The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-05-14
BOND CASE ENDED.
Columbia Broker VIII Serve Six
Months For Part in Bond Trans
action.

COlu1nbla br0ker Will SerVe DIX
Months For Part in Bond Trans
action.
The State, 18th.
Probably the last chapter in the
bond theft case Of South Carolina
was concluded yesterday when the
supreme court affirmed the decision
of the lower court which sentenced
Thomas J. Gibson to Serve six months
in the State penitentiary upon con-
victi6n of receiving stolen goods
the S12,500 bonds which were taken
from the State treasurer's office sew
eral years ago. Mr.. Gibson, now an
old man in feeble health, will, on
May "a, begin serving his sentence,
the supreme court having overruled
every exception in the appeal. The
crime was the receiving for sale OF
the bonds in the office Of Mr.. Gibson,
then a stock broker in this city.
The decision of the supreme court
is very interesting in that the circuit
court is upheld in every instance
where an attempt to show an excep-
ton is made. In two cases the court
declined to consider them on account
of the general character.
The most interesting feature of
the exceptions is that touching the
questions asked at the trial Of the
defendant's s character. After the de-
fendant's witnesses at the trial had
testified that the defendants reputa-
ton for honesty and integrity was
good, the question was asked, "From
that reputation would you believe
him on oath?' The circuit judge
ruled that inasmuch as the veracity
Of the defendant was not attacked,
this question should not be admitted
in the testimony.
The ruling Of the supreme court on
this point follows: 'Even, however,
if it should be conceded that the
character of a defendant is attacked,
when he is charged with a crime in
volving moral turpitude, and that,
ordinarily, he should be allowed to
introduce testimony as to his reputa-
ton for veracity, nevertheless we
fail to discover in what respect the
ruling of the presiding judge was pre-
judicial to the appellant when he was
allowed to offer testimony (which
was uncontradicted) that his reputa-
ton for honesty and integrity was
good. If he was man of integrity,
that fact reasonably tends to show
that he was worthy Of belief under
oath.'
Mr.. Gibson was tried before Judge
Prince at the spring term of court in
1907 and after the testimony was
taken a sealed sentence was brought
in, which was opened by Judge VII
son in 1908 and sentence Of six
months in the penitentiary imposed.
The defendant was charged with re-
ceiving stolen goods, these being the
bonds taken from the State treasur-
er's Office. An appeal was taken by
counsel for Mr.. Gibson on number
Of exceptions, most of these being
that the circuit judge had erred in the
admission of certain testimony and in
refusing to admit other testimony.
Mr.. Gibson is now about rs years
of age and has been in very feeble
health since 1890, having palsy and
being unable to write his name or
keep a set Of books. He testified on
the stand that he had been a broker
in this city since 1874, buying and
selling bonds on commission. The ex-
animation of Mr.. Gibson went thor
oughly into the various transactions
he had had with the State officials on
the selling Of State bonds and the OBJ
jections on both sides as to some Of
the testimony.