The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-03-15

We present John Albert Blackmon
and Martha Adams for living in
adultry; witnesses to prove same,
r. A. Blackmon, Jim Couch and c.
E. Adams, Bob Rainey, Judge Nc
Ilwaine.
We desire to extend our apprecia-
ton to your Honor for the able and
earnest exposition of the law on your
part in regard to our duties and for
your kind and courteous considera
tion during the session.
Respectfully submitted,
ID. F. Sapp, Foreman.
Judge Prince.
Judge Prince impresses one as be-
ing rather lenient, yet conservative
in the dispensation of justice. He
likes to laugh when there's anything
worth laughing at, and he has a
smile that's really chronic. Once or
twice during the week Judge Prince
showed his disfavor at the constant
absence of witnesses and defendants
| and remarked on more than one oc-
casion that it will be better for them
to stay in the court house. The
| Judge laughs as often as anybody
laughs and sometimes creates the
thing that produces the laugh The
judges health is not so good, but
nobody will accuse him of being
weak in his wits or in his mind.
The judge believes in work and he
served notice on the lawyers at the
to clean up the docket before the
end of the week and he has just
about completed the process Of
cleaning it up.
Hunter is Acquitted.
The case of j. T. Hunter, charged
with the killing of Alex T. Carnes,
on March 25, 1917, near the Lancas-
ter cotton oil company's plant was
taken up Wednesday afternoon at a
quarter to five and the jury was com
pleted at ten O'Clock yesterday morn
ing. The taking of testimony was
then begun. The defendant was re-
presented by r. E. Wylie and Claude
n. Sapp, Solicitor Henry conducting
the case for the State unassisted
The case was given to the jury near
the noon hour and after deliberat-
ing but a few minutes rendered
verdict of not guilty.
State VS.. Robert Ingram, murder.
continued to next term.
Bertha Mum Acquitted.
State VS.. Bertha Mum, for muir
der, was called at the beginning of
the afternoon session yesterday. She
was charged with killing John Rob-
ertson in this county on April % of
last year. r. f.. Wylie represented
the defense and j. G.. Massey, of
Kershaw, assisted Solicitor Henry in
the prosecution. The selection of
the jury required only twenty min>
utes and the taking of testimony was
begun. The State examined three
witnesses and rested; the defense
put on four witnesses, including the
defendant and her mother, neither
of whom possess any more intelli-
gence than the average person ought
to have and not the best of reputa.
tions. The case was given to the
jury about five O'Clock and in a few
minutes rendered a verdict OF not
guilty.
This case ended the business OF the
court of General Sessions and il was
Immediately adjourned. The Court
of Common Pleas will convene next
Monday morning.
The Court Stenographcr.
A very inconspicuous figure in the
court room-but also very i'm.
portant one-is the court stenog.
rapher. In the ordinary course OF
procedure nobody has business with
the stenographer and he runs his
pencil right along making import
ant record, neither observing or be.
ing observed. This term of court
had a new stenographer, r. Hassell
Thomas, OF Columbia who was re-
Gently appointed as official stenog-
rapher for the sixth district. Mr..
Thomas is well-liked by the court
officials and attaches and the law
yers which infest all courts. lie is
a courteous young man. quiet and
efficient, and some of the girls
around town say he's really good