The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-15
News and Courier, Oct, IL.

News and Courier, Oct, IL.
The graz jury for Charleston
County y ~. in open Court. re-
turned oils" in the cases of
forty y persons against whom evil
de- - nich the Court charged was
=. INT basis for true bills had been
~ >nitted. Judge Bowman immedia-
hy asked whether the jur yintended
to go farther with the other liquor
cases in its hands, remarking that
there was evidently farce somewhere
The foreman of the grand jury, John
p. Devereux. replied that the jury
had not yet voted on this. The mat
ter being put up to Acting Solicitor
Herndon, Mr.. Ierndon answered that
he would suggest, il the jury so desir-
ed. that the jury be permitted to re-
tire and prepare its final presentment.
This was agreed to. Later in the day
the foreman of the grand jury handed
to Mr.. Herndon all the indictments
which had not been acted upon.
about 275.
In statement given to the News
and Courier last night, the Law and
Order League, which instituted the
cases, announced that the grand
jury's action was no surprise and that
the League had played only it's first
and least hopeful card.
One Of the members Of the grand
jury cases, was himself under indict-
ment on this list.
1t is likely that no further indict.
ments will be handed to the present
grand jury. 1t is understood that
large number of cases have been. pre-
pared against gamblers and others
These cases are almost certain not 60
he nrssenssd before next FekruAsoss
when the personnel of the grand jur,s
will have changed. .sa
Representatives of the Law and ,)r-
der League were asked what would be
the effect of the attitude of the grand
jury on the future activity of the
League and gave out the following
statement:
The League has not in any way
been taken by surprise by the refusal
of the grand jury to do it's duty. One
Of the members Of the grand jury was
one of the persons indicted and there
were number of others on the panel
with the lawless elements of the COM
munity. Such expectation of a more
favorable issue as we have had was
because Of the unimpeachable charac-
ters Of some of the men who happened
to be on the panel, and in view of the
fact that the charge of Judge Bow
man practically directed that the
grand jury bring in indictments under
the evidence submitted to them.
However, the net results of the
present situation is to impress upon
the community the state of anarchy
in which we are living. Greater
than the law is the power of organized
iawlessness, which plays with courts
as it plays with laws The Leagues
work has been planned with full rec
ognition of the possibility and even
probability of such situation as
has been developed and will go stead
lily on.
"A number of the men under indict-
ment are also under Supreme Court
injunctions, and one of the first things
TO be considered will be the feasibility
of at once presenting to the Supreme
Court the overwhelming evidence of
violation Of its own DEGREES. The
League shall not be inactive for an
instant and the action of the grand
jury should in the end be a big asset
in the immediate awakening of the
community.
The League has played only it's
first and least hopeful cards. Those
of the community who are looking
to it for definite results will not have
loEg to wait for every concrete and
evidence of the careful
work which has been done and the
far-reaching plans which have been
i'm the making for several months
past"