The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-08-12
CAUSES Of CRIME
DISCUSSED HERE.
SiI.Sers of the Law Gather at Request
of Solicitor Blackwell and Hold
Open Forum-Liquor and
Pistol Toating Main Evils
is Consensus Of s.
Opinion.

: In response to a call from Solicitor
H. S. Blackwell the county sheriff and
deputy, the county magistrates and
the members Of the grand jury met
Monday morning in the Court House
and discussed the question Of crime
suppression in Abbeville county.
There were,about 75 present.
The consensus of opinion was that
pistol toating' and liquor were the
chief causes of trouble among both
the negroes and the whites.
It was also brought out that the
white people of the county were
primarily to blame because of laxity
in reporting lawbreakers and the
willingness of the. white, employer
to pay the fines Of the negroes ar
rested and, convicted.
The meeting was called to order
by Mr.. Blackwell and J. s.. Morse
was elected chairman, and W. E.
Hill, secretary. Mr.. Blackwell then.
stated the purpose, of the meeting.
He cited the meeting recently held in
Columbia at the instance Of Governor
Cooper and said that meetings Of
similar character had been or would
be held in every county in the State.
In part Mr.. Blackwell said, 81 be-
-lieve tha tblind-tiger. liquor and pis-.
tol toating are the chief causes of
crime not only nEAbbeyille county,
but in every county in the State.
Crime is more noticible among the
negroes because we have more me-
groes, but in the last analysis the
white people are to blame because
they are the ones who form public
sentiment. It is only too true that
! many white people are reticent a.
bout reporting crimes, when crimes
have been committed, do not give the
; officers of the law proper report.
Conditions are. worse in this county
than any other county in the eighth
judicial circuit. There is lethargy
and tendency to pass the buck when
it comes to prosecuting criminals. II
is almost impossible to get evidence
against boot-leggers, because those
who buy and know Of sales are unwill-
ing to disclose the names of the Of
tenders" -. -. :; H. -,
Mayor Mars said that he thought
conditions in the city Of Abbeyille
were normal and by no means as bad
as they were in the county. Block
| ade liquor was cited as the chief cause
| of trouble. He also said. that .
great many negroes carried conceal
ed weapons and that he was in favor
of, fining them as heavily: as the laH
allowed. :. ~ - 81
Magistrate. J. s. Gilbert, of Leba-
non Township said that the incendiary.
appeals. of: northern agitators had
done much to make the situation a.
| cute in this county, adding that there
had been little trouble in his district.
/ Magistrate M. E. Hollingsworth
said. that liquor and pistol carrying
was the main. cause Of crime and sng-
gested fining. offenders to the limit.
Magistrate Frank Carwile said
that the white people were worse than
the negroes for they were an example
for evil-doing. ''There are three
main causes of srime," said Mr.. Car
vile, "liquor, pistols and the devil
and the devil is the worst of all. A,
negro was killed in my district recent
ly for taking a drink of water, and,
until pistols, monkey rum and hip
pockets are abated we will have muir
der and other crimes. lam rather
glad the Northern men are getting a
little taste of the negro question be-
cause it will teach them what we have
to contend with, but, after all, the
white men are.to blame. =
DR.. Joseph Hicks, of Calhoun Falls,
suggested that when negro was
fined for any offense the fine was not
so much against the negro as against
the white employer, who sought in
Continued on page four) ..