The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-11
\. |. B. WELLS ARRESTED.
GRAND JURY MAKES Special
PRESENTMENT CONCERN.
ING Ills MANNER OF
LIVING.
Is Arrested OH Bench Warrant Char~-
ing Serious OfYcnsc-Rill Given to
Grand Jury I'm Case but Has not
Been Rcturncd-Magistrate Wells
willing to Stand Trial and Conf
dent of Acquittal by Il Jury.

i -
Magistrate III. l.. B. Wells was ar
rested Wednesday morning on a
bench warrant issued on the receipt
OF a special presentment in which his
| alleged mode of living was made the
special subject matter. The arrest
was made by Deputy Sheriff ]. D.
Epperson and Rural Policeman Sam
Newman, and Judge Wells was held
In the sheriff's office the greater part
OF the morning until the amount of
bond could be fixed and he was Civ
en- an opportunity of putting it up.
This was done shortly before court
adjourned for it's dinner recess, bond
being fixed at 5000.
Magistrate Wells when asked for a
statement expressed himself as -
ling to stand trial, although he .elt
much hurt that such a charge was
made against him, saying that while
he was confident that any jury would
acquit him of the offense charged, he
would never get over the fact that he
had been charged with it. He said
that there was nothing else to do
when such a charge was made except
to stand trial and he would do SO, he
had never run yet and he would not
co so now. He has secured Davis
ID. Noise, ESQ.,, as his attorney.
Wednesday morning the grand
Jiry made a special presentment re-
ferring to Magistrate Wells alleged
mode Of living. The presentment
asked that he be arrested and an in
vestigatiOn be made of his conduct.
which was unbecoming an officer.
1t was alleged in the presentment
that he was, or had been, living in
adultery with negro woman by the
name of Martha Bennett. The pre-
sentiment is as follows:
TO His Honor, T. $. Sease, Presiding
Judge, Fall Term, 1918:
We the grand jury of Sumter
county beg leave to present the fol-
lowing Especial presentment:
1t having come to our ears that II.
l.. b. Wells, a magistrate of Sumter
County. has been acting in manner
entirely unbecoming an officer of
law in that he ha. for some time past
been living in adultery with a color
ed woman by the name of Martha
Bennett.
That his conduct in this way has
been the cause of a number of rows,
both in the city OF Sumter, as we'll
as in the county of Sumter,
That the following named persons
have knowledge Of these things:
John r. Sumter, A. II. Barber w. w.
Mckagen, j. II. Forbes, j. III. Law
renee, John M. Barwick, w. Il. Ly-
nam, w. j. McKain, Mat Ramsey, j.
ID. Epperson j. ID. Chandler and pos
sibly others.
we believe that this matter should
be thoroughly aired in the court and
that If the charges made by these
persons are proven that Magistrate
Wells should be removed from Of
flee and punished.
Respectfully submitted,
Il. f.. ESTRIDGE,
Oct. s, 1913. Foreman.
1t is reported that the woman,
Martha Bennett, mentioned in the
presentment and in the Indictment
as living i'm adultery with Magistrate
Wells is now living in Washington, ID.
c., she having left for that place sew
eral weeks ago, shortly after a row
caused by their alleged intimate re-
latiOns.