The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1918-03-20
WOMAN ASSAIkANT
GIVEN LONG TERI
Mack Simpson Given Fors
Year Sentence.
MISTRIAL IN CASE
OF ROBT. BURDETTE
MiStriulS Result in Two OF the Most
Important Cases on the Criminal
Docket. Jury Fails to Agree in Case
OF Mrs. Lee lIcmbrce. j. III. Madden
tn,,,fffoI

Acquitted.
The spring term Of the court Of gem
cral sessions adjourned Friday night
after being in session since Monday.
The last jury case disposed Of was
that of the negro Mack Smith alias
Mack Simpkins, charged with assault
to ravish, the crime having been COM
mittcd III fthc lower part Of the coMn-
" in February when the intentions Of
The aSsaiiant were foilcd by The cour-
age and action Of the woman whom he
attempted to assault. Tho jury re-
turned verdict Of guilty with recon-
mcndation to mercy and the court
passed the maximum sentence under
the law. forty years in tho state peni-
tertiary or upon the public works of
the county. He will serve his time in
the pcntcntiary.
Earlier in the week miStrial was
ordered in two cases which occupied
most Of the time of the court, that of
the state against Bobert Burdcttc
charged witIr the murder Of ID. ID. Stod-
dard near Owings Station and that OF
Mrs Lee Hcmbrce charged with con-
dncting a house Of ill-fame in the
lower part Of the county. In the
former case it is understood that the
jury stood eight for conviction and
four for acuuittal. In the latter case
a large number Of prominent people
of The vicinity OF I<inards testified to
the bad reputation of the home Of the
defendant, but, with the exception Of
testimony as to scantncss Of attire
lice officers, no direct testimony Of
misconduct was introduced.
In the case Of the state VS. James
II. Madden charged with violation Of
the prohibition law, the jury returned
a verdict OF not guilty. Mr.. Madden,
who it will be, remembered was ar
rested at a negro association meeting
several months ago after q quart and
4 pint Of whiskcy had been found un-
der the back scat Of his car, denied
knowledge Of the whiskcy. He testi
fled to leaving the car for some time
while at the negro church, his infer
cncc being that someone had put the
whiskcy under the seat without his
knowledge. An interesting sidc-llght
Of the trial was on the request Of the
defendants attorney to direct YER
diet of not guilty on the indictment as
to transporting contraband whskcy.
l1,,f No
accused was not guilty Of transporting
contraband whisEey until 1t was prov
en- that 1t had been purchased from an
illegal source and that person could
chose so long as ii was originally Sc
cured lawfully. In other words,
man could order quart a month eV-
cry month and if he did not drink any
Of It pc could transport it at his les
ure. The court ovcrrulcd the motion.
Friday morning the jury returned a
verdict of not guilty in the case OF John
Williams, colorcd, charged with kill
ing another negro. Williams was
able to make out substantial case OF
self defense.
Tn the Mack Smith alias Mack Simp-
lxins case the jury was out but for
few minutes The crime for which the
negro was convicted, it Will be re-
membcred was committed on the night
Of February 26th about ten o'clock. A
farmer living on this side Of the road
which divides LaurcnS and Ncwberry
counties was awakened from his sleep
by negro who said that Walter
Cromer, another negro, had sent him
to say that a N-other Of this farmer
was bad sick" and wanted him to
come over. The man arose and went
to his brothers house several milo"
away, but found his brother well and
asleep. Suspecting something unus-
llal he hurried back home to find his
wife greatly excited In his absence
the negro who had given the fake mos
sage returned. she testified, and ahd
made some improper advances. She
had gotten a small rife and gone to
the door to drive him off but when
she attempted to shoot the gun failed
to go off. She at the same time had
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