The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-11-28
GENERAL SESSIONS COURT.
Convened MOnday-Will Byrd Sen
ttenced to 80 Years-Henry Car
ter Acquitted-0ther Cases.

Honor, Judge S. w G. Shipp Of Flor
,ence presiding. Solicitor Cooper was
on hand, ready with a number of bills
to be handed to the grand jury. Ste
nographer Dodson was at his post.
Four extra jurors were ordered drawn
by the court to fill the places of mem
bers of the regular panel absent or
excused. The following gentlemen
were drawn: Paul S. Halfacre, Aiken
Feagle, S. w. Brown and T. Roy Sum
mer.
Hagar Wesley, a colored woman,
living in the Broad river section
was the first person tried. She was
charged with assault and battery with
intent to kill on the person of Carrie
Derrick, colored. She claimed self
defense, and the jury accepted her
view of the matter and returned a
verdict of not guilty.
Henry Carter, negro, was acquitted
of the charge of murder. Carter kill
ed Walter Cannon, colored, in Oc-
tober. in the Mount Pleasant section.
He had a very good case of self de-
tense, it being shown that Cannon was
in the act of striking Carter with a
large maui at the time Carter shot,
Hunt, Hunt & Hunter represented the
defendant
Will Byrd, a young negro of Whit
mire, who was charged with serious
crime upon the person of a negro
Girl about nine years of age, several
months ago was convicted with re-
commentator to the mercy of the
court, and was setenced to 80 years
on the chaingang. He was represent
ed by F. W. Fant, Esq.
j. c. Berry and W. V. Bledsoe, young
white men of Silverstreet, were tried
Tuesday on a charge of murder, 1t
being alleged that they killed Dave
Boazman, a negro. in Silverstreet on
September %, 1912. The testimony OF
the State was to the effect that on the
night Boazman was killed, BledsOe
and Berry called him from MS home,
and assaulted him with some blunt
instrument, and that from the wounds
he received death ensued. The de-
PENDANTS contended that they went to
Boazman's house for the purpose OF
trying to make a case against him Tor
selling whiskey, Mr.. Berry being
!. warden of the town of Silverstreet'
and that 9oazman, who was under the
influence of whiskey, assaulted Mr..
Berry, without cause, and that Mr.
Merry hit hm once with a pistol. 1t
twas claimed by the defense that Bled-
soc did not strike the negro The
Jury acquitted the defendants. T9ey
were represented by Blease & Blease,
Luke Johnson, colored, was convict
ed of violating the dispensary law,
he having sold one pint of whiskey to
), young white man. The jury, owing
Ito his old age and had health, recon-
mended Johnson to mercy, and ne
was setenced 10 se~ve four months,
the sentence to be suspended on the
payment of the sum of twenty-five
dollars. Johnson paid the fine and
was released.
Elias Worthy, colored, was convict
ed in his absence of selling whiskey.
developed afterward that the So
Iicitor had agreed with Worthy's at
torney that the case would not be
6ed at this time and Mr.. Cooper
Try promptly and properly agreed
hat the negro should have a new
rial.
The following cases have been con-
fnued to the next term of court:
Hagood Brown, charged with muir
der; John Boyce, charged with mur-
der: Bill Spearman, charged with
murder; Sam Simms, violation of dis
spensary- law; George Freeman, vio-
lion Of dispensary law; O. J. Havird,
leach of trust.
The following cases were mol pross-
on terms:
Sesson Davis, selling cocaine, on
he payment Of $50; Frank Davis,
Selling cocaine, on the payment Of
Y 500: D. F. Sawyer, violation dispen-
sary law, on the payment of S75; John
Burton, violation Of dispensary law,
ION 6s payment of sIOO; John Butler,
on of dispensary law, on the
nj of 500; John c. Hipp, two
of assault and battery with in
to kill, on the payment Of $50;
ia HiII. violation Of disDen sarr