The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-03-31
THE SPECIAL TERM OF
COURT,

Cooper have acted wisely in revoking
the order for the special term of court
to try the negro Charles Logan for the
murder of Mrs. Scott. We do not be-
lieve in special terms of court for the
purpose of trying men charged with
such atrocious crimes. To hold them
at the behest of the mob is but to COM
promise with the mob, and there should
be no compromise with it. Every per-
son charged with crime has right to
fair trial before impartial jurors.
Enough time should elapse after any
crime to give the people cooling time,
time for deliberation, time for the COM
munity to get back to equilibrium. 1t
takes longer to do this in some cases
than in others. In those cases where
the passions are excited and the mob
spirit, which is in all of us, is aroused
by revolving and diabolical acts on the
part of the criminal. it takes longer than
in cases in which the public is not so
much interested. 1t is in these more Sc
rious offenses that longer time should
elapse between the charge and trial than
in any others. Nevertheless, the person
charged with crime, and the State like
wise, has the right to speedy trial as
soon as the case may be tried fairly and
impartially. This can always be done
in Abbeville county by awaiting a reg
ular term of the court.
The most serious objection to a spe-
cial term of court ordered for the pur-
pose of trying single case, is that it is
next to impossible for the State to give
the accused fair and impartial trial.
By the fact that such a trial is to be
had. the State declares in advance that
q case Of more than common atrocity
has been committed, that the real cul.
prit is in the hands of the law, and that
he should be speedily done to death.
The jury that is summoned to try him
is summoned not for that purpose in
reality. but to convict him. His case is
singled out, it is talked about, the pub
lie becomes more wrought up over the
crime than it would otherwise, with the
result that a real trial of the case on its
merits is almost impossible. For this
reason we do not believe in these
terms of court. We do not believe
they add to the dignity of the law, to
the majesty of the law; on the other
hand, it makes the judicial officers of
the State, and the courts, more or less
at the beck and call of those who do not
desire to wait on a conviction by the
due process of law.
We feel warranted in saying for the
relatives of Mrs. Scott. who desired no
mob law, but fair trial for the accused,
that they will be glad to see this cas- Q
take the usual course of criminal cases.
Let it be presented to the grand jury
with other cases, true bill found, and
let it be tried at regular term Of the
court, and by the orderly process of law,
and not by hurried tribunal. These
relatives will have no desire to see any
but the guilty punished, and they will
feel better satisfied over the case, if it
shall be tried, and the murderer con-
victed after he has been given every
chance to secure a fair and impartial
trial before regularly constituted tri-
bunal of justice.
In the meantime. we hope that the
county authorities will Investigate this
case, and ascertain all the facts con-
nected with it. If there is no ground
for the many rumors afloat connecting
others with the crime, such rumors
should be set at rest; if there is ground
to believe that any one else instigated
this crime, such one should be arrested
and either convicted, or given a chance
to prove his innocence. No person
should be charged with such a crime by
inuendo, or upon groundless suspicion.