Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-06

When it comes to guiding the law
along the lines Of Justice, there are
none superior to Hon. r. Withers
Memminger No other judge in the
state has presided at a larger number
OF more difficult trials-cases Of the
most aggravated and unreasonable
crime where great wealth sought to
weigh down justice that rich and pow
erful malefactors might escape. 1t was
because of Judge Memminger's deter
mination that the majesty Of the law
should be upheld that w. T. Jones was
convicted OF the murder of his wife, re-
gardless of the powerful array of coun-
sel hired with Jones's money, and
possibly of brided witnesses. 1t
was Judge Memminger who made short
work of that Bigham murderer down
in Florence, and except for Judge
Memminger there would probably have
been no conviction. That fellow Tom
Harrison, who was on trial in Green
vile last week, was about as unspeak-
able a wretch as this state has known
during his generation. He was a liquor
seller, a gambler, and trader in the
moral degradation Of men and women.
His wife was of the same stripe. She
had amassed wealth along that line be-
fore the two united their fortunes in
marriage, and Of course she was no
truer to Harrison than Harrison was
to her. 1t was during debauch at
Tom Harrison's house that the shoot
ing occurred. Harrison came upon
Monk Young, another worthy of the
same stripe, in companionship with
Harrisons wife under conditions that
aroused Harrison's jealousy to murder
Gus frenzy and started him to shooting.
Harrisons wife was killed and Young
was shot up so badly that it was
thought that he would die; but he re-
vile had it that Harrison wanted to
kill his wife so he could marry her
younger sister, who had been educated
at his expense, and he wanted to kill
his wife. At the trial, however, he
sought to make it appear that he had
shot Young in protection of his honor,
and had shot his wife by accident. 1t
ey had been spent Of course, and the
jury had been selected with great care.
There would have been 'mistrial,"
except for the fact that Judge Men,
minger had made it clear that he would
hold the jury until it agreed upon
verdict. OF course the lawyers for the
defense thought this was horrible"
Then there was the usual motion for a
new trial, which motion Judge Men,
minger overruled. In sentencing Har-
rison, Judge Memminger told him he
had gotten about what was coming to
him, declaring that even if he did not
intend to kill his wife, he was guilty Of
manslaughter all the same on account
of his reckless disregard of the lives
of the people around him. His honor
said that the killing of Monk Young
would have probably been a good thing
for the community. Also his honor
took occasion to remark that men like
Harrison might violate the law until
they had a contempt for it, but they
could rest assured that the law would
get them sooner or later. Following
notice of appeal Harrison's attorneys
sought to have him kept in Jail pend
ing disposition of the case by the su-
preme court; but Judge Memminger
signed an order for his immediate
transfer to Columbia, explaining that
the case is now out Of his hands and it
is up to the supreme court to do as it
sees proper. OF course there are those
who complain that the judge is high
handed; but in point of service he is
the oldest man on the circuit bench,
and the records show that all Of his
important rulings are upheld as the
best of law.