The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-10-06
TRIAL OF BLACK
Suddenly Ended BY Judge aenniass
crArrg a hshial-
JURY READ A NEWSPAPER

. a Copy Of The State Pound It's We!
Into the Hotel Room Occ1esed b,
Jurors, and One Member Taiset
Through Window 10 One Of HI.
Employees.
: The State OF Saturday morning
, gave the following story OF the triaI
OF John Black. which was b.ough,
; TO an unexpected and sensational
termination Friday: Judge Mem
: minger directed ''nist-ial'' 70 be
written Oh the record on account OF
Jurors having r newspaper contain
ing matter relating 70 the case.
The whole matter is without parallel
In the history OF the courts Of this
State.
| One OF the jprors. J. D. Perry.
lad had verbal Communication with
1.-The clerk In his meat market. c. &.
Dorm. and the latter lad been ar
rested and put in che county jail.
| When court assembled Friday morn
ing. Judge Menminser made "a Of
fcial inquiry into the matter He
hsd questioned Perry and Sessions.
another juror. and was making tn
quiries OF tha foreman. J. David.
when It was brought out in the most
| Unconditional wey that copy OF The
State had been read oy the Jurors
IN the rooms 10 which they we're lock
ed up Wednesday night to keep them
from reading newspapers and other
wise receiving information from the
outside world.
Judge Aenainser was dumbsound-
y. He had asked the question In an
apparently pe.fuoctory manner. sad
the reply was entirely unexpected.
Mr. David was unable to ter much
about the newspaper matter and
Judge Meun!ager hsd every turoc
brought into the court room sep
arately and put through eearch-
Ing ex2min2uOo-
!: was learned that The State
OF that morning contained extracts
from other papers making caustic
reference to the jury which liberated
IL. S. Farnun. and there were also
| pointed comments IN tie editorial
columns OF The State. The head
| lines over the articles detailing the
trial Of John Black were also refer
red 70.
Judge Memu!nser ordered the
jury discharged without pay and he
aeld 10 custody J. D. Perry and c
NJ Dcra until II could i'e deteTmin-
ed what TO do with them. Later they
were discharged from custody. but
were ordered TO be within cell OF toe
court at any time. for Judge MIN
| m.nger will be IN Columbia mex.
week In the civil court and VII! then
announce bis decision
The tria, OF John Black. charged
with bribery. etc. was thus for the
present brought 20 conclusion.
The effect OF Judge Menn:ager's
action will merely mean another t.i-
al. There was speculation as to
whether or not II would not be tanta-
mount to an acqui,tal. techicaily. eus
Attorney General Lyon said that the
horn books Of the Law show that
directing q 'nisrr!al" IN an ener-
geucy OF this kind does not mean
that defendant has had his liberty
pu. in jeopardy before the jury. for
issue was not given TO the jury to
make tina! determination But even
Il the case should be declared TO
| Sc at IN end here. the commonwealth
would have no trouble 20 bring
another.
There has been some speculation
as to what was the attitude OF the
ia-y toward the case. Several ra-
! nors were afoat One was to the
| eSec. that the jury stood to On
the bribery charge. One Intelligent
trro -,old a reporter of The State
that the jury stood to for con-
vic.ion on the bribery charge aud
.ha. 1t was even stronger for COZ
v!c,ion on the corruption aad rebate
cot. It In the Indictment This juror
said there would never have been an
acoui,,al.
Wher the court took recess Ihurs-
ay evening. the prosecution an
bounced It's case closed. The defense
Friday morning would have so-
nounced no witnesses and the a!su-
ments would have started. The
prosecution would have sprung sur
| ,.ise BY having its principal speech
made by Solicitor ". II. Cobb. who
had been too busy with his own
! heavy docket 10 prepare himself IN
the Farnum case.
But as soon as court opened Fri
.ay morning Judge Memm!nge. cal
I!ei before him F. T. Gr!msIey. a
equity sheriff, and inquired into the
| matters OF the night before. Gr!us-
| ley told of a.cest!ns c. II. Dorm and
! A. =. Keith Thursday night on Harp-
:on stree. under the room IN Wright
) hote! occupied by the Jurors IN sh'
!. Black case. Dorm was employed bS
one Of the Jurors. J. D. Perry. and
vas talking 70 him ateus matters
at their meat market.
! Judge Memminger then questioned
; Dorm and Perry and also Juror Ses'
, s;ons. who was in the room with Per'
" at the time The foreman OF the
-E;urv. J. David. was sent for and
while under examination by Judsf
, Nenmioser related the fact that TOE