Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-12-06
Confession Had Been Under Consideration
for week---Step Probably will Save
Necks--.Their Counsel Pleased.
"NO BILL" AGAINST FIELDER.
Judge Gage Delivered Strong Charge
in Answer to Questions.

Newberry, Nov. 29.--Shortly after
hearing an additional charge from
Judge Gage, delivered in response to
an INJURY as to whether they could
take into consideration the expense
to the county and the moral and So
cial effect Of a prosecution Of Thos.
B. Fielder, of Atlanta, for alleged br:
berry In connection with the old State
dispensary affairs, the grand jury in
the Sessions Court here this morning
returned mo bill" in the Fielder case.
The jury had had the bill since Mon
day morning.
1t Is understood that there was
considerable division among the
be made. From the question asked
by the jury, and from other cir ;um-
stances in connection with the con-
sideration Of the bill by them, l.: is
inferred that the jury looked
not alone to the question Of the evi-
dence submitted in support Of the al
legation, but took under considera-
tion the wisdom of prosecution.
Judge Cages Charge.
Judge Gage in replying to the
grand jury's question, said tha: this
case arose "out of that terrible ey-
pertinent which the State was induc-
ed to make some twenty years ago,
and that was an honest effort 70
make respectable a nefarious buSi-
ness, that Of selling liquor to mon.
] trust" he said, "the State has tried
that experiment to it's hearts con-
tent"
He explained the charge in the in
dictment. saying the alleged crime
was charged to have been committed
six years ago. He said the grand
jury was bound to know the public
| history of all these dispensary pros
ecutions, and he gave the jury a
brief history Of the prosecutions and
the results, naming, among the 9TH
crs, the prosecutions against Boykin,
Towi.l and Evans, the three wit
VII Ilc L SllCl Dlll liz DlOScCu-
tion against Evans having been
| brought in the Ncwberry court aud
having been mol pressed by the
State.
With reference to the matter Of
expense, he said:
"If it is true that Fielder offered
these men a bribe, and if the testi-
mony satisfies you that this prOsecu-
tion is in good faith, to vindicate the
law OF the land, you ought to find 4
true bill, no matter what the cX-
pcnse is. But, on the other hand
if the testimony does not so satisfy
you. if you are not satisfied that the
prosecution is for public purposes,
or, to put it differently, if you are
satisfied that the prosecution is not
for the public good and will not end
cretion in the matter; you can eithe:
find no bill, or you can return the bill
to the solicitor unacted upon, Stain. :,
to him that you will not make ans
finding upon 1t, but prefer it to stand
until more satisfactory proof comes
to your hands. But, above all things,
gentlemen, you should make one
thing your pole-star, and unless you
do that you will go wrong. Put be.
hind you every personal consideration
and look to the truth. and the truth
alone, and plant yourselves firmly
upon the truth, and go to that goal to
which the truth leads YOU If you
go at 1t in this spirit and with this
purpose. YOU are bound to reach Il
right conclusion. If you go at it in
any other spirit YOU are bound to
reach wrong conclusion"