The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-02-08
CHARGES BROUGHT
AGAINST OFFICERS
Peace Officers Would and 90 Extort
Confessions, Say Curtis
and Hanahan.

tslu Ilalauan.
Charges that sheriffs, deputy sher-
ifs and rural policemen of South
Carolina have and will attempt bv
force or coercion to extort confessions
from men confined in the various
county jails Of the state was the out
standing feature of yesterdays ses-
sion OF the house, the charges being
brought by Representative II. G. Cur
tbs of Manning and j. w. Hama
han of Winnsboro in the course of the
houses debate Of the J. J. Evans
guilty pleas" resolution. This meas
ure, which was introduced by the
Bcnncttsville representative last week
would have permitted pleas of guilty
III IN all cases except capital felonies,
empowered the judges of the state to
impose sentence at chambers and so
dispensed with the necessity of pre-
sentiment or Indictment by a grand
jury. Tha bill after heated and some
what lengthy debate was finally lost
by vote of 81 to 81.
Speaking in opposition to the reso-
luton, Mr.. Curtis argued that the
granting of authority to the circuit
judges of the state to accept pleas
OF guilty and impose sentences in
chambers would carry with it the
grave danger that innocent men, CO.
creed or persuaded into making con-
fessions, might be so punished in er-
ror. 1--WE have a set of rural police
men, sheriff and a deputy sheriff in
my county," Mr.. Curtis said, "who
are continually entering the Jail and
trying to eXtort plea of guilty from
prisoners left in their care. | know
this and I can prove it,"
Promise Light Sentences
The method used by the officers in
securing confessions, Mr. Curtis
charged, was usually the promise of a
light sentence if they should make a
confession instead of standing trial.
81 have not represented one person in
my county that these facts have not
arisen," Mr.. Curtis stated. "Pass this
BILL" he said, "and through the in
strumentality of your shcriffs and ru-
raj policemen you will fill your iails
and chaingangs with innocent men"
! "Anyone who has ever touched
criminal law" Representative Hama
han said, in support Of Mr.. Curtis
allegations, "knows that pressure is
brought to bear on men in Jail to ex-
tort confessions from them. Shcriffs
and other officers by the very nature
of their profession consider all men
under arrest guilty Of the crime of
which they are charged. TO them the
mere allegation is enough" The bill,
Mr.. Hanahan said, would wipe out in
one fell swoop trial by jury. "The
rights Of men would be frittcd away
in this star chamber court he said,
because sheriffs and deputies would
bring force to bear on prisoners to
secure confessions. To take the ad-
mlnistration of justice out Of the
hands of the court and place it in
the hands of individuals is an abomi-
| nablc thing"
j. j. Evans Of Bennettsvillc, the
author of the bill, came to the defense
both of his resolution and of the of
iiccrs of the state. 81 can not sub
SCRIBE" Mr.. Evans said, "to the idea
that shcritfs are the class of men to,
through coercion and oppression, seek
| confessions from those charged with
crime. ! have faith in the judges Of
| the state, the solicitors and the Shcr-
ifs and when | have not shall leave
the state and go elsewhere. In all my
practice | have never seen an inno-
cent man plead guilty" His bill, Mr..
Evans argued, would save the state
amounts that can not be figured in
dollars and ccnts.--Columbia State Of
February first.
The above statement appearing in
The State of February first is alb
| solutely false and uncallcd for, and
we demand Mr.. Curtis to prove his
assertions. He also states that he
| has not represented one person in his
! county that these facts have not
arisen"
wish to say that I have searched
the records of the Clerk of Courts
Office and find that Mr. Curtis has only
represented four defendants in the
past five years, one of which plead
guilty, two were convicted and one
continued.
j. E. Gamble,
Sheriff Of Clarendon County