The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-02
NEGROES FOUND GUILTY.
Martha Sumter Says All Witnesses
are Liars Except Her.

From The Daily Item, Aug. 90.
Yesterday afternoon Martha Sum-
! ter and Carrie Richardson were tried
together for receiving and storing
whiskey unlawfully. Both entered a
plea of not guilty, but the jury af-
er hearing the evidence in the case,
decided that Martha was guilty Of
the charge and that Carrie was no.,
and verdict to this effect was
brought in. The Recorder then SEN
fenced Martha to pay a fine Of $50 or
to serve 80 days in the county Jail.
The case was a difficult one and
all efforts to put the blame for the
receiving and storing on Carrie were
Intellectual. Martha. on whose prem
ises the liquor was found, was not
so fortunate, for all Of the testimony
except that given by herself and the
members Of her immediate family,
was against her. AS she put 1t. in no
gentle terms "All Of them are liars"
except Policeman A. d. Owens, who
made ;he search and arrest, who was
mistaken In his statement that she
had told him when he first came to
the house that there was no liquor
in the house. She said that he was
the only one who was not lying.
The City was represented in the
case by Mr.. Horace Hardy. while Mr..
-. d. Noise represented Carrie Smith
and l. L. Wood appeared in behalf
of Martha Sumter. The case was be-
gun at 4:30 p. m. and consumed the
rest o. the afternoon.
The evidence brought out at the
trial was as follows. Tom Wilson
had been told by Martha Sumter that
she had ordered whskey In his name
and that she wanted him to go
around to the express Office for it. He
had done this and had engaged Rufus
Dimes. hackman. to take the whiskey
to Martha Sumter's house. Martha
was not there when Rufus arrived.
but he had set the package behind
the door and gone on off. He had
seen Martha at Carrie Smiths house
and had told her that he had placed
the package Of whiskey at her house.
20 which she had answered shortly
that she knew 1t.
Carrie and Martha had later gone
over together to Martha's house and
Martha stated that Carrie had taken
away five quarts Of the whiskey and
left the other seven quarts with her
until some other more convenient
time. Carrie. however, denied this
statement. This was Wednesday af-
ternoon. On Thursday afternoon the
house had been raided by Policeman
owens and the seven quarts OF whisk-
ey had been found in Martha's house
securely wrapped up in a trunk. She
had claimed that the whiskey be-
longed to Carrie Smith which mixed
her up In the case.
There were many things amusing
In the testimony offered by some Of
the witnesses as when Martha stated
with fierce scorn in answer to aues-
tions of Mr.. Hardy that all Of the
other witnesses were liars. Sam sum-
ter Martha's father. was perhaps the
most amusing OF the witnesses. He
told In very grandiloquent way that
Martha had nothing whatever TO do
with the whiskey. He immediately
afterwards confessed that he lived
some distance from Martha and knew
absolutely nothing OF what Martha
did or what went on at her house or
anything at all about the whiskey.
The case was finally brought To a
close and left with the jury. who in
short order found Martha guilty and
, carrie Smith not guilty. Sentence
was then imposed by Recorder Lee