The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-08
COURT MAKES FINE PROGRESS,
CHARGE GIVEN BY JUDGE DE-
VCRE ONE OF THE FINEST
EVER DELIVERED IN
COURT HOUSE.
Many Points Brought out in Charge to
Grand Jury-Chan2CS OF Jurors.-
Appealed Cases Dismissed.

morning with one of the finest charges
to the Grand jury that has ever been
delivered in the city, after which he
got down TO work and excellent prog
ress was made during the balance of
the morning, several OF the appeals Of
the blind tiger cases from the Re-
corder's court being heard and dis
missed.
Judge DeVore opened his charge to
the Grand jury by stating that it was
the first time that he had ever held
court in the city and he then went on
TO the main feature OF his charge. He
started out by saying that almost all
of the heinous crimes We're committed
by vagrants and he thought that the
attention of the officers of the law and
the public ought to be brought to this
fact and that they ought-the officers
Of the law-to be very strict in their
enforcement Of the Vagrancy law.
He went on to read the law, comment
ing on it in many particulars and say
ing that there were comparatively few
persons who knew who vagrants
were. He said that one Of the worst
objections to a town of this size and to
its police protection was that in al
most all cases the police force was
10 of
cipal street and in the business sec
tiOns of the town, where ii anyone
got in trouble he could call a friend
TO help him, while in the residence
sections Of the city where policemen
were needed to protect women and
children they could not be found. He
brought out great many points along
this line that were both interesting
and we'll taken. He stated that in
Lexington a vagrant was a thing sell
dom seen, because of the fact that
the officers were accustomed to en-
force the law against them so very
strictly. The State law as TO who a
vagrant is, read by Judge DeVore, is
to he found in Sec. 499. criminal Code
of State laws and is a follows:
"All persons wandering from place
to place, without any known residence,
or residing in any city, county or
town, who have no visible or known
means of gaining a fair, honest and
reputable livelihood; all suspicious
persons going about the country
swapping or hartering horses, with
out producing certificate OF his or
their good character. signed by a
Magistrate Of the county from which
said person last came); likewise all
persons who acquire livelihood by
gambling or horse racing, without any
other visible means Of gaining a live
lihood; all Keepers Of gambling tables,
faro banks, or other banks whatsoever
used fOr gaming known under any
other denomination; also, all persons
who lead idle and diScrd -rly lives;
all who knowingly harbor horse
thieves and felons, and those who are
known t. be of that character and de-
scriptiOn; liil'NNiSn all persons not fol-
lowing sOmn haudicralt, trade ov
profession, or not having some known
or visible means OF livelihood, who
shall be able to work, aQd occupying
or being i'm possession Of some piece
Of land shall not cultivate such a
quantity thereof as snail he deemed
by the magistrate to be nee
eSsary for the maintenance OF him
self and his family; also, all persons
representing publicly or Tor gain or
reward, without being fully licensed,
any play comedy, tragedy, ipterlude
or farce, or other entertainment Of
fortune tcllers for fee or reward, ard
all sturdy besgars, are and shah be-
deemed Migrants, and upon convict
ion thereof before court Of maSis-
tratc shall le fined in sum not eN-
cccding one hundred dollars or thirty
daS Imprisonment"
The following jurors were excused
cor cause; Il. w. Green, J. T.. Ken
ncdy, w. $. Thompson T.. Il. Du-
Rant and to take their place to I'LL,
the panel the following jurors were
drawn: G.. w. Ilutcheson, Ncil
o'Donncn. =. Il. May. II. j. Winburn,
W. j. Scale, l.. r. White. {. W. King
man and J. NJ. Hardy.
9. G. Tweed and +. !. Ncardon
V.rc mcapacitatcd from sitting upon
t'r grand jury and H. l.. Withvrspo"n
aud II. V. Walsh were substituted in
their place.
The roster Of cases on tho docket
was then taken up ana the follow