Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-03-20
pREsEN1MENT OF GRAND JURY
Suggestion to Magistrates-Recom
mend Change in Law to Kill Tigers.

Last Friday the grand jury made
It's final term presentment to the
Court Of General Sessions. We pub
lish below the document in full:
The State Of South Carolina,
County of Oconee.
TO His Honor r. w. Memminger,
Judge Presiding at the Spring
Term of Court:
We have carefully considered and
passed upon all bills of indictment
handed us by the Solicitor.
We have appointed from our body
special committees to inquire into
the public affairs Of the county
Offices and officers and to report to us
at the summer term Of the Court.
We find some Magistrates have
sent up cases and given number of
witnesses to prove the charge who
have testified before us, that abso-
lutely know nothing material going
to substantiate the charge, while in
other cases an unnecessary number
same fact. We would recommend
that they he admonishcd to. exercise
more care in their investigations,
and bind over as witnesses only such
as they ascertain to be material.
We would call attention to the
dangerously unsanitary condition OF
tho water closets on the first floor Of
the Court House building. They are
at present unfit for use, and a men,
ace to the health Of the officers and
the public.
We have been impressed at this
term OF the Court Of the time that
has been consumed in the considera-
tion of dispensary cases and the great
array of witnesses brought here at
considerable expense to the county.
TO avoid this consumption Of time
and expense we recommend that the
Legislature be asked to change the
law SO as to give the Magistrate ju-
risdiction of these cases. In our
humble opinion it is the certainty
and promptness Of punishment ra-
ther than the severity of it that de-
ters criminals from the commission
Of crime, and we believe the Magis-
trates whose offices are open at all
times for the trial of cases in a cheap
way can more certainly. and speedily
mete out punishment in this class of
offenses. 1t might be said when the
law was new and little understood
that only the Circuit Court could an-
terpretsaiId%e ENFORCE eft But nov tliaT
we all have become so familiar with
1T and 1T has been so frequently in
terpreted and made plain by the
Court, it cannot be said that Magis-
trates are incompetent to enforce it,
but on the contrary the Magistrate
can better enforce 1t than the Cir
cult Court, because violators fined
in one case they cannot renew the
business and make enough between
the terms Of the Sessions Court to
pay the fine put upon them, or to be
put upon them, and leave a profit
besides. If the Magistrate tries, con-
Victs and fines the violators to-day
and enters upon the business to-mor-
row, he can try, convict and fine and
so on until the blind tiger is put out
OF business entirely. Therefore, we
earnestly urge this change in the law
because 1t will make it's enforcement
not only cheaper, but more effective
We have had number Of trivial
complaints affecting the parties in
terested rather than the general pub
nc handed to us, upon which we
nave declined to take any action, as
the parties have their remedies in
the Magistrates Courts Of the county.
Thanking your Honor and the off,
GERS of the Court for the courtesies
extended to us in the DISCHARGE of
our duties, we now ask to be eX-
cused from further attendance at this
term OF the Court.
Respectfully submitted,
c. r. d. Burns, Foreman.
Walhalla, S. c., March IS. 1912.