The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-08-06
Got Paid for Beating.

Got PAID LOT bedtln9.
We are printing in another column
today story clipped by reader OF
The Record from its issued of No
vember 27, 1918, in which The Pee
Dee Advocate gave the particulars
of the pardon of Joe E Hinson, con-
,icted of aggravated assault and
battery in Marlboro county, before
Hinson had begun to serve his SEN
tence. Hinson was rural police
man, who was charged with shoot
ing Walter Pruitt, beating E B Bar
Der over the head with a pistol,
punching O B Moye and Mrs Moye
in the stomach with pistols While
Mrs Move was in a delicate condi-
ton, entering the Moyes' room and
lying across their bed and child in a
drunken stupor, befouling their bed
clothing and room and cursing and
abusing Mrs Barber, and other out
rageous conduct during night
which he spent at the home of + b
Barber"
Hinson was tried only on one of
the indictments, convicted and his
pardon prevented further procedure.
Since this story of Hinson's par
don was first told by The Pee Dee
Advocate and reprinted in The Co.
lumbia Record Governor Blease has
made his report of his reasons for
pardoning Hinson in his annual par
don message for 1914. Turning to
page l72 of the Reports and Reso-
lutions of the General Assembly,
for 1914, which includes the Gov
ernor's report of his pardon record
for 1913, we find that Hinson was
sentenced to serve six months upon
the public works." without the al
tentative of fine.
1t seems or was suggested by Gov
ernor Blease that E B Barber, the
victim of Hinson's assault, had an
indemnity bond of some sort against
accident, manning, or the like, from
which it would appear that he re-
ceived S700 because of the injuries
received. At least this is the ex-
cuse Governor Blease vaguely offers
in his report for pardoning Hinson.
Governor Blease says:
In view of the fact that the
prosecutor received the money
above mentioned, and the de-
fendant having lost his position
of rural policeman on account
of the conviction, | think his
punishment has been more
than sufficient, and that the
prosecutor has been fully
paid for the beating that he
got.
Here, then, is the proposition
coolly offered by the Governor of
South Carolina, that a rural police
man can beat un a citizen, and if
the citizen, by reason of his injuries,
receives an indemnity from some
accident or other insurance COM
pany the convicted man is to 90 free
because, in the Governors opinion,
the prosecutor has been fully
paid for the beating he got"
This logic, of course, eliminates
the State as a party to all criminal
prosecutions. Crimes in South Car
olina are henceforth private affairs
between the persons concerned. If
q man is set upon and beaten up
and is paid for it, it cures everything
so far as the State is concerned.
And the man who does the beating
up is exonerated even though he
does not pay the money. He is ex-
onerated if his victim receives COM
pensation on an accident insurance
policy for which he has paid his
own money.
By the same logic, any man who
carries life insurance in South Caro-
lima may be murdered with perfect
impunity. If his family receive the
money on his policy they are fully
paid for the death of the husband
and father and the murderer should
60 scot free.
How long is South Carolina to
have such idiotic drivelings spread
upon her records as the output of
her highest executive ofice?-1he
Columbia Record.