The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1913-01-22
JElER CONVICTED
Sentenced to Serve Two Years
in the Penitentiary.
THREATENS LIVES OF OFFICERS
Court of General Sessions Adjourns
Sine Die Amid a Dramatic Incident.
Jeter Swore He Would Not Go to
Jail, But He Went Anyhow.
r. D. Haltiwanger.

r. D. Haltiwanger.
The court of general sessions for
Lexington county, January term, came
to close on Thursday morning, when
Judge Frank B. Gary sentenced Jacob
B. Jeter, convicted Of assault and
battery with intent to kill, to the State
penirentiarv for periop of two years
Richard Harley, white man, was
acquitted of the charge of seooting
into his wife's house, after a trla
lasting less than two hours. Harley
was represented by attorney 3. l..
Asbill.
There was more business transacted
at this term of court than ever before
known in the history of the county
for so short period. It is understood
that the fines received will about pay
the expenses of the court, besides six
prisoners have been sent to the chain
gang.
Jacob 3. Jeter, the Swansea white
man who was convicted of assault
and battery, was this sentenced to
serve term of two years at hard
labor in the State penitentiary by
Judge Frank B. Gary, without the
alternative of paying a fine and with
out the alternative of serving his
sentence on the public works of Lex
ington county.
Before sentence was passed Col. j.
Brooks Wingard asked the court to
make the sentence in the alternative
and be as reasonable as possible, so
that the defendant might be able to
raise the fine. Judge Gary stated
that he had given the case careful con
sideration, and, while he was not in
clined to be hard on the defendant,
he felt that society should be pro-
tected.
In passing sentence Judge Gary said
that it was his information that Jeter
was the first man to receive executive
clemcncy from Gov. Blease and that
he had not taken advantage of the
clemency extended him by the chief
magistrate. He felt that society should
be protected, he said, and that Jeter's
wife who had stood by her husband
during the trial with such remarkable
zeal, would be protected.
Jeter has given the Lexington Of
fcers much trouble since his release
from the pentientiary nearly two
years ago. Last night he swore that
he would not be locked up in the
county jail and made an attack on
Sheriff Sim j. Miller. Jeter had a
pint bottle containing whiskey in his
pocket and when Sheriff Miller went
to search him Jeter protested, and at
tempted to strike the officer with the
bottle, at the same time grabbing the
sheriff by the collar. Sheriff Mile,
drew his pistol and wrenched himsell
free.
Sheriff Miller lost no time in car,
rying Jeter to the penitentiary and
left with the man as soon as the
proper orders were passed, Jeter i.
said to have made threat against the
Isle of Solicitor George Bell Thinner,
mau. During the speech Of the solic,
itor yesterday afternoon Sheriff Mil
Ter sat near the prisoner, and kept his
bailiffs nearby in anticipation of any
attempt by Jeter to carry out his al
legged threat.
This is Jeter's second term in the
psnitentiary, he having served about
eight years Of life sentence for mur.
der, for having killed a man on the
streets of Union some years ago.
Soon after his release from the
penitentiary Jeter visited his mother
and sister at Swansea and is alleged
to have stolen great many articles
from their home. The articles were
afterwards recovered by P. H. Corley
then sheriff of this county, and a war.
rant was issued for Jeter's arrest
After remaining in Jail for few days
upon the signing of an agreement that
he would never again visit his rela.
tives' home, and upon the further
promise that he would no; 90 back i,
the vicinity of Swansea, his relatives
agreed not prosecute the case.
In its presentment yesterday the
grand jury attached the agreement
to its report, authorizing the solicitor
to push the prosecution against Jete,
on the charge of larceny from his
motheI ID sister, in that Jeter had
violated nis signed pledge.
At the onclusion Of the Jeter case
Judge Gary ordered the adjournment