Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-04
MEMMINeER WAS RIGHT

MEMMlNGER WAS RIGHT
One Judge Who Stands for the fntesri-
ty of the Law.
Greenville Piedmont.
On August 81, Tom Harrison, slayer
of his wife, was found guilty Of man
slaughter by a Greenville county jury.
On September /, Circuit Judge r. w.
Memminger sentenced Harrison to
serve fifteen years and ordered him to
be taken at once to the state peniten-
tiary. His Honor thus explained his
action:
II feel that this community should
be protected against you and that you
must be made an example, however
unfortunate it may be, to others who
may want to take up the same line Of
work that you have done, and you will
have to be put somewhere where you
will be kept from the outside world
and not be allowed to go on with such
method Of living and corrupting other
people as you have done. +. sent
you to the penitentiary direct because
l have the power to do that, not DEEM
ing 1t to be wise or expedient to put
you on the local chaingang here"
The length of the sentence imposed
by Judge Memminger upon Harrison
made it impossible for him to secure
bail from the circuit court at that time.
Whereupon Harrison appealed to the
Supreme Court Of South Carolina for
bail.
On the morning Of the day when the
Supreme Court acted upon the matter
OF. bail for Harrison, but before it had
announced its decision, Judge Mem
minger who was still holding court
here, said in open court, in announc-
ing that Solicitor David W. Smoak
was in Columbia to resist Harrison's
motion for bail:
"Will the Supreme Court grant bail
and send Tom Harrison, ll-fedged
citizen, to enjoy the society and free
dom Of this city?"
"Yes, we will,' was, in effect, the
reply of the Supreme Court Of South
Carolina who few hours later admit
ed Harrison to bail.
That was on October "a.
Consequently, after having been
lodged in the state penitentiap just
seven weeks, Harrison returned to
Greenville "a full -fledged citizen, to
enjoy the society and freedom Of this
city"
On Oct. 81, the grand jury Of Green
vile county in its presentment to
Judge Memminger declared:
After a very thorough examination
Of many witnesses who came before
the grand jury. we are convinced that
Tom Harrison and Lettie Littlefield are
living in adultery and have been most
of the time since the killing or his wife,
Gertrude Robinson Harrison, and fur
ther in defiance of the law while out
on bond and is now continuing to live
in adultery We, therefore, recon-
mend that the proper authorities swear
out warrants for these parties. The
witnesses are Sheriff Rector, Deputy
Sheriff Paris, Deputy Sheriff Will
liams, Jailer Christopher and others"
In the very next paragraph, the
grand jury of Greenville county went
on to say:
1--WE want also to take this oppor-
tunity of expressing our deep appre-
citation of your Honor's unfailing fair
ness and great courage In enforcing
the law even in the face OF criticism
which has seemed to us extremely un-
warranted and unjust. We trust that
SoiIth Carolina will yet recognize Your
Iyk nd
and at an early date succeed in enlist
ing your services for the state in a
still higher judicial position
In these paragraphs Of its present
ment the grand jury Of Greenville
county delivers justifiable rebuke to
the Supreme Court of South Carolina.
In the judgment of The Piedmont, this
declaration as we'll as Judge Memmin-
gers course has the approval Of pub
lie sentiment in this county.
The Piedmont believes that Judge
Memminger's decision to commit Har-
rison to the state penitentiary was
eminently just and proper and that
the Supreme Court Of South Carolina
acted unwisely in multiplying that ac-
ton. This newspaper also takes oc-
casion to say that the extraordinary
tribute paid Judge Memminger by the
| grand jury Of Greenville county is al
together deserved. If all our judges
were of his mold, lawlessness would be
reduced to a minimum in South Caro-
lima and the law would be restored to
it's ancient majesty. If r. Withers
Memminger should be elevated to the
Supreme Court of South Carolina-and
The Piedmont hopes he will be-not
only would his force of character, ripe
experience and fine ability measurably
strengthen the body, but the respect
of the people for that tribunal would
be considerably increased.
The presentment of the grand jury
of Greenville county made yesterday is