The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-05-03


if, indeed, any case at all, when
it was proposed to place upon the
stand John Lilloy, who, it will be
remembered, had been previously
convicted Of burglary and consignod
to tho penitentiary. Tho dofenco
objected, upon the ground that
Lilloy was convicted felon and
therefore incompetent to testify:
The Judge sustaining this objection,
the solicitor produced a document
purporting to be pardon for John
Lilldy from Governor Chamberlain.
Tho pardon Was granted ION co,sdi,
ton that before delivering this tiar
don to tho said John Lillcy, tho
presiding judge shalb uiidcr his
hand ahd seal, certify to tho gov:
crnor that the said John Lillcy has
testified fully and i'll good fuith in
the case Gf tho State VS.. b. G. Yo-
tom" TT this docltment counsel
for the defendant objected on tho
ground that it was really no pardon
vt MI, and after rther discussion by
thu attorneys on each side, Judge
Northrop decided that the document
WAS Indeed no pardon ut all, and that
therefore Lilloy was incompetent rs
witness. A Chester correspondent
Of the Nc,cS uH0 Courier says
"rho most unfavorahle commentn
were freely made on this document,
md the proceeding Of bringing these
convicts CIsilloy and Mikell] to tcs-
tify is considered by every ono as
rank persecution. Tho defendant
has now the public opinion OIL his
side entirely" After argument upon
both sides tho case was given to the
jury, and they returned into court
about II o'clock on the night Of the
25th inst, with u verdict of mot
guilty." Thus o,1ls the last chapter
III the great Chester sensation, Of
which SO much was expected aid
from which nothing has como.
TIE PARDON OF JOHN LILLEY--
The reasons prompting the COVER
nor to grant conditional lmrdOn
t. tic notorious John Lilley, who
WAS under sentence of nine yours
imprisonment in tho bonitentinry
for burglary, have just been mado
public. An application for his
pardon was made to the governor
by Solicitor A. NJ. Nlackcy and his
assistant, G. S. Brice, Esq, on the
grounds that Lilley was in possess
ion of facts sufficient to establish
the guilt Of Yocom in connection
with the frauds alleged to have
been committed in Chester, and
that he was a necessary Witness
These gentlemen further stated
that Lil)cy's testimony would bo
corrobornted by that Of other per
sons, and that his pardon was on
that account all the more important
to the prosecution. They also sug-
gcstcd that "the pardon asked for,
ii granted, be forwarded to them, to
be delivered to the said John Lillcy
upon thc express condition That he
testify in the case in good faith"
The governor granted the ioardo,',
npCr condition that "thc Judge
presiding in the case of the State
US. B. G. Iocom shall certify to the
governor, over his official hand and
seal, that the said John Lillcy has
testified in said case, in lhe jildg-
mcnt Of said presiding judge, freely
and in good faith, touching all
matters as to which he may be law
fully inquired VI i'll said case" The
governor further wrote letter to
Judge Northrop, in which he gave
expression to tho embarrassment
which the matter had caused him,
and to his earnest desire to do full
justice i'll the premises. Hc stated
the conditions upon which he had
concluded to grant the pardon, and
closed by saying 81 know you will
appreciate this responsibility and
Will act discrcctly. You have
power to use or to withhold the
pardon, as your judgment and
official duty sl'all dictate" The
circumstances attending Judge
Nolthrop's refusal to recognize the
document produced in court as
any pardon at all, together with
tho result Of the Yocom trial, have
already been given. In an interview
with tho Columbia CORE spondcnt of
the NCirS u,tH IOh3.jer. the GOVERN