The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-10-26
SENTENCES GIVEN THE
MANY BLIND TIGERS"
JUDGMENTS IN THE CHARLESTON
LIQUOR CASES.
Portions of Sentences Imposed by the
Presiding Judge-Great Inter-
est Manifested.


ly storing liquor by Judge Mendel l..
Smith in the court of general sessions
yesterday. Sentences were so imposed,
however, that the larger part Of each
was suspended and the defendant was
given the option of serving the re-
mainder or paying nominal amount
Of money The greatest sum anyone
was given the option of paying was
$3.50.
The leniency of the sentences took
many by surprise and the comments Of
the citizens were varied. Some thought
that he had not been harsh enough;
others seemed to be little confused in
regard to the suspended sentence part.
This was done for the express pur-
pose of giving the defendants another
chance, and at the same time to fix it
so that they would not continue in the
business, on pain of1nmediate with
\ drawal of the suspended sentence.
Crowd in the Court Room.
There was a crowd present in the
room when court opened. There was
an air of tension present, everybody
wondering what would the sentence
be?" The defendants appeared to be
nervous and there was many an anX-
ious look at some fellow defendant
Everyone was still and there was lit
tie talking. that little being carried on
in whispers for the most part, Wouli
the judge give the maximum, the min
imum or medium sentence was what
seemed to concern all.
At 10 o'clock his honor entered the
room and, following the usual custom,
everybody rose. He calmly took his
seat and after the court had been
y called to order asked if all the defend
ants were present The clerk called
off thelnames of those pleading guilty.
Thirty-seven out of the thirty-nine
were present, George Anthony and
Constan H. Christopolo being absent.
Both came in later. During this pro-
ceeding the tension grew.
Judge Smith looked up, rustled few
papers and said that he did not intend
giving a lecture, but that the defend
ants stood before him "as a tribute to
change in conditions" He an
nounced that he did not intend being
so severe and harsh as they might
think and as part of the community
did think.
Immune For Many Years.
For more than twenty years, ne said,
the defendants had been granted al
msst absolute immunity from inter
ference in their business of unlaWfully
dealing in controband. No proceedings
had been gone through with to show
them that they were wrong. In such
an atmosphere, he said, he could well
imagine that many believed that they
we're not doing wrong. He cited in
stances where officials of the city some
time ago testified as to the exact num-
Der of Illicit liquor dealers in Charles
ton. Judge Smith remarked that they
had been operating practically under
license system. For him to crush them
On account of the change of sentiment,
he. thought, would not be exactly right.
However, the judge continued, they
could not blame him if he took steps
Ito prevent a repetition of the practice
in the future. They could not sustain
the argument that because they did
wrong in the past they should be al
lowed to do wrong in the future, he
pointed out. He stated that he in
tended taking advantage of q statute
allowing the suspension of sentence.
This, he said, he believed later the de-
fendants would see would not only be
for their own good, but also for the
good of their children.
"Nick Peters, come up" called the
Judge in a sharp voice, and some one
whispered, ''it's coming now, He
changed his decision, however, and
asked for W. C. stauss. He told the
defendant that he had been raided
twenty-seven times and that he had
kept pretty bad resort. After a few
more words he announced the SEN
tence, twelve months at hard labor on
: the chain gang Of Charleston county or
, for a like period in the State penien-