The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1909-06-16

Court Proceed dings.


The regular summer term Of court
for this county convened On Monday
morning with the Hon. Robert Al
drich, of Barnwell, presiding. Solic-
itor Zimmerman and stenographer
Anderson were at their posts. Clerk
Shealy had everything il readiness,
and the machinery of the court was
soon set in motion. There was a no.
ticeable absence from the court room
of the manly form of Sheriff P. II.
Corley, who is still unable to attend
to his duties in the court room. Sher-
if Corley is unquestionably one of
the most. popular officials in the
county, and he was besieged with
callers all day. Deputy Sheriff Miller,
however, was "on to his job" and
filed the sheriff's place with the ease
of a veteran.
The e.rand jury returned true bills
in the following cases: John Dreher,
Eliza Eleazer, Dump" CAN'T, Bessie
Dreher, alias 'Nucky' Eleazer, and
Lula Dreher, negroes, charged with
assault and resisting arrest; Rufus
Reeves, negro, charged with larce-
ny from the person; Amos Dickerson,
a negro, incest; John G. Darby, as
sault with intent to rayish; Ralph
Clarke, housebreaking and larceny;
Quitman Gayden, seduction;
The first case called for trial was
that of John Dreher, Eliza Eleazer,
"Dump'' CAN'T, Bessie Dreher and
Lula Dreher. This was the case where
the negroes resisted arrest and ran
Constables L. L. Roof and Pierce
Shealy out of the field with shotgun
and hoes. They were later arrested
by Sheriff Corley and Deputy Sheriff
Miller. They had no lawyer and con-
sequently pleaded their own. cause.
They asked the witnesses for the
prosecution a number of questions,
which were quite amusing. They
were convicted in short order, but
Judge Aldrich deferred passing se.;-
tence until later in the week.
Quitman Gayden, a young white
man from New Brookland, was next
put on trial for seduction. The young
woman in the case is Miss Corie Es-
telle Lucas. of the same town. Both
belong to prominent families, and the
case attracted great deal of atten-
tion and was hard fought. The moth
er of the unfortunate girl was the
first witness for the prosecution. She
was followed by the young woman
herself. Miss Lucas is an innocent
looking girl and is attractive in every
feature. She told her story in a
straightforward manner. She told
how Gayden had seduced her under
his repeated promises of marriage.
She made most excellent witness,
sticking to her. story in the main
through grilling cross-examination.
Her brother testified that Gayden had
promised him to marry his sister.
The defendant denied promising to
marry the girl, but adm tilted telling
her brother that he would do what
was right if they would release him
from under bond. The jury has had
the case since 4 O'Clock yesterday,
and mistrial is almost certain.
The case of John G. Darby, charged
with assault with intent to ravish is
set for trial this morning. This bids
fair to be one of the most sensational
cases ever tried in this county. MIR.
Darby is chief of police for the town
of Batesburg, an6 is said to be held in
the highest esteem there. The woman
in the case is widow and operates a
boarding house in the same town.
The defendant is represented by
Efird & Dreher; of Lexington and Col.
E. F. Strother, of Batesburg, while
Solicitor Zimmerman will be assisted
in the prosecution by Z. L. Asbill, OF
Leesvil e.
Although this is the first time Judge
Aldrich has appeared in Lexington,
lie has already won the hearts of all
with whom he mas come in contact.
He is the soul of courtesy, yet firm in
his decisions, and dispatches the busi-
ness before him in manner that at
tracts the attention of all. He is,
without doubt, one Of the ablest jur.
lists in South Carolina. All LeXing-