The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, March 17, 1921, Image 1
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^f^VOL~3& """ KINGSTREE, SOUT^ CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 17. 1921. NO. 2
JUDGE PURIFOY'S I
CHARGE TO JURORS
THEIR DUTIES AS LEADERS OF |
COMMUNITY LIFE AND
THOUGHT.
Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen of the
Grand Jury: !
You occupy a very important posi-1
tion in your county and in your state,
put on trial for any* crime until a
portant and very distinct factor in
the enforcement of the laws of our
country and has come down to us
through many hundreds of years.
There ornc a time in the historv of1
our race in which a man was put on
trial or in jail or in a dungeon and
very great injustice was done. How ever,
the grand jury was instituted
by the English-speaking people as a
safeguard to the rights of the people.
Ir that day there was a constant
struggle between the people and the
L "Crown"?the king, and for a hundred I
| years there was a struggle aginst the
L king and the grand jury was inaugurW
ated, first to try the case and then as
an inquiring body. Your function in J
I connection with this court is the Court
| of Inquiry; first to look into a case
i and see whether the person ought to
bo tried. Hundreds of years ago people
were put on trial without an inquiry;
put in jail and in dungeon?
without :iny accusation even in writ- (
ing, and then put on trial, but today J
?i
we nave incorporates m our wusmu-1
tion that no person shall be put on
trial without first being before the<
grand jury, that no person shall be
put on trial for any crime until a
grand jury has first presented him. j
Now you do not try the case; you only i
hear one side of it, and, if after examining
these witnesses, you find that (
i there is something in the clrarge
made against the defendant, you bring j
in a true bill. If, from the examinav
tion of witnesses, you see there is j
nothing in it, you bring in a no-bill, i
Ihere must be twelve of your number;
agree that the party shall be put on;
(trial before you can bring in a truebill.
Now, you will not examine all,
the witnesses in every case here, If
upon the exanunation of one witness,
you determine that that statement or
that testimony is sufficient to put the
person on rial, do not examine the
balance of them, but just bring in a
true-bill, but you will not bring in a
no-bill until you have exhausted all
the witnesses on the indictment. What
I mean is, if upon the examination
of one or more witnesses, you find
that that testimony is sufficient to put
the person on his trial, there is no
? im \fAiir fimp ftn
U^C JLUr )VU w uj/ J VM4 v.*?v V?. J
examining the balance of the witness- j
es. This court is a viry expensive
luxury; takes a lot of money to run i
it, and there is no use to take up the;
t.me or incur the expense of examin:
ing the witnesses, if you have had
enough testimony to justify you in:
bringing in a true-bill.
If you find that a persor. is presented
fcr spite or ill will, or other than
the administration of justice, you will j
bring in a no-bill.
In addition to your work here as
grand jurors, in assisting in the trial
of the cases, you have several very
important duties to perform. Your
S|H term of office will extend throughout
HI! this year. When you leave this court:
nl|| room, your duties will not cease, but
lipl you will have in your minds constant- j
?&? ly the good cf your county, the propffigjH
er functioning of its agencies and degB
set that thev perform heir duties j
?||| partments. The law provides the dut
ies to be performed by the various
officers. The law requires you to see
that they perfoim their duties. You
have a county organization for the ad-j
W misistration of your government, j
V They levy taxes, collect the taxes and j
| pay out the money. It is your duty !
I to see that the taxes levied are col- j
lected; that they :re properly spent,]
m that the books are properly kept, sChri {
to know the couity finances of your j
county are in good shape and the books J
are properly kept You are the
guardians of the peuple. Ti.e law1
says that the jury commissioners i
shall select men of good moral character
and experience. Therefor your
position is one of leadersnip?men or
experience and good moral character.:
And that places upon you a very high i
responsibility, so that when you enter
upon the duties of this office, you
|JB will recognize the fact that you have (
been called to this position on ac-,
alunt of your standing in the community.
This position of leadership,
while it is one of honor, yet at the
W* V-me time, it carries with it a great
lVsponsibilitv. Leadershio implies
*
Chicks Arrive from Kentucky.
Miss Hattie McMurray, home demonstration
agent, yesterday received
by parecls post 275 baby chicks, *hicb
were shipped from a Kentucky hachery
when they were one day old. In
the lot one chick was dead.
These "biddies" were purchased by
the local banks with a view to arousing
interest and a more earnest effort
in the raising of pure bred poultry
in the county. The chicks received
by Miss McMurray have beer
given out to those who made application
for them with the understanding
that this fall they are to return
to the banks, four of the pullets raised
from each lot of twenty-five. The
1 pullets will ther? be sold and the monkey
received by the banks for them
reinvested in other chicks.
Among those received are several
i of the most popular breed.- Seventyfive
Rhode Island reds are yet to be
received.
I
sendee, you never saw a leader whe
was not a great servant, and the
greater the service rendered the greater
the honor. No man has ti e right
nor can he maintain his position oi
leadership until he has convinced those
who acknowledge his leadership in the
performance of the duties that devolve
upon him. Therefore, the greater
service you render, the greater the
people are indebted to you cn account
of your position. You are the exponent
of the best in the county. You
stand for law and order; for decency;
for education; for the best in the
home life, in the community life and
in the county and state life.
You are the exponents, the representatives,
of the best thought, and
fVio VncrVioct irloals nf vmir DPOnlf. nnd
when you go out in the discharge of
your duties, you will have before you,
that wereever you go in the performance
of your duty, you are the embodiment
of the highest citizenship,
so that yhen you lay down your duties
next year, you can feel, and the people
can feel, that the county is better
offjthat you have advanced it in high
thought, high morals, high conception,
and noble ideals, so that you will hand
down to the next grand jury a better
government.
Now, your county government here
and your people, represent the product
of the ideals and thoughts and
actions of the pepole. Whatever government
you have here is \v"?.at you
make it, and the people that have
preceded you, and you have no better
government than the ideals of your
people. You have just such government
as the ideals of your people require.
If the standard is high, and
your officers live up to that standard,
and your people support them in it,
then you have a efficient and enlightened
government. If your ideals are
low and your conception of auty is
low and small, and there is laxness
in the administration of the affairs,
and consented and winked at by your
people, then your government will be
lax, and the protection of your people
will^e insucure. Therefore, the question
is, what are the ideals of your
people? What are their conceptions
of the rights of citizens with reference
to the community and with reference
to others. We claim, under our
system of government that every mar
is entitled to work out his own destiny
in his own way without let or hindrance
from others. That is true, Mr.
foreman, and gentlemen, provided, in
the exercise of those rights, he does
not encroach upon the rights of others.
Every man has tho right to the acquirement
and possession of property
and to work out his career in his
own way, but he has no right, in the
exercise of these rights, to go beyond
the law and invade the rights of
others. When he goes beyond the law
and encroaches upon the rights of
others, then that is license and not
liberty. He becomes a law-breaker
and not a gced citizen. We have
evolved our government through the
years and centuries paSt. We believe
in the protection of our property and
the enjoyment of our liberty; of what
we call inalienable rights. That is
guaranteed, or is supposed to be guaranteed
to us, by our constitution, the
enjoyment of liberty, the protection
of ycur person, home, property,?inalienable.
Therefore, we have laws
constitution, statutes, common law, to
protect these rights. Now, most men
accede to that proposition and under
take to live under these laws, but there
is a certain percentage of people who
do do observe the rights of others.
These are what we call the lawbreakers.
In my judgement, the greatest work
that we can do t* ou ^country and to
our fellowrr.an is to brin? about con
GREELYVILLE NEWS.
What Our Neighbors Are Doing, as
1 Reported b.v our Correspondent.
i ???
Greelyville, March 15.?Many of the
t young people expec* to attend a Sunday
school celebration next Thursday
- at St. Paul's chuich. Everybody is in.
vited.
Mr. J. A. Blackwell, his wife and
father, Mr. S. J. Blackwell, left for
Florence Wednesday to attend the
i wedding of Miss Annie Blackwell at
the residence of her brother, Mr. S.
Henry Blackwell. Miss Blackwell is
i to wed Mr. Richard Plowden of Col
umbia.
1 Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Crawford, of
" Sumter, are visiting Mr. and Mrs. J.
1 A. Blackwell.
Mr. W. W. Boddie and Mr. David
[ Scott, of Kingstree, were in Greely
ville this week.
! At the municipal election held this
week the following officers were elected
for the year: J. A. Blackwell, In+/?r>rJanf
Mpcsrc C, F. Recrister. Fred i
[ Mishoe, A. B. Boyle and W. J. Cook,
wardens. We wish for Mr. Blackwell
a most successful term and take pleas!
ure in stating that the town appreciates
the services of Mr. Barnes
* Loyle during the past year. He did
a great deal for the upbuilding of the
town and very efficiently handled al!
01 its affairs.
The many friends of Mr. Robert K.
, Footman, of Denmark, are glad to
, have him hack home again.
Mr Everett Hinds, formerly with
, the Kingstree Drug Co., is now eor.;
nected with the Service Drug Corr
pany here and w* welcome him to our
city*
I Mr. T . E. Gues>? went to Bloom!
\ ille this week.
Mrs. Theresa Register spent last
week-end with her mother here.
Mr. T. W. Boyle visited in Sumter
this week.
We are glad to report a steady improvement
in the condition of Mr.
Roland Boyle, at the hospital in Sum.
ter.
t Mr. and Mrs. Green Broadway, of
Paxville, visited the home of Mr. E
M. Guess last week.
Rev. J. R. Funderburk, Dr William
O'Bryan and Pref. W. M. Bonner vis,
ited the Kingstree Masonic lodge
last Thursday night.
[ Mr. W. E. Lesesne wa8 badly cut
by his horse throwing him against a
tarbed wire fence while on a fishing
, trip last week.
The pretty weather of this week is1
being taken full advantage of in the
way of the rush in preparing land
for planting truck. A considerable
acreage of beans is being planted.
I
d-tions, ov see that conditions are such
that there will be fewer people who
will break the law, to try and convict
him, but your duty is to see that conditions
in your county are not bleeders
of crime, but that conditions are
such that it will make crime impossible?not
impossible, because we will
hardly reach that stage in :ur day
and generation, but the statistics show
that hundreds of thousands of crimiiV
tlio wnrM* ftiaf frtiA ronfirm
IiaiO III bllV IIVAIU) VMM* |
cd criminal has three distinct characteristics.
The first is that he won't
work. It is not often that you see
a man working at a steady job, commit
a crime. It is usually done by
idlers. Now, Mr. Foreman and gentlemen,
we have a law on our statute
books that gives the officers the right
and power to arrest and to comicti
and to punish the person who has no j
visible means of support?the vag-'
rant. And therefore I will call your
attention to the very first duty in this!
county, is for your magistrate to put
these people to work. If they won't
work, bring them up and try them;
put them on the chain gang. Now,
we have got all the law we need?
plenty of law?nothing the matter
with the law. We want it enforced.
So the first essential element is to get
rid of the vagrant glass of people?
put them to work, and as I said before
you will find that in nearly every case
the crimes are done by the idler, and
if he does not work, he has got to
steal, sombody has got to feed him.
If he won't work, you can put it
down as a certain truth that he is
getting something from somebody?
if not honestly, then dishonestly. Not
only that, but I think the : neatest
thing for the condition of our country i
today is for the people to get back to I
work. You hear a great deal of hard
times and no money, and some people'
don't do a thing but run up and down
the road complaining about their troubles;
bmflbig up gasoline and wearing
out tftes; making themselves miserable
and everybody they meet.
Work, work, that is the panacea that
IN RE: LANES SCHOOL
Why Mr. Brown Was Appointed and
Mr. Bass Relieved. 1
Editor County Record: '
It has been suggested that I make
public our reason for appointing Mr.
J. H. Brown as school trustee at Lane
in place of Mr. R. L. Bass.
Mr. Bass has been one of our most (
responsive and useful trustees, and ,
we have never had a trustee that we (
appreciated more. About a year ago,
however, Mr. Bass saw me personally
and resigned, giving as his reason,
as I recollect, that he had bought a .
home in Florence county and expect- (
ed to live there. He suggested the
appointment of Mr. Brown in his ,
place; also some one eLse whom I can- ,
not recall. Mr. Bass advised me, and
so did others, that his business would ,
still be conducted at Lane, and that
he would be there a part of every ,
week. Regreting to lose so useful a 1
trustee, the resignation was pigeonholed.
The point of law having been ,
raised, however, it seemed to me necessary
to appoint Mr. Bass' successor. ,
In doing this, I considered only two
things: his own nomination and my
personal knowledge of the eminent ,
fitness of the man he suggested.
J. G. McCollough,
March 11, 1921. Supt. of Education. ,
will get rid of the ills. Of course, 1
you cannot put every fellow on the
chain gang who does not work, be- !
cause we would not have enough '
shackles to hold them, but I think it 1
is time that some of them were being
reminded that we have got a lot here. 1
Some of them are justified in being ,*
discouraged, but that does aot get 1
them anywhere. Put them to work. 1
Ther are a lot of roads tp be work- 1
ed in this county.
Now Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen. -1
the next element, is the desire for ?
stimulant, the desire for excitement. *
The normal man does not crave ex-1 J
o+imulamf K,if fVir> rrimi~ ! 1
LllCIUCilb anu Obuuumav, wvtv -wv v..
nal, has got to have something to sti- ^
nulate him. Then you find him mak- J
i ig liquor, drinking liquor, gambling. -
and next to that the bawdy house, i
prostitution. What about the enforce- s
ment of the liquor laws in this coun- :
ty? Well, I have talked with some ]
people this morning, and I am very 1
glad to know that the sheriff and other j
oiffcers are making it pretty hot for j
them, but I am told there is prota- (
bly a little that may be had around i
the swamps. Now, there is no reason i
why the good people of this county f
should put up with the lawless ele- i
ment who disregard your sentiments <
and the decency of your society and <
drag down your goverhment in thejj
dust. The people who engage in the (
making and selling of liquor will do j i
anything. The only way is for each in- j
dividual citizen to put himself on the j i
si fdeol aw apu-podudett__ o;atf.ddb \
side of law and order and decency
and support the officers cf the law j f
and not honor the criminal, but to as-! i
sist the offiecrs of the law in bringing (i
the criminal to justice. I have known i i
men in my county who would get blue 1
in the face, especially because we did 3
not interfere in Mexico, and preserve ^
order there, while his son was buy- j 3
ing liquor within a quarter of a mile I r
of his doer, and yet this man did not' j
have the moral courage to go into the 1
court house and testify to what he t
knew. He was willing to pi t this c
government in war to enforce law a s
thousand miles from here, but didn't r
have the moral courage to enforce it t
at his own door. Nothing the matter 1
with the law?got plenty of law, but s
we need men with some back-bone v
and some courage, to enforce the law p
and that is the point that I make to t
you. If your citizens have got the t
moral courage to turn their faces 1
against the crime and stand behind c
those who would enforce the law, then (
you can clean up conditions. But some v
of our people would say that a man c
has got the right to make liquor and e
distribute it in the community. Got n
no right to interfere with his personal c
liberty. Mr. Foreman and Gentle- ci
men, if a man steals a hog of the p
value of over five dollars, or steals c
a cow or a horse and is convicted in y
li-:- inocfr ttinf T ran cive
tins tuuii, cue iv>cv - ohim
in one year and a fine of one a
dollar. But the man who steals your p
son by debaunching him with his il- s
licit traffic, steals his health, steals s
his efficiency, and when he is brought g
into the court to be sentenced, then y
he should be given a little fine. That s
is the conception of some people as n
to how we should administer justice t
The man who steals my cow is a worse i
criminal than the man who steals my a
sen. I could buy another cow, but af- g
tev my ?on's health, life, character, t
News From Around Cades.
Mrs. J. Williams, after spendin
i few day with her mother Mr
Johnson has returned to her home i
Rex, N. C.
We are glad to report that Mr
S. W. Jennings is improving.
Miss Rosa Bruorton's brother an
friend from Rhems motored up la
Sunday and took she and Miss Ro:
Cox over to Florence to spend the d;
with her cousin at the McLeod Ii
firmary.
Miss Hazel Hannah after spendir
a few days with her sister in Jorda
returned home accompanied by h
friend, Miss Clara Belle Ridgewa
of that place.
Miss Alyce Patterson of Bennett
ville spent the month of Februar
with her sister, Mrs. Jim Graham i
her beautiful country home in tl
pines.
Mr. Ollie R.ith of Andrews was tl
eery pleasant guest of friends hei
the past week.
Miss Rosa Bruorton is spending tl
week-end at her home at Rhems.
Mrs. Martha Graham of Heminj
way is making quite an etended vis
at the home of Mrs. Sam Graham.
Mrs. T. J. Phillips of Andrev
spent Wednesday of last week wii
ber daughter, Mrs. W. H. Foxwort
The children of Rough Bran*
school are having quite a lot of fi
learning to play basket ball on the
new court.
A very interesting patriotic pr
grram was carried out at the Epworl
league meeting at Bethesda chun
Sunday night, March 13, as follow
Song, "America" by league. Scri]
ture reading by president. Prayer t
J. W. Cox. Minutes, roll call, bus
less. Song, "The Star Bangled Bai
r.er", by Miss Bruorton. Piano sol
Miss Mae Pipkin. Life of Gener
Pershing, by J. W. Cox. "The moi
Interesting Experience Overseas", t
J W. Cox. Song. "America tho Beai
tiful", by Miss Mae Pipkin, Ca*
Roper and Anna Graham. Talk t
Mrs. vv. u. ttannan. song,
Bless Our Native Land", by leagu
Benediction. "The Tattlers".
future are ruined, then the crirrJn;
should be given a fine and then go bac
ind proceed with his business. TI
joint that I want to convey to yen
ninds is the ideals of justice and goc
,ood government, and what I want 1
?et in South Carolina is a proper coi
reption of the relative degree of erin
nafity in the violation of the lav, an
f we can get that healthy public sei
iment to back up the law of the lan
md the officers in the enforcemm
>f it, then we would have a good go^
irnment, and then each man will fe(
safe in his own home where he may a<
.umulate his own property and hav
t protected.
It is just as important, Mr. Fon
nan and Gentlemen of the jury, fc
is to see that our children and th
:hildren who are born hereafter hav
\ clean, moral atmosphere to gro1
lp in as it is to see that ffley hav
i go<)d physical atmosphere to liv
n. To put mem wnere inej >?uui
>ecome infocted with small pox c
rellow fever would be a crime, but i
vould be just as much a crime to tak
rour children and put them in a ba
noral atmosphere. Our children hav
jot to grow up where wc iocati
rhey have got to live with us unt
hey have reached the age where the
:an go out and take care of then:
;elves. Why, you can't say that
nan will not commit a crim"
>ut you can say that you will not a]
ow conditions in this county to b
uch that they will bred crime. 1
re allow people to become vagrant.1
>ermit the iliicit sale and manufac
ure of liquor, peremit houses of pros
itution to florish, permit the horn
ife to be debaunched, how can yo
xpect anything else but crimniaL
)ur responsibility is to make the en
ironment here and now that will en
ourage and aid and assist in the high
st and best in our life; to elimi
iate the vile influences that brec
riminals. There can be no vile con
litions in this county without you
termission, that is I mean continu
us, Tftey cant continue wiwvu
our permission.
Now, you have taken an oat
.bout diligently inquiring and tru
(resentment make. A man can'
hut his eyes to the law an
ay "I couidn't ece". You will dili
;ently inquire into the conditions i;
our county. So that involves th
olemn obligation of your opportu
iity to know conditions. That is no
rue only of you, but every citizei
n this county?to know condition
md not leave it to the sheriff and ma
fistrates and constables, and then sa
hey don't do their duty. Do not as
<
'MRS. L D. BICHAM
: REUSED FROM JAIL
s. ' ARRESTED FRIDAY FOR TRYING
TO SLIP POISON TO HUS- ,
id BAND IN PRISON
st
sa Following an attempt late Friday
iy afternoon to slip a small bottle of
a_ chloroform to her husband in the ?
county jail Mrs. E. D. Bigham was
taken into custoday late Friday night
in by Deputy Sheriff M. B. Burch. vShe
er occupied a cell in the county prison,
v, The attempt to convey the poison
: tc Bigham failed, Jailor J. E. Cook
s. j having been on the watch out for
y, seme sort of proceeding and having
at made arrangements to intercept any
le secret communication between the
husband and wife. .. /% j
ie Jailor Cook worked through one
re of the trusty's, a prisoner in the jail
whose confidence Bigham supposed
ie he had obtained. When Mrs. Bigham
visited the jail Friday afternoon to
?. see her husband she slipped the bottle
;it of cloroform to the trusty and requested
him to convey it to Bigham. The
rs trusty immediately turned the phial
th containing the drug over to Sir. Cook,
h. who informed Deputy Sheriff Burch
di and Coroner Smith of what had haptn
pened. Physicians were consulted and
ir it was learned that the bottle contained
a sufficient quantity of the
0- drug to cause death. A warrant was
th thereupon sworn out before Magis:h
trate Wetmore for Mrs. Bigham's
s: arrest
p. It developes that upon three differ>y!
cnt occasions in the past several
1-j weeks Sir. Bigham has attempted to
[j- j communicate with Mrs. Bigham by
o, | means of notes. His plan was to give
al | the notes to one of the prisoners, who
st enjoyed some liberties about the jail.
>y1 to be handed to Mrs. Bigham.
j. J prisoner gave the scheme away to
ss! the jailor. While the notes were al>y
lowed to go thijough and be deliverJ
TVio onnfnnfc nf fViOCA
e. not been given out for publication
jand will probably be withheld until
the case comes to trial.
al Deputy Sheriff M. B. Burch arrest- ,j.
ed Mrs. B:gham at the Atlantic Coast
ie Line passenger station Friday - . 0
ir night just as she was preparing to . 1
)Cj take the train on her return to Green 0
ville where she has relatives. Mrs.
Bigham was accompanied by her
!_ daughters, Misses Louise and Evelyn.
l(j Mrs. Bigham was released from confinment
Monday.
it: sume; do not take it for granted.
r- j That is the principal of our law f
?1 until the contrary is known, but it r' *
1 is your duty to know, and then after i V.
e you know them, then it is your duty
i to truly condemn them. God Als
mighty has given you eyes and ear* *
>r;and all the faculties of sense toie;know
the outside world. He
ej given you a mind to reason with. He
iv has given you a will to execute. Now,
e use your eyes and ears and know
s; what is going on, in this county,
d then use your good common sense
>r and edtermine what ought to be done;
it then present it; True presentment
:e make, so help me God". And then
d when you have done that, your powe *
e :does not stop there. You can pre2.
sent any man in this countv, or woi!
man either, without its having to go
y before a magistrate. I have known
i- cases where the magistrate refused
a tc issue a wan-ant. If any such con?,
dition in your county prevail, you
I- don't nave to sic neipiess. au yuu
e have to do is to get the names of the
i witnesses and then present tliem to
;, the court and the solicitor will try
them. That is your power, not only
(- your power, but is your duty, *
e applies to even.' element in your ctunu
ty. They don't like to go into that
3. j cock. I have heard some oeople say
i- that there was no use to try them,
i- because they would come clear. Mr.
i- Foreman, they could rot come clear
- if you have got that moral courage
d I told you about awhile ago. My
opinion is that the petit jury will
r convict them of they have thQ.*tes
timony, and it is fairly presented to
t them. So then, Mr. Foreman, and
gentlemen, put them on trial. Even
h suppose they do get by the petit jury
e when they employ lawyers. I have
t been one myself, you know, and they
d don't work for nothing ordinarily,
i- unless they are appointed by the
n judge, and when they get through
e paying the lawyer's fee, they have
- paid a pretty good flne. So, Mr.
t Foreman and gentlemen, where they ^ .
n, violate the law, put them on trial J
s put them to the trouble, and I can tell
you that you will soon "lean up the
y mischief.'
, ' (Concluded Next Wee,) __
. J