The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1919-06-26
JUNE TERM OF COURT
CONSUMES TWO DAYS

At ten o'clock on Monday morn
ing the Grand Jury filed into court
and Judge Edward McIver asked So
licitor J. Monroe Spears of he was
ready to proceed. Being answered in
the affirmative, the Judge addressed
the jury in most able and impress
sive manner.
To begin with, his Honor sought
to impress the jurors with their i'm
portance and responsibilities. Not
alone in the matter of attending
court and returning indictments is
the Grand Juror expected to serve his
= county and community, but his duties
are many and varied and do not end
with the closing of the term of court
1t must be said that Judge McIver's
address was decidedly up to the
minute as in one part of it he eau
toned his listeners against the spread
of Bolshevism and in another para
graph advised them that, judging by
recent events, it would probably be
only a question of time until there
would be women serving on the
Juries, and acting in other official ca
pacities in the courthouse. 1t was in
this connection that his Honor urged
upon the Grand Jury the necessity
of modern conveniences in the build
ing, which he characterized as the
poorest in the State of South Caro-
lima.
The Grand Jury at the last term
of the Court of General Sessions
having ordered modern conveniences
placed in the building and seemingly
no attention having been paid to their
orders, Foreman ID. S. Matheson rose
to point of information and asked
the Judge what the Grand Jury could
do where their orders were ignored.
Judge McIver thereupon informed
Mr.. Matheson that it was within the
Grand Jury's province in such an
event to place the responsibility for
such neglect and demand an explana-
ton, which if not satisfactory, must
show that some county officer was not
doing his duty.
At this point Hon. G.. X. Laney
arose and exonerated the Grand
Jury and the Supervisor of all blame
| in the matter, saying that the dele
cation to the General Assembly alone
| were responsible for nothing having
| been done in the matter. Mr.. Laney's
| reason was that the delegates were
in favor Of "taking the bull by the
horns and building brand new
courthouse" that would meet the re-
quirements not only of the present,
but future generations.
The Grand Jury in it's final report
requested that the improvements to
which Judge McIver referred be made
with all possible dispatch. Also, the
body recommended that money be
raised by bonds for township road
building, in cooperation with the
Federal Government.
The first case called was that of
Charlie Benton, colored, charged with
killing Nathaniel Smith, colored. On
account of the only witness in this
case having committed suicide the
defendent was placed under $500
bond and the case continued.
Dewitt Allen, the 15-year-old white
boy, charged with robbery and arson,
at Pageland, pleaded guilty. In his
confession he implicated another boy,
who is at large. The case was con-
tinued and Allen was sent back to
Jail, pending the arrest of his alleged
confederate.
Elmore Fuller, colored, was
brought to trail, charged with having
beaten to death Mr.. VIM. Belk, near
Cheraw, in September 1916.
The following jury was selected
A. A. Douglass, Jr., foreman; H. A.
Burch, d. w. Turnage, w. J. Blak-
ney, w. F. Hough, S. d. Hursey,
Amos Pigg, A. P. Smith, j. j. Black
we'll, C. A. Baker, d. f. Redfearn and
B. M. Rhodes.
Solicitor Spears was assisted by
Hon. w. p. Pollock.
| Mr.. j. J. Evans, of Bennettsville,
appeared as council for the defense.
The state opened the case by call
ing DIR. Bull, who testified that Mr..
Belk's death was due to the first blow
struck, but that possibly, the shock of
the following two blows may have
hastened the end. Three eyewitness:
es followed. They were Messrs
Harrall, LeVanna and Lyle. They
brought out the facts that Mr.. Belk
had been drinking. was following Full
Ter threateningly; that Fuller ran
from him distance of 100 to zoo
yards, stopped, picked up brick
threw it, missed; picked up another