The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-12-13
Card from Policeman Madden.
Editor The Advertiser:

Editor The Advertiser:
In justice to myself wish to make
known few facts concerning the case
of the State against j. H. Madden.
charged with selling a pistol.
On or about September 2, 1911, Mr..
e. r. Bryson offered to sell to one
Florence Jeter, colored, a pistol. The
deal was not closed at that time, and
later in the day, Mr.. Bryson found
that his pistol was missing. He i'm
mediately came to me and asked that
go down and arrest Florence Jeter,
as he, Florence, had stolen his pistol.
Ihis was on Saturday night. explain
ed to Mr. Bryson that if the negro
was arrested that | would have to
make MYSELF responsible for his care
and safe keep until the following Mon
day and while | perhaps did not eX-
plain to Mr.. Bryson. Saturday night
and S&nGay 9re bnav timcs wiki rural
police, Otter being called from home
in the discharge of their duties but
told Mr. bryson that | would make
q thorough investigation of the matter.
and arrest the negro ON the following
Monday If circumstances pointed to
his guilt There was doubt IL nv
mind rs to the negro being guilty. Mr..
w. T.. Crisp, by whom the negro was
emil ovct had already agreed to hold
him self responsible for the ncqro's
a"GcTnTcc ca NoDdev morning. and
ali this was explained to Mr.. Bryson. !
Mr. BYson insisted that | arrest the
negro and surn him over to him and
others. told him that | could not
do that.
Later a warrant was sworn out be-
fore Magistrate j. NJ. Goodman and the
negro arrested and compromise eff /
fccted by Mr.. Crisp, in which case he
paid to Mr.. Bryson $500 for the loss
of his pistol. All this was on Satur.
day, September 2nd. On Monday fol-
lowing, one Luther Young, colored,
confessed that he stole the pistol and
it was delivered to Mr. Bryson.
Now understand that Mr.. f. r.
Bryson has said many hard things
against me because of the stand /
took in this matter, but did my duty
just and right, as | saw it, and only
mention these facts to show the feel
ing that exists toward me by certain
parties in this community.
Now this brings me up to the state
ment OF j. NJ. Goodman, magistrate,
Mountville, S. c., in the last issue of
The Laurens Advertiser. know moth
Ing of the fine imposed by Goodman on
Doc Brown, except what Brown told
me himself, he having told me more
than once that he paid $1,000, and I
have his, Browns, sworn statement
to that effect. still contend that
Goodman anC his constable, packed
the jury box with my enemies at my
trial at Mountville. S. G. Two OF said
men having already confessed to me
that they contributed to a fund to en-
ploy lawyer to prosecute me- An
other Of said men, selected by Judge
Goodman, to sit on my case, solicited
funds from negro gamblers, violators
of the law, to prosecute me, and +
have been told that the old Judge him
self made little tip in the interest of
this anti-Madden campaign fund.
In presenting my grounds for change
OF venue to Mr.. Goodman, he seemed
wrought up" and said, that he would
fgger against me in the next trial
himself.
The pistol that was prosecuted for
selling, was one that / took from Bill
lie Johnson. and afterward borrowed
from the sheriff, and not the pistol +
took from Doc Brown, as appears in
Mr.. Goodman's article.
j. H. Madden