Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-01-10
cHEAPNESS OF HUMAN LIFE.
Legal Proceedings That Seem Little
Short of Farcical.

r. NJ. Bateman, indicted as acceS-
sorry to the murder of Eddie Bossard,
who was shot to death at the railway
station in Sumter on Christmas even
ing by J. w. Harper, has been granted
bail. According to the story told by
the witnesses at the inquest, Bateman
claimed to have been insulted by a
colored hackman named Bossard on
Christmas morning. That evening he
and Harper went to the station to-
gether. Harper approached Eddie
Bossard, a brother of the man with
whom Bateman said he had the diff
Guilty, and demanded to know why he
had insulled Bateman. The boy dis
claimed having done so. Thereupon,
it was testified, Harper cursed the ne
gro and shot him with pistol, in
fiicting a mortal wound.
This man Harper has not yet been
apprehended, although it is stated that
he has employed an attorney and has
announced through the latter that he
will surrender himself in due time,
giving as his reason for delaying to
do so the fact that he is poor man
and fears that he might have to stay
in jail"
Passing over the fact that no man
able to hire a lawyer would seem to
be warranted in coming 10 such a con-
clusion in South Carolina at the pres
ent time, the situation which is here
presented is truly amazing.
According to the testimony adduced
at the inquest, the killing of Bossard
was apparently unprovoked, but, aside
from that, are men who shoot others
down in South Carolina. to be per-
mitted TO consult their own conven-
fences as to when and how they shall
deliver themselves into the hands of
the law?
When a grave crime is committed
and the offender escapes, the officers
Of the law owe it to the public to
show that they have exhausted all
their resources to apprehend the fu-
gitive. Has that been done in the
present instance? 1t would not seem
so when, as it appears, the manslayer
has been in communication with a
sworn officer of the court. and yet
announces his intention of remaining
at large until he is ready for trial.
But there is still another side to this
case, and it invites attention. AS has
been printed, Bateman, indicted as an
accessory TO the crime with which
Harper stands charged as principal.
was granted bail Thursday night by
Justice Eugene Gary, Of the state
supreme court, in the sum of $4,000.
This action was taken over the protest
of the solicitor Of the circuit in which
the alleged murder occurred. Sup
Elementary to these proceedings we
quote the following from the Man
ming correspondence of the Sumter
to, hoo Loo
Friday afternoon:
Judge John S. Wilson, of the 3rd
judicial circuit, heard a motion on
Monday for bail for r. NJ. Bateman
Of Sumter, charged with completely
in the murder of Bossard. the young
cOlored hack driver. Solicitor Philip
II. Stoll. for the state, and Capt. W..
G. Davis for the defendant. The judge
requested additional affidavits so the
motion was withdrawn for the time
so as to allow the counsel to obtain
them"
Were these additional atfidavits OBJ
tanned? If so, why was the motion
not renewed before Judge Wilson? If
not, why was application made afresh
to Justice Gary?
Moreover, while we would not as
sert that Rateman was not entitled to
bail. since facts may have been pre-
sented to the court of which we are
not informed, we have read the testi-
mOny as given at the inquest, and in
it's light and as a matter of ordinary
common sense. we venture the opinion
that either Bateman. the alleged ac-
cessory. was not entitled to bail at all.
or else his bail should have been fixed
at a lower sum than that Of the mem
Der Of the bar who is charged with
having shot down a fellow townsman
at Pranchville few weeks ago, fol-
lowing quarrel, and who was re-
leased from custody by Justice Gary
also in the sum of $4,000 bail.
All this is the aftermath of Christ
mas day killing-and the end is not
yet,-News and Courier.