The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-11
THE SESSIONS COURT
CONVENED MONDAY
JUDGE FRANK b. GARY, OF ABBE
VILE, PRESIDING.
Importance of Education Stressed in
His Charge to Grand Jury-Duty
to Put Down Blind Tigers.

The summer term of the general ses-
sions court convened On Monday morn
ing, with Judge Frank B. Gary, of Abb
beville, presiding. Judge Gary was
elected by the last legislature to fill
the unexpired tenn of the late Judge
hlu,h as judge OF this, the Eighth judi
cial ,ircLil He is Of u distinguished
family OF able judges, Chief Justice
l-lge... l.. Gary and Circuit Judge
L..ne~, Cry beng his brothers.
Judge Gary, by his ability and inn
p:.rtia .sy in the discharge of his du-
ties, !. making all enviab.e reputation
O., the. bench. AS member of the bar,
he was one OF the leaL-ng attorneys at
Abbeville, noted for it's able lawyers,
and he mas bl ought to the high posi-
ton Re holds experience and leaI alng
in the law, judicial temperament, and
4 deep selse of justice and right,
which. have already distinguished him
as a judge.
IL tie g:and jurors answered to
tneic i.&.-.os on IMonuay morning, and
,35 of the 36 petit jurors were present.
Solicitor R. A. Cooper handed out
several bills of indictment.
Judge Gary was brief in his charge
to the grand jury, but it was a clear
and direct charge.
He said he presumed the judge who
presided over the first term this year
instructed them as to their general du-
ties, and if this was true it would re-
lieve him of the necessity of an ex-
tended charge along this line. The i'm
portance of the office of grand juror,
however, he said, could not be too
strongly or too often stressed. These
duties he referred to. He took up the
oath of a grand juror, and explained it
clearly and concisely.
He said in his judgment one of the
most potent factors in the commission
of crime is ignorance or illiteracy. 'It
is therefore your duty, if you think as
do, to do whatever you can to promote
the public schools of your county. If
any conditions exist that ought not to
exist, it is your duty to make it known,
in order that they may be corrected.
1t has been said that there is nothing
more expensive than ignorance, moth
ing that is cheaper than education. At
any rate, that is. one of the matters
that come under your supervision
the promotion of the public schools of
your county"
"There is another thing, in my judg-
ment," said Judge Gary, "that is at
the bottom of the great wave Of crime
that is sweeping over this country, and
it is the drinking of this chemically
prepared blind tiger whisky. Now,
whatever you may think about drinking
whiskey has nothing to do with it;
whatever you may think about the dis
pensary law has nothing to do with
it; but if in your judgment the drink
ing of this chemical stuff is deleterious
to the health of the citizen; if it is
causing crime to be committed, it is
your duty to take such steps as will
put stop to it. For that reason l
think you ought to turn your attention
to doing away with what are called
blind tigers. 1t is not Whiskay that
they are selling; it is some chemical
compound that never saw still. 1t
not only inevitably kills the man that
drinks it, but while ne is drinking it, it
puts him in condition to kill his neigh
Dor and he does kill his neighbor. So if
there can be a stop put to it, it ought
to be done. The county is looking to
you to put stop to it.
Generally" said Judge Gary, 81
would say it is your duty to do and
recommend whatever in your judgment
will promote the peace and good or
! der of the community Crime is against
society, and it is punished for the pro-
! lection of society, rather than to re-
dress the wrongs of the victim. And
every man has an interest in the pun
ishment of crime. This is, by the ex-
perience of the world, found to be the
best way to stop crime-to punish the
man who commits it. 1t has deter
rent effect upon others, and that is
why courts are organized to punish
men who have committed crime-in