The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1913-06-11
Court Proceedings.

The regular summer term of the
court of general sessions for Lexington
county convened on Monday morning
with the Hon. Hayne F. Rice, OF
Aiken, Judge Presiding. All Of the
court officials were at their respective
post of duty and it was not long be-
fore the "wheels of justice" began to
grind. There was little delay, how
ever, caused by the absence of few
members of the grand jury, who were
delayed in reaching the court house
on account of the excessive rains.
Judge Rice, in a brief, concise and
clear manner, charged the members
of the grand jar as to the law cover
ing the several cases as they we're
handed out by the solicitor for the
consideration of the grand jury. He
did not, however, charge them as to
their general duties, taking it for
granted, he said, that their duty along
this line had been fully laid out and
explained at the organization of the
grand jury at the beginning of the
new year.
The first case called for trial Mon
day was that of the State against Sid
Taylor, negro, charged with assault
and battery with intent to kill, it be-
ing alleged that he fired a pistol at
former Sheriff P. H. Corley when
that officer went to arrest him some
weeks ago. Ex-Sheriff Corley went
to "round-up'' gang of negro gam
blers near Cayce and Taylor happened
to be in the bunch. The negro had
neither witnesses nor an attorney
and he appeared as stranger III a
strange land.". When arraigned he.
pleaded his Innocence and with an
unusual degree of cunning he chal-
lenged a number of jurors as their
names were called. He also took
shot at every witness that took the
witness stand against hiI, with the
exception of Ex-Sheriff Corley, his
accuser. Solicitor Zimmerman SUBJ
mitted the States case to the jury
without argument, but Taylor pre-
ferred to speak, and in a brief way he
told the jury that he was not the man
who fred the shot. The jury remained
in their room a short while when they
returned with verdict of guilty.
Judge Rice postponed sentence until
later in the week.
At the conclusion of the Taylor case
Solicitor Zimmerman called next the
case of the State against r. 81. Har-
ley, white man, charged with assault
and battery with intent to kill, it be.
ing alleged that he fred a load OF shot
in the body of Vastine Jeffcoat while
Jeffcoat was cutting splinter from
ligh,wood stump near his home in tie
lower part Of the county on the 31st
day of December, last year. Several
witpesses appeared for both the State
and the defense. The defense endeav.'
ored to- prove an alibi, number OF.
witnesses, among them son and
daughter of the accused, testifying
that Harley was at his home at the
very moment and hour it was alleged
that he shot at Jeffcoat. The case
was not concluded until Tuesday
morning when verdict of not guilty
was rendered. Solicitor Zimmerman
represented the State while Col. E. L.
Asbill, OF Leesville, appeared for the
accused.
John Geiger and Collie Major, two
negroes from Cayce, were next placed
on trial, charged with assault and
battery with intent to kill, it being
alleged that they shot another negro
on Saturday night several weeks ago.
Geiger was found guilty, but Major
was acquitted. T. O. Callison repre-
sented Major and F. G. Bigby, of Co.
lumbia, appeared for Geiger.
At the conclusion of this case Geiger
was Immediately placed on trial upon
another charge of violation of
the dispensary law. Five witnesses
testified on the part of the State while
Geiger was content to 60 to the jury
without any evidence in his behalf.
Solicitor Zimmerman addressed the
jury briefly on the part of the State
and Mr.. F. G. Bigby, of Columbia,
closed for the defendant. 1t took the
jury less than five minutes to write
it's verdict of guilty" In both cases
Judge Rice postponed sentence until
later in the week.
Arthur Fogle, a negro: pleaded
guilty to the charge of taking and
,oipo O ,,onle the nrnpertv of Mr.