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COURT PROCEEDINGS. m The Cocrt of General S?33i^ns adjourned Thursday and tbe jury for the first week w s dise arjed. Tbe Court of Coomoo Piea3 was called, and cases of law not requiring ajary were beard during tbe remainder of the week. The following is a record of" tbe proceed ings of tbe Court of General Sessions siece onr last iesue : The State vs. Gus Collins, highway rob bery and larceny. Guilty of larceny. Sen tenced to 30 days co cnaio gang. The State TS. Jake Washington, assault and nattery of a bigb and aggravated nature Guilty of assault and battery: Sentence, 1 month or $10 fine. Fine paid. Tbe State vs Robert Council. Burglary and larceny. Grai ty of larceny. Senteoce, 30 days or $50 fine. The State vs J. Ervin Trusts, aseanlt aod battery, with in ten: to kill. Guilty of assault of a high and aggravated nature. This case waa tried in the absence of tbe defendant, bot he came into court thia morning and be waa granted a new trial. The Grand Jory made their presentment Thursday and was discharged. The follow ing is the presentment : PRESENTMENT OP GRAND JURY. ?0 Honorable J. C. Elugb, Presiding Judge : The Grand Jory baviog passed upon all billa presented by the Solicitor do respectfully . report. At the Jone term 1899 of this court the Grand Jury formed itself into two commit tees for the purpose of expediting the work under itu charge as follows, viz : commit tee to examine the booka and coode of the county officials, and a committee to examine toe dockets aod official acts of the magistrates of tbe county. ; We report thar, we nave examined the bonds of the varions county officiais, and find them satisfactory, some being with guar anteed companies, the solvency of which we are assured. The personal bonds are signed by persons financially responsible in every instance for more than their'proportions of said oonda. We have examined carefully the books of the county officials and find them correct, with tbe exception of the County Superintendent of Education, in which we find an apaarent shortage seemingly dating back three admin istrations The credits to the various school districts are io excess of the arnon ota reported to tb? State Superintendent of Education. Tbe books do not balance and we recommend tbat nt competent expert be appointed to examine into thea and place the responsibility where itt belongs, as the present incumbent is ob viously placed at a disadvantage. lt seems ro be the practice of the County So perin ten dent of Education (formerly called County Schcol Commissioner.) to use the fonds oeiongicg to one d strict to pay claims in an other district. We wish to earce3tly protest against this unjust aod illegal custom. Sore districts tire wisely and judiciously managed, tbe funds iacreased in some instances by a special tax ;evied(npon themselves for tbe-improvement of th^ir schools And lengthened terms ; now .hey wish to use their surplus and decrease .axaticrn, and find their funds eire not avails 1 unie, being loaned to other school districts. As a remedy we recommend that bea tbe funds of any school district are exhausted be schools be closed. In many cases the schools could be com bined to advantage. Better trustees Bbould be found for some districts As an .evidence of tbeir unbusinesslike method hundreds of dollars were spent for charts, globes and fixtures when these districts bad no money of their own even to pay tbeir teachers. t We find that one or more of the. magis trates have failed to bind over prosecuting witnesses io certain cases brought before os under indictment, thus retarding progress of he court. We investigated a charge made against Magistrate Thoa. B. Rbame for failure to outer upon bis docket an account for certain costs collected by him in caminal business. We only found that in a single case he bad required defendant to pay one dollar, not entered upon his docket, being the cost of .'siring a horse and buggy by his constable s seeking to arrest the defendant who had ;br som days evaded arrest We found that *H other costs and fines were properly entered upon bis docket aod turoed over by him to she County Treasurer His docket "was : aeatly kept, aod while it may have been improper for the Magistrate to require the defendant to pay this one dollar as expenses necessarily locnrred in making the arrest, yet ve are satisfied that it was not an intentional violation of the law We commend bim for his full and frank statement concerning the matter and for the manner in w biete bis docket has been kept. Tbs investigation r y the committee of tbe ffrand jury appointed for that purpose result ed io p:oof by witnesses tbat from twenty two cases or arrests under'criminal warrants issued by G. M. Barratt, Magistrate, toe sum of seventy-two and 9C-100 dollars bad been collected by bim as cos;sand fines. That the majority of these cases were cot eotered upon bis docket and that of those that were upon bis docket, tbe docket shows that only o'.nety ceots was paid ny each defendant as costs. Tbat the total of aucb of these cases 8 are opon the docket shows that only seven and 20*100 dollars was entered and turned cvar to the Treasurer, leaving a difference of sixty-five and 20-100 dollars still io bis hands. This committee deeming it its duty sent to the Governor of the State all testimony thus taken, together with a complete copy of bis docket, and a comparative statement showing the amount of costs aod fioes as summed up from tbe testimony on the one band and the costs and fines as shown by bis docket as to such of these cases as were docketed on the other hand, showing the difference as above stared, that he might take such, action as be i deemed proper. Subsequently tbe Governor returned ah the papers to the foreman witb a letter showing tbat he had referred the matter to tbe legislative delegation of the county, who bad declined to take action,*s it had no power to summon witnesses before it; bot toe Governor further stated tbat "when the Grand Jory meets they cao secure the attend ance of witnesses, and if they so recommend the magistrate can be removed and such other action taken as will be warranted by tbe facts." Accordingly a number of witnesses have been examined oefore tbe entire Grand Jury at the present term of court, and as a result, we respectfully present, that G. M. Barrett, Magistrate, bas Oeen guilty of crim inal malfeasance.ia office under sections 325 and 327 of the Criminal Statutes, io that: i 1. That OD tte 17th day of April, 1890, j Charley Hill, Kage Walters and Johnoy Har din having oeen arrested under a criminal warrant issued by G. M. Barrett, Magistrate, j charged with assault and battery and ar raigned before said magistrate at bis office in Bisbopville, in said county, did pay over to said Magistrate aa criminal costs, the sum of five dollars and forty cents, upon a com promise and settlement of tue case, and that j of this sum only three dollars and sixty cents wa3 emered upon the said Magistrate's | docket and accounted folland paid over by ' him to the County Treasurer. The balance, j one dollar un eightv cents. wa9 unlawfully ! appropriated bv said Magistrate to ri is own ! use, ii violation of Sections 325 and 327 of \ the Criminal Statutes. Toat David K. Du- ! rant, Charley Hil!, Johnny Hardin. H. L Scarborough and John S Bradford are wit nesses to prove the same. 2. That on the 17th day of April, 1899. one William Lace, being under arrest and held before said Magistrate under criminal warrant for violation of contract as a farm laborer issued bj bim, d d pay over o the sala Mu strate the sua of three dollars and tbiny cents as costs upon a compromise and settlement of the case, whick, except njnety cents thereof, the said Magistrate bas not en tered upon his docket und which he bas un lawfully appropria-ed to. bis own use, in violation of Sections 325 and 327 of the ! Criminal "Statutes. That David E. Durant, William L*w, H L. Scarborough and John D. Bradford, are witnesses to prove the same. 3. That on the 12th day of April, S93, one Dr. Hamilton W. Cooper did pay over to *aid G. M. Barrett BS Magistrate, as crim inal cos's $3 40 for one Peter Berjimtn, arrested and imprisoned by said Magistrate for having obtained mooiy under false pre tenses, or having givea a second mortgage j on personal property without written coosent of first mortgagee, no part of which sum of money was entered npcn said Magistrate's docket, and not paid over by bim to the County Treasurer as required by law, but was unlawfully appropriated to his own use in violation of Sections 325 and 327 of the Criminal Statutes; and that Dr. Hamilton W. Cooper, Peter Benjamin, H. L. Scarbor ough and John D. Bradford are witoeeses to prove the same 4 That on the 20th day of July, 1898, one Judge Roberson, arrested and held under a charge of assault and battery, under warrant issued by said Magistrate, did after trial and conviction before him, pay over to said Magistrate a fine of seven dollars, of which only five dollars bas been entered'upon his docket and accoar ted for by said Magistrate ; tbat be reserved and appropriated to bis own ose the remaining two dollars, in violation of Sections325 and 327 of the Criminal Statutes. That Jodge Roberson, T. Ed. Baekio, Arther Baskin and W. P. Baskio, H. L Scarborough asd John D. Bradford are witnesses to prove the Bame. 5. That on the 26th day of July, 1998, John Jordan, Edward Scarborough and John Rembert were arrested, tried and convicted before G. M. Barrett, Magistrate, uoder a warrant issued by bim against them for as sault and battery, and under sentence paid over to said Magistrate as noes ten dollars by John Jordan, and five dollars each by Ed wsrd Scarborough and John Rembert, of which only fourteen dollars wa3 entered by said Magistrate upon his docket sod turned over to the County Treasurer; and that six dellars of said fine was unlawfully appro priated by said Magistrate to bis own use io vioiaxion of Sections 325 and 327 of the Criminal Statutes, and that John Jordan, Edward Scarborough, John Rembert, Boo Simon, Amos Slater, L. Rembert Dixon, H. L Scarborough acd John D. Braaford, are witnesees to prove the same. Tb* Grand Jory ask that such members cf the Grand Jury as have rendered extra ser vices upon the.committees above referred to, be paid tbe same per diem and mileage as is paid for regular attendance. Tbe Grand Jory bavmg employed A. B. Stuckey, Esq , as attorney to sssist in the investigation of the charges against the Magistrates as above rented, which required several' dajs work acu two days absence from his cfSce, we recommend tbat be be paid for the same the Bum of thirty dollars. y ResDectfully submitted, J. O Durant, Foreman. His Life Wan Saved. Mr. J. E. Lilly, a prominent citizen of Han nibal, Mo.,1ately had a wonderful deliverance from a frightful death. In telling of it he says: 'T was taken with' typhoid fever that ran into pneumonia My lung* became hardened. I was 50 weak I couldn't even sit up in bed. Nothing helped me. I expected to soon die of Consumption, when I heard of Dr. King's New Discovery. One bottle gove great relief. I continued to use it, and now am well and strong. I can't say too much in its praise." This marvellous medicine is the surest and quickest cure in the world for all throat and long trouble Regalar sizes 50 cts and $1.00. Trial bottle free at J. JE". W. DeLorme's Drug Store, every bottle guaranteed. 2 A Bungling Grand Jury. Tbe grand jury of Sumter County reported that Magistrate G. M Barrett bad not turned in all the fines bs had collected. Mr. Barrett anticipated the report reaching Gov. Mcswee ney, and came here today to show that be bad not only paid ali of the fi ses and fees be bad collected, but tbat be had a balance to bis credit, end that the grand jury bad gone off balf-cocked. He presented a petition from members of the grand jur ' asking that he te given a hearing, and generally indicative cf the fact that the members did not know what they bad done -Columbia correspondent News and Courier, Oct. 7. BISHOPVILLE ITEMS From the Recorder, Oct. 5. Our cottOG market still leads ia high prices for the fleecy staple. Mr. L. L. Baker spent Wednesday in Sum ter. Miss Selma Barrett, who bas been visiting her sister, Mrs. Henry McKagen, of Sumter, bas returned home. Deputy Sheriff Gaillard of Sumter, was in town Tuesday oa official business. Mr. T. B. Bruce, brother of Mrs. J Manly Smith, i3 critically ill with fever, at the home of Mrs. Smith. Tisdale's ginnery caught fire last Saturday afternoon but the flames were extinguished before any great damage was done. Ia it to be Salem County again ? That mat ter had better be settled quickly, ere some enthusiast inaugurates a movement to name it Dewey County. Jil any rate, whatever its name the new county is going io succeed next time, and that time, we think, will be soon. Dr M. A. Simmons Liver Medicine quick ens the appetite, aids digestion, gives tone and vigor to all the functions, and fortifies the system against epidemic influences. Rapid, safe and comparatively painless de livery results from continued use of Simmons Squaw Vine Wine or Tablets. Consul Brunot, at St. Etienne, France, calls attention to the employ ment of fruit trees as shade trees along the public highways in France. In Germany and Belgium the system has also been developed Oo the roads of Luxemburg ID 1878 over {200,000 was derived from the fruit, and. last year the sale was a'mos 1 three times that amount. In Belgium, according to the atatistics of 1894, there had been planted 741,571 trees, which produced fruit worth $2,00 ) OOO. Fopuiar trees were formerly used in Northeast France, but the rootsextended into the fields and interfered with cultivation. On 3C count cf complaints the Government replaced them with fruit trees Thou sands of baskets of ?mail plums from these trees are shipped to Paris every d?y daring the season -mm ? ? mu - TD stimulate a sluggish liver, ti3(ii<-h nii iousness, disperse dyspepsia, prevent sick ar-d nervous headache, use Dr. M. A. Sixmon3 I Liver MediciDe. Transvaal War News., A Wild Rumor That Salis bury Favors tue Complete Independence. LcDdc-D. Oct. 3.-There are DO new developments io the Traosvaal situa tion. Arrangements for the dispatch of war stores aod meo continue A quantity of balloon material has been sent to South Africa, the war cffiee considering that military ballooning will prove of the greatest value in the kind of warfare expected in South Africa. The chartering of traosports is st li going on. Five vessels,of the Cunard Line are now engaged. Mr. Montague White, counsel geoe ral for the South African Republic in London, informed the Associated Press tbat a representative of one of the largest capitalists of the Band bad called upon bim this morning, and asserted that it was known in capitalist circles that Lord Salisbury bad deter mined there should not be war, and bad instructed the seoretary of state for the colonies, Mr. Chamberlain, to wire to Sonth Afrioa further assurances with regard to the British desire to respect the complete independence of the Transvaal No confirmation of this is obtainable in official circles. ALLEGED BOER OUTRAGES. Aocording to a dispatch frcm Loren zo Marq ese, Portuguese East Africa, a crowd of Baers. who were assembled at the Machado Railroad station, forced the refugee passengers to uncover dur ing the singing or a Boer natiooal air and severely maltreated several Eng lishmen, stabbing one and kicking and trampling upon others. Ii is reported there also that two ladies were outrage ously assaulted at Paardekoy statioc by Boers, one being struck in the face by a riffe shoved through the railway carriage window, and other struck by her assailant's fist. ' The War Crisis in the Trans vaal Grows More Aeute Daily. London, O^t. 4 -The most interest ing announcement in connection with the Transvaal crisis today id that the chancellor of the exchequer, Right Hon ilicbaei Hicks-Beach, has already sanctioned the provisional expenditure of 3,000,000 and that tbs govern ment wiii not exceed that limit without authority from parliament, which will be asked to vote a sum not exceeding 8.000,000. A meeting of toe war board today ! discussed and drew up arrangements tp ensure the safety of the route from Durban to Laing's Nek so that large bodies of troops may, on disembarka tion, be rapidly forwarded up the couotry tc the front without confusion or crowding at the base. It is stated tooight that thc war office'bas deoided that the army corps for service in South Africa sbali be muob larger than originally estimated and that it now ooosists of over 40,000 men. Thc preparations for the dispatch of this force, including the chartering of big ocean steamers, is steadily and satisfactorily proceeding. Tbe press association learns that the dispatch drawn up by the cabinet Fri dav was still unsent up to this evening. Oa the ether band a telegram from Brussels gives from a "well informed source," the news that Dr. Lewis, the representative in Europe of the South African republic, has received confirm ation of the report that President Kru ger had addressed ao ultimatum to Great Britain demanding the with drawal of the British forces frcm the frontier within 48 hours, and that it was delivered Monday. This report, however, still lacks official confirma tion. The confidence of the mili'ary au thorities at the Cape is shown by a dis patch received tonight from Capetown, which stated that at a conference be tween the military authorities there and Gen. Sir. George Stewart White, V. C., who will command the British forces in Natal, and Lieut. Gen. Sir Frederick Walker, held to consider the situation, Gen. White expressed him self as confident that the British would be abie to present a force sufficient to repel any attack. Gen. White, who intended to go to Durban on board a warship, bas now, io order to save time, abaodoned the idea aod will go by train tooight. A hoe steamer left Loorenzo Mar quez. Delagoa bay, today with 1 200 Rand refugees. Large numbers were left behind, aod all trains are crowded with those taking part in the exodus from the Traosvaal. A dispatch from Volkerust says the Boer camp on the Natal border DOW comprises 8,000 mea and is growiDg daily. The carno breathes a religious fervor. The comissariat arms, the dispatch sayp, are defective. One of the largest corps lay io the veldt with out shelter during a heavy thunder storm Commandant Gen. Joubert is j momentarily expected to assume com- ! mand of thc Boer forces. Confirmation of yesterday's report of! the acquisition by thc Transvaal author ities of C500.000 in g'Jlti, which WHS on thc way co Capetown from Johannes burs, was received today Toe Cape Argus asserts that the Boers made the seizure at VereenigiDg, tho amount being thc week's shincacot j of o'nl cn the way from the Kind to Capetown, and forwarded the treasure \ to Pretoria. \ A London news agency publishes a dispath from Paris saying if is rumored there that a semi-' f ?i- l exchaoge of views is proceeding be tween Russia,. France and Germany with refereoco to tbe Transvaal crisis. A telegram from Johannesburg sa~s that State Secretary lleifz of tho Transvaal informed corrpcpocdent of The S'andard and Digger New.-; that the proclamation of martial law is being delated. Tu Capetown the opinion prevails that the dalay of the Bje^e in assuming the offensive points to willingness on the part of the Transvaal government to allow political counsel to override military ardor, and that there is, there fore, still hope that the Afrikanders efforts for peace will prevail. Lord James, of Hereford, writing to a correspendent, expresses a fear that the maintenance of peace is now im possible. Sir Edward Vincent, speaking at Exeter yesterday evening, said he I understood that Geo. Sir Redvers ! Boiler did uot expect the war to be a short one. The peace party is making tbe mest of the interval of the antici pated reassembling of parliament It is understood that Sir Alfred Miloer has oot ye: absodooed hope thar the powerful influence now at work ic Pretoria and Bloemfontein may lead to the arrest of the mobilizetion cf troops OD both sides and opeo the door to a pacific solution. Other telegrams represent that a Boer attack upon Natal is expectcdiat any moment, but asserts that commar> cant Gen. Joubert bas threatened to shoot any mau who moves without orders The Landon momios papers are in clined to regard the seizure of gold by the Transvaal government as an act of war. No absolute confirmation :s obtain able of the repon that a Boer ultima tum has been presented, but the news comos from what is usually good Boer sources. BOTH THE BOERS AND BRITISH HESITATE TO BEGIN WAR ! - London. Oct 6 -While there is co j dimininution io the flood of dispatches [ from South Africa, recording wirb alrrost tiresome reiteration the military preparations and movements on boto sides, with ail kiods of inaccurate rumors and speculations, tho real situa tions recnaios unchanged. It is evident that strong efforts are still being made to preserve peace simultaneously with deiermioed energy to be prepared for any emergency. it is expected that 5,000 reserves will be caliea out tomorrow, and that every army corps will be tnobiiiz d on the 15:6 or the 20:fc of the month Io the meantime it is interesting to note that neither side shows anxiety to precipitate a conflict, but ts rather inclined to give opportunity for the play of peace influence. M RAVIEFF'S MISSION Toe mysterious visit of Count Mnra vieff, tbe Russian minister of foreign affair^, to San Sebastian, where he saw the Queen Regent and the K 05 of Spain, 3 d had Jong conferences with Senor Silvela, the Spanish premier, occupies political minds. From Spam Count Moravieff will go to Paris. Russia's attitude ID the Transvaal matter is coomoo koowledge Ger many is effisiaily neutral, but thc Em peror's famous telegram to President Kruger is not forgotten, and this, add ed to France's bitterness since the Fashoda affair, and Spain's resentment of Eogland's attitude duriDg the His pano- American war, sets the people asking what the motives for Count Mu ravieff's tour are. The jingo press pooh poohs the idea of European ioterferecce, but in the same breath eagerly seizes upon any iocideor, tuen as the America's cup race, to insist upon growing Anglo American friendship The Daily Telegraph published a dispatch tbis morning announcing that The Boers had iovaded Natal aod seized Laing's Nek, but this now seems to be without foundation. The Government has received nothing to justify the report, although such a move ou the part of the Boers would naturally cause little surprise. The British positioo in Natal was considerably strengthened by the arrival today of Indian transports with reinforcements of about 2 500 infantry, oavalry and artillery, all of which will be promptly sent to the front by train, and with their arrival at GleDCOve aod Ladysmith tomorrow or Saturday tte British advanced camps aod l'toes of communication wiii be practically safeguarded agaitst the risk of a successful dash aoross the frontier ty the Bjers. BRITAIN CHARTERS THIRTY FIVE VESSELS. New York, Ocr. 5.-The Tribune tomorrow will say : Surprise and in terest nave been excited in dipping circles by thc news that, within thc ia.sr three days MIC:O thirty-five vessels eu- : ga^'ed in the transatlantic trade h-.vc been chartered by bc British Govern ment fer periods or three month* and ! upwards. Among the ship? chartered j aro a number belonging to the paseen-1 ger aLd freight lines, though thc c re plete list is not known at the office- cf j the line? in tnt?} city, as thc traosactioi s j wero conducted abroad. (richman mw .Southron SUMTES WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let all the Ends thou Aims't at, be thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's.' THE TRUE SOUTHRON, Established Jnoe, JSftS Consolidated Aug. % ISSI. SUMTER S. C., WEDNESDAY, MAY 17.1899. New Series-ToL XTIII. No. 42