The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, September 29, 1909, Image 1

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?OMTKR WATCHMAN, BMW ocwl Mated Aug. 8,188 PCbe (fiftatt'nnait an!) jJjutbrcn. - j Pebftahod Wednesday and Saturday ?BY? NTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY 8UMTER, & a Term*.: ? 1.10 per annum?In advance. Advertisements: One Squar* first Inosrtlon.$1.00 subsequent Insertion.10 Contracts for three months, or will be made at reduced rates. All communications which sub private interests will he charged Lfe* ae advertisements. ^ Oeetearlae and tributes of respects ?real he charred tor. BUEPORT ON COTTON STOCK*. hs America August SI, Number ed 1.519.081. Waehington. Sept. 13.?The total eweaber of bale* of coton held on An? lest tl In the United States wee 1. Itt.tll as against 1.11?.058 In 1108. a soar ding to a report by the census m today, end 1.114.587 in 1807. quantity of cotton held In the -growing State? od August 81 tos* was 702.?88 and In all other bOate? ?18.934. The quantity consum? ed during the year was 5.985,2a* bates against 4.518.090 In 1808. The I eweaber of active spin die? In opera * Uon during the year was 17.788.491. The total number of active spindles hs operation In the United States dur? ing; the yeer 1989 is compared with 91.108.411 in 1808 and 98.976.181 in 1907. The total number of active k st>4nelea In operation In the "cotton A grwwlng States" during the year 1808 woo 19.87X.87i compared with 10. 200,908 In 1808 and 8.887.884 In 1907. To* total number of active spindles tat operation In "all other States" dur? ing the year 1909 was 17.408.519. compared with 17.304.519 in 1908 and kl8.t47.897 lu 1987. Of the total nummber of bales of I cotton held on* August 91 last. 308. ? 889 was held by manufacturers m against 884.184 In 1808 and 1.018.718 '- The number of balee held JUpsat ?y al other holders 841.874 ha l&M end 497.829 In 1997. The quantity of cotton held in the "cotton-growing States" on August 31 Ust la compared with 887.801 in 1903 and 815.85? in 1907 and "in all ether 1 th* comparison Is again??? > lslt.998 in 1908 and 888.501 In 1907. The quant *.y of cotton consumed (bales) in the cotton-growing States daring the year 1909 was 2,488.919 against 2.187.099 In 1908 and 2.410. 992 in 1907. The total quantity of cotton of cotton consumed (bales) . daring the year 1909 In "all other ?tat??" was 2.599.481 against 2.251. 894 In 1908 and 2.579.842 In 1907. The totals Include 12.459 bales of foreign cotton In 1904, 7.S16 In 1908. 8.its in 1907. consumed by manufac? turers in the cotton-growing States and 125.884 against 141.912 In 1908. ^ 181.798 In 1907. consumed by manu faoturer? in all other States. The sta? tistics of other domestic and foreign cotton are In running bales gross weight WEXT i OTTOW REPORT. i - Wat-hlngtoR, Sept. 84.?The nest re? port of the census on the quantity of cotton ginned, which was to have Icon issued <>n Saturday, October t. will not he made public until 10 a. > m.. on October 4 next, telegraphic notice to that effect having today been a*?nt out by Director Durand. The law requires that the report of rhe bureau of statistics of the depart? ment of agriculture on the cotton must be made public on the same day ae the census report. "It Is Impossible for the bureau Of statistic* to prepare Its report before 18 o'clock on the day of Issue." ex? plained Mr. Durand, "and ae the ma? jority of the cotton exchanges clone at 18 o'clock on Sattirday. It would be impossible to take advantage of the Information. Therefore both reports will be Issued on Monday. October 4, the report of the bureau of statistics appearing at noon, as heretofore.'' Ml KDKU AND St K IDF. Oreenville, Sept. 24.?One of the most horrible domestic tragedies that has taken place near Greenville In a number of years occurred at Wood ?Id? village this morning when <;. W. Oallaway. a mill employe, shut and Instantly killed his wife, and then blew hla brains out with the same ? capon, a double-barreled breech loading shotgun. The crime was BOSS mitted about 5 o'clock, nd there were no witnesses, save two small children, who can not give a coher? ent account Ol the terrible happen shed April, ISM. 'Be Just an 1. SUMTEB judge mmm chaise, THE LAW AS CONSTRUED IN FAR* NIJM CASE. Tlicre is Apparently a Fine Lega1 Dis? tinction I let ween Ilrlbery ami Pay? ing; a Commission for Business Cor mpily end Dishonestly Awarded by A Purchasable Official. The following is the charge of Judge R. W. Mrmmlnger in the Far num case: '"The Court: Now, Mr. Foreman and Gentlemen of the Jury, upon tha law of this case, as to which alone It Is my duty to charge you pursuant to that provision of our Constitution, which directs that Judges shall net :harge juries in respect to matters of fact, but shall declare the law, I shall charge you. "It appears to me to be very simple now that It has all been threshed over and argued by the learned counsel on behalf of the State and defendant, and I myself, in the meanwhile during the heavy stress and strain of this pro? tracted trat, notwithstanding, have had some opportunity of eliminating the superfluities and getting down to direct your attention to that which Is entirely material. "Now, I ask your attention, gentle? men, strictly to the matters which I I shall lay before you. I have brought it down to the shortest possible form and tried to put It In such shape as you can thoroughly understand it, as I know you desire to do. You have first to take Into consideration wheth? er or not the State has proved the oase beyond a reasonable doubt, of which you are the judges, the legal principle of a reasonable doubt; and that Is that unless the guilt of the ac? cused Is proved to you beyond a rea? sonable doubt you must acquit him. If you have a reasonable doubt upon any material point in the case you must solve It In favor of the defend? ant and acquit. By reasonable doubt !s meant a real doubt a substantial doubt arising out of the testimony, a doubt for which you can give a rea? son. "Under the first count of the indict" meiit the State charges that the de uudunJ haa violated a ejection of our Criminal Code, to-wit: Section 261, In certain particulars set forth in de? tail in that count, and all of which you will have before you in your Jury room, and they have been repeatedly read In your hearing, and therefore it is not necessary for me to pause here to reiterate, but I am going to read you the section of the Code referred to, so that you may be fully in pos? session of the tertny of it. Now, give your attention to that, Section 261. (Reads section). "Now. you see. gentlemen, by this section it is made a crime, among oth? er things to corruptly offer and promise to make and give a gift and gratuity to any executive officer of the State after he has been elected and qualified for such office with In? tent to influence his vote, opinion, de? cision and judgment on any matter, question or proceeding which may be Pentling or which may by law be brought or come before him in his of? ficial capacity. Now, it Is upon proof of the specific material charges in the indictment that the State must stand or fall. You take each of those mater? ial elements of the section as charged specifically in the Indictment, and say whether each of them has been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. If not. the charge falls. If so, it is le? gally established. As, for instance, it is alleged that the alleged offer and promise was made by Farn urn to Wy lle after he had been duly qualified as a member of the board. I have al? ready decided in this case that if you find him to have been so duly qualified that as a matter of law he was an executive officer of the State, coming ?vlthln the terms of this section, but you are the judges of the fact as to whether or n:>t he has been proven to have been duly qualified, and, if so, v*,vi? ther the alleged offer and pro mise to pay him. if proved, was made to him by Firnum thereafter cor? ruptly, la the sum of $i.i 2r.. with in t nt To influence his act. vote, opin? is decision and Judgment In favor eeeeptenoe Of certain bids, and SO forth, as set out as material alle? gations of the indictment. No serious questions of law. gentlemen. upon wl.'ch you would need enlightenment v\ old arise under this count of th* Indictment. The Statute Plain. You have the charges in the indict gtenti you have the wording of the section of the statute, you see that the Offer and promise must be corrupt arid with intent to Influence, and IhOOO woids have so plain a meaning that all Riefl can understand them. Whether the offer and promise was ever consummated and whether the d Fear not-**Let all the ends Thou Ain t. S. C V&EDNESDA official was influenced and whether | the State lost anything or not are not tat ntlal elements to be proved ex?- j cept as to throw light upon the ques? tion of the corruptness of the offer and promise and intent to influence. The section is directed at the wrong of attempting to corruptly Influence official action with intent to influence unduly the action of the officer by the promisor. I charge you, how? ever, while upon this county and it likewise applies to the other counts and covers all of the propositions upon this point submitted on behalf of the defendant, and it bears upon the question of corrupt offer or promise and evil intent necessary to constitute a violation of the law here In question, that by Section 382 of the Criminal Code of this State the State recognizes that its no crime for the seller of goods to pay what are commonly known as rebates to persons holding offices or postions ot trust or profit. It makes it a crime for any State official to accept rebates for his individual use and not for the benefit and on behalf of the State; which means that while it is a crime for the State officer to take rebates and not turn them over to the State, It Is not a crime for the seller of goods in good faith to pay to the State officer such rebates, as, for instance, if a salesman offered a State officer charged with the duty of buying goods for the State his goods at the same price as the price of all others who bid for the sale and at the prices of like goods elsewhere, and at the same time in order to secure the order offered to share his com? mission on the sale with the State officer as a rebate for the State If he would buy his goods, not corruptly to offering and intending the rebate for the personal use of the State of- j fleer, but in good faith only to push his goods and earn his commission, he not being responsible for whether or not the State ofticer complied with thf statute referred to requiring him to pay such rebates to the State. Now, I read you the section, gentle? men, upon that point, Section 382. (Reads section.) This section shall not apply to officers in accepting re bates for their own personal use, but for the benefit and on behalf of the State. With this statement of the law, and as to the modification of the ninth and tenth requests of the de? fendant, I shall proceed. They will not be otherwise directly charged or refused unless I am requested to do j so speclflcially and to qualify them each separately. "We. pass then to the second and j third counts of the indictment, which j have in different forms charged the I same offence, to wit. bribery at com? mon law, the general definition of which offence is: "The corruptly offering, soliciting or receiving of any undue reward as a consideration for the discharge of any public duty." And by undue re? ward is meant any pecuniary advan? tage, direct or indirect, beyond that naturally attached to or growing out of the discharge of the duty, or as otherwise defined: 'Bribery is the voluntary giving or receiving of any? thing of value in corrupt payment for an official act done or to be done.' As it is a crime to take a bribe, it is clearly also a crime to give one for the offences are similar. The theory of our government is that all public offices are stations of trust, and that those clothed with them are to be ac? tuated in the discharge of their du? ties solely by the consideration of right and justice to the public good, and any serious departure from the line of rectitude in this behalf and any corrupt tending to produce such departure is a public wrong. But One Offence Charged. "Now, as to those two counts, th* second and third, they do not charge separate offences, but the same of? fence with a different degree of par? ticularity. That is, the State charges the defendant with a greater degree Of particularity in the third than in the second, the object being that fail? ing to prove the more particular al? legations set out In the third, it may yet prove the particular allegations set out in the second as to constitute the charge of bribery as common law. So, while at this point it may be well to state to you here and be done with that, that while you cannot find a verdict upon the second and third counts separately, as you can upon the first count as distinct from the second and third, the rule for you to follow would be, unless you find that none of the counts are made out and so find not guilty or that all of the counts ar?? made out and so flnl guilty generally, or find that only the first c<?unt is made out, you would write guilty on the first count, be? cause you see the punishment Is dif? ferent under the first count. And if >ou found a general verdict of guilty und yet meant to find guilty on all 3 t ist at be thy Country's, Thy God's am Y. SEPTEMBER 29, and sentence according^. And as to I a conviction upon the second an J third counts, common law* brib 4?fJr the punishment not being s* comes under the statute whic the punishment to the di the Judge, not to ex^ee with or without fine, W hfl the punishment following ??? tion under the first count only is very mach less. To make it plain, then, gentlemen, with this explanation your verdict should be either guilty, which means guilty on the first and either the second or third counts, which leaves the punishment to me, not to exceed ten years, with or without fine, or guilty on the first count, which means imprisonment not ex? ceeding five years or fine not exceed? ing three thousand dollars and im? prisonment not exceeding one year, or not guilty. I hope I have made that clear to you, gentlemen. It is difficult and I have done the best I could to make it plain. The Issues. "Coming now to the issues present? ed in those two counts, the second end third, in addition to the defini? tions generally and the general prin? ciples I have already given you, I have but a few considerations to ad? vert to and I have done. First, you will bear in mind in considering these counts as to whether they have been proved beyond a reasonable doubt or not. you take the general definition of bribery I have given you and then take the specific allegations of these counts in the inditcment and see if these specific allegations are made out, because, as I have told you, while the definition is general the Sfate must stand or fall by the proving or failure to prove these specific ma? terial allegations under the general definition. As, for instance, the sec? ond count alleges that the defendant corruptly, and so forth, gave a cer? tain sum of money to Wylie, a mem? ber of the board, and so forth, as a bribe and in corrupt payment for his act, and so forth, at Columbia, in Richland County. Now, if you rtnd that said sum of money was not so given, as alleged, in Columbia, that would amount to a failure; that would be lack of Jurisdiction of thi* coui tf A;r?n SP'oTTfes to-the other ?ia- ] terial allegations therein. Upon this point defendant claimed that the ac? tual money must be shown to have been paid in Richland County. But it seems to me that the weight of \uthority holds, and I charge you, that if the proof shows that the pay? ment of a check, draft or other de? vice used to cover the payment of the actual cash, and which was ac? tually cashed elsewhere, that would be sufficient to maintain the allegation as to payment in Richland County in this part of the indictment. "The third count, as I have stated to you, more fully sets out the alleged device by which it is charged the al? leged official was corrupted. You have all these allegations before you, gentlemen. If either point is made out upon every material point therein set out, then the charge of common law bribery charged in thot,e two counts is made out, but the first count is made out, the defendant is only guilty of the statutory crime charged thcrf.n; and if neither of the three is made out under the rules I have given you, he is not guilty. "One of the essential elements of difference between the first and tne other two counts is that in the first an offer and promise alone is charged, while in the others actual payment. A mere present to an alleged official given without a prior corrupt prom? ise, understanding or agreement will not suffice to constitute common law bribery. Where there is uch a pay? ment it is tor the jury to say whether or not the payment alter the act and not before is a subterfuge to cover a prior understanding or agreement, and whether or not from all of the evidence there was beyond a reason? able doubt such prior corrupt prom? ise, understanding or agreement, and that the payment was corrupt and done with tht intent to influence and as an undue reward and corrupt award for the discharge of a public duty. In o4ber words the payment must be a orrupt payment. Testimony of an Accomplice. "I come now, gentlemen, to the last and only other point to which I de? sire to draw your attention, and I do this in compliance with the request of counsel, not that it is strictly a matter of law, because it has been held and is the law that a Jury may convict upon the uncorroborated evi? dence of an accomplice, but it is also held to be the proper practice for the Judge to charge the jury when re? quested to do ho? and a request to which I desire never to tail to ac? cede that the jury are advised that it is not safe to convict a defendant upon the testimony of an accomplice unless It is corroborated in some ma power to convict upon the testi frony of an accomplice without cor roboration; but I feel that I do right to say to that it is even laid down in the law books and made satutory law In some States that it is not safe to convict upon the testimony of an ac? complice without corroboration. By an accomplice is meant one who is in? volved either directly or indirectly in the commission of the crime. To ren? der him such he must in some man? ner aid or assist in the criminal act and by that connection become equal? ly involved in the guilt by reason of the criminal transaction. "Now, then, gentlemen. I feel that I have discharged my duty here among you as well a? within me lies as your presiding judge I know that I have done so impartially. This case has been thoroughly and fairly pre? sented to you, and you have given all of it earnest attention. "Not far beyond the threshold of a judicial career, which I hope to make my life work and thereby pass down to my posterity, even unto the third and fourth generation as a presid? ing judge in South Carolina, and with j a faith in the efficacy of trial by jury [ as the most perfect system of admin ? istering justice ever devised by the human mind, and which has stood the most crucial of all tests, the test of times and experience, and under which the English-speaking peoples o* the world have arisen to the ut ^dt heights of prosperity and pow? er, upon you as a jury of your county of Richland, charged with the re? sponsibility of deciding the issues of fact, including as well the privilege of acquitting those not proven guilty as the sad duty of convicting those who are so proven under the rules of law, I cast this case. It is all for you; r,o take the indictment and decide the case." GRAFTER WINS OUT. FARNUM ACQUITTED OF BRIB? ERY Cl ARGE. State Loses the First of the Dispen? sary- Tlfefc?t-torors DiafiTTBeHeve The Money Was Given for Corrupt Purposes. Columbia. Sept. 25.?James 8. Far num has been acquitted of the charge of bribing Joseph B. Wylie, when the latter was a Slate dispensary direc? tor. Upon the back of the typewritten sheets of indictment No. 53 of the now famous "graft c^se^'" are th" fol? lowing words: "Kol guilty. W. L. Caughman, Foreman " To the de? fendant these few word* spell tree dom?relief from that use which the trial upon so seriou; a charge necessarily hi ought with it. lo the world at large these .Y*>nJs] also mean that the State has failed in the first of the trials that have set the country wild with expectation. Six hours it tock the Rich land county jury to decide that Fat-num was not guilty. With the clear cut words of Judge Memminger ringing In their ears tno lurors filed one by one from the court room shortly after 10 o'clock this morning and a little after 4 O'ol* . k their decision was an? nounced. 14 was a dramatic moment in the court room. The defendant grasped the hands of the individual juurors and expressed his apprecia? tion of their verdict. The news bpreod rapidly through the cu> and the wires commenced to flash with brief messages of the result of the trial. The general impression had been that a mistrial would result. The attorneys for the defense were naturally very much gratified at the result of the trial. Mr. Cochran stat? ed tonight that the verdict was ex? pected under the testimony and that the attorneys for the deefnse did not think that any other verdict could have been rendered under the cir? cumstances. Col. Nelson, immediately after the jury's decision was announced, made the laconic reply to a question as to what he thought about ;t: "All right," and his expression showed his pleasure. The defendant had a brilliant array of counsel. Mr. Ernest F. Cochran conducted the war against the indict? ment and other technical features o the case with much skill. Mr. P. H Nelson, of this city, was strong on the cross-examination of witnesses Mr. Ben Hagood's argument for the defense before the jury was a fea? ture. Attorney T. Moultrle Ifordecai. of Charleston! while not actually tak? ing part in the trial, was in continu? ous consultation with his associates. He sat next to the defendant during the trial and gave advice at various times. Attorney General Lyon, when ask E SOUTHRON, Established June, ISM ies?Vol. XXX. !??? 10* ed concerning the trial shortly after the verdict had been rendered by tho jury, said: "I have nothing to say. The testimony in the case speaks for Itself." He made no definite state ments as to the future action of tha State other than to say that the case against John Black, charged with ac? cepting a bribe, would very probably be called on Wednesday. This state? ment was made in the court this af? ternoon at the request of Judge Mem minger, who had previously asked that other cases be tried during next week than the remaining one for bribery against Farnum. Not talk? ing officially, the attorney general,** however, intimated that the first de? feat would not affect the course ot the State in reference to the othet indictments in the alleged dispensary "graft" cases. When pressed for an official state? ment the attorney general said: "I have heard it rumored that the jury declined to bring in a verdict against the defendant because they would not convict on the testimony of an ac? complice. If this rule is to be fol? lowed, it will always be a practical Impossibility to ever convict one ot bribery, for testimony in such cases must necessarily come from an ac? complice. When the verdict had been return? ed there was much speculation as to how the jury stood on the case. One of the jurymen, in speaking of ths deliberation, said: "We went to the room at 10:15 o'clock this morning. All of us were deeply interested in the trial and the testimony, and it was my observation that every man in the room was a serious thinking man, who knew his responsibility and intended to do his duty as he saw It. When we were all in the room and had time to learn the opinion of each as to what verdict should be render? ed, it developed that eleven were for acquittal and one for conviction. For five long hours we argued with ihie man. We believed that money had been paid, and eleven of us were con? vinced that it was merely given as a rebate in the regular course of buti--t ness, and there was no evidence, *s|| we understood It, that would, tend. 10^ make one believe that the*jnW>s^eJgejanar Rlverf"* for corrupt purposes. *s Wlfe?; the one juror, who was for convic? tion, had heard several of the jurors explain their views on the testimony offered, he came around to our side. A vote was then taken, and all of us voted for the acquittal of Mr. Far? num. We didn't believe that the tes timo v of the alleged accomplices of Mr. Farnum had been corroborated bv the testimony of others." CLEMSOX "I I ATS" IIX-TREATED? Their IiOt Said to be Worse Than That- of ?*Xeeroes on the Chain Gang.*' St. Matthew's. Sept. 23.?The edi? torial columns of the Calhoun Ad? vance are lurid this week over the treatment meted out to the "rats" at Clemson. alleging that "the boys are ill treated, often worse tran the ne? groes on the chaingang. Whipped, kicked and cuffed at will." it urges that the authorities lay a heavy hand on these desperadoes, and see that the new boys get some decent show of re? spect. Among many other things of simi? lar import it quotes from the students who returned home in disgust as fol? lows: 'They were not permitted to eal anything of any consequence, the oth? er students saying that the rats should not eat, throwing milk and coffee and emptying the leavings from their meals in the food of the rats, blinding, which consists of slap? ping the rats in the face as they paws them, put across boxes, trunks, etc., and severely paddled with raxor straps, paddles and even boards from boxes, turning the beds with the oc? cupants and keeping them awake all night, made t<> catch" bees that in? fest the table, and put them in their pocket*, and convey heavy boxes, trunks, water and slop from one place to another. "Some of the boys would resent the various insults, but when they did so the* would be overpowered and given a severe thrashing, either with fists or - boards, broom handles, etc. "Clemson will likely have a lawsuit* on its hands unless something is done to put down the lawlessness at that place during, the first few weeks of its opening every year." OM Time Hot Supper. The ladies of TIrzah Pnsbytertan church, assisted by their good friends. Will give at the home of Mr. Rob Burkett. Deisel!, on the night of Oct. 1st, an old time Hot Supper for the benefit Of their church. The p..H?c ivfted 4 I ;'.tt: nd,