NJ. West.
After a thorough investigation So
licitor Cooper concluded that the
States witnesses did not make out
case against Love Philips, colored,
charged with murder, and he mol
pressed the case upon the payment of
$25 90 for carrying concealed weap-
ons, the only count upon which the
Solicitor could have asked for ver-