The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-09-11
SESSIONS COURT
CONVENED MONDAY
Judge r. Withers Memmin-
ger Presiding.
RECESS TAKEN
FOR ELECTION
TWO Cases Tried Monday, Resulting
In Acsuittai In both Cases. Dockes
Is Crowded and 1t Is Hardly Prob
able that the Courts Business will,
be Finished.

The fall term Of the Court Of Con.
eral Sessions convened Monday morn
ing with Judge II. Withers Memminge.
presiding. All of the other onicerp
were In their usual places. After the
court had been organized, Judge Mem.
mlngtr made the last presentment q
the year to the grand jury. The mex
grand jury will be new one, with the
exception of the six hold-overs. The
prescntment of Judge Memminge,
was along the usual lines, with tho
exception of that part which dwell
with the treatment of the county's
prisoners. He charged the Jurors
that they should pay especial atten
ton to the treatment of the convicts
"a prisoners in the care of the sher-
III. He dwelt at length upon the new
and universally adopted idea in the
treatment of prisoners, whereby they
are looked upon more as public charg.
es to be uplifted by the state, rather
than drudges to be made ootcasts of
The idea in prison reform today, ho
said was to treat the prisoners kind
lier and more humanely with the OBJ
Ject In view Of making them better
citizens when they come oht of the
prison than when they went in. As
an instance of this progressive move
ment, Judge Memminger mentioned
the state rcformatoyy for boys, located
at Florence, s. c., where the younee.
prisoners and woud-De criminals are
sent for correction and leadership. A.
another instance of this is the new
law recently passed. by which the
county is enabled to either keep al
prisoners on the chain gang or senC
them to the state penitentiary as the
county officials may see fit. In some
cases it is better for the health an,
better protection of the prisoners
Sesd them to the state penltentiar,
and then for the same reasons 1t l.
better to send other prisoners to tn
county chain gang. South Carolin
he said, has not taken up the new ide
with the rapidity Of other states an
cOustrieS but Is introducing new
methods by degrees
A large number of prisoners ar
either in Jail or out on bond at thi
time and ready for trial. 1t is possi
BILE that the solicitor will ask for
extra term to be held later In the yea
Two cases were tried Monday, bot
resulting in an acquittal. The frs
was that Of Cornelius Edwards, whit
accused OF assau and battery with in
tent to kill. Edwards had some trou
bic with one Of his negro employee
on his farm and shot him after word
We're passed. He was acquitted on tn
plea Of self defense John Richardso
colored. was acquitted Of the chare
Of murder the jury remaining out bu
a short time. Richardson killed IN
wife with magazine pistol Will
standing in the door Of their Ow
home. He claimed that he was Oilin
the pistol and putting it in good cor
ditiOn, when it accidentally explode
the bullet hitting his wife who VIZ
standing by him. She died in a fe,,
moments after the shot was fired TIL
state attempted to show that i'll feelin
had existed between the two for som
time and that the killing was premeC
itated and intentional. The old negr
made a strong witness in his own be
half and convinced the jury that tn
pistol was accidentally exploded.
Court adjourned Monday afternoo
to convene again this morning, in or
der to allow the Jurors and witnesse
to go home to vote.