Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1878-06-07
To HIS Excellency the Governor, }. N
Stone:

~ NV GANNAAN IVY N"N
Stone:
Your petitioners would respectfully rep.
resent that AlOnz0 Mitchell, a citizen OF
Warren county, was indicted, tried, conyic.
ted aud sentenced to hve years imprison.
ment In the State Penitentiary, at ihs
October term AID. 1877, Of the Warren
Criminal Court, for the killing OF one l,aac
billiard, and that a writ OF error In bis case
was prosecuted to the Supreme Court ~
this State, which Court eff med the ludg.
ment OF the Court below, aud the said
Alonzo Mitchell Is now in the Stale Peni.
Tertiary In accordance with said verdict.
We, your petitioners, would further rep
resent unit your Excellency that there are,
and were many e"xtenuatlng circumstan-
ces surround ing this homicide, which 10
our judgment eniitle Mitchell 10 the eXer.
else VI the Executive cIsmenGy In his be.
half.
In the various race troubles which DC.
Cured In this county, growing out OF
racial and political questions, Mitchell,
alth Jugh q cOlored mau, wac the friend OF
the whIte people. he kept them Informed
VI all the an~tagonistic move ems Of the
ne IrOes In this county, and did all In bis
power ~ suppress aud quiet violence On
the part o, the negroes. This vas esps-
cially true. as regarded his conduct in tue
events Immediately preceding the events
VI Dec mber eth, 1875. His uyaljl, Il uth
and worth were fully appreciated and tue
peril OF his situation was Jude stood Oy
all the good and ~law-abIding citizens Of
the county.
81 bis conduct In this connect on, be
aroused all the enmity and hatred Of all
the negroes, who were turbulent and die.
contented, and especially was this trua OF
thls man Isaac billiard, whom he slew.
This man was 4 Lieutenin INT under Andrew
Owens, one Of the negro leaders, who led
the negro mob against Vicksburg IN
December, 1875. This billiard was q hit
ter and unreIGnting hater Of the
white people, and when bis, Cross
by's, and Owens movements failed
OF success, his and their feelings OF hatred
was conferred against those OF their race
whom they supposed were responsible by
their advice and otherwise IN securing
their defeat. And as between billiard and
Mitchell, billiard and all bis following pur.
sued Mitchell with unrelenting hatred,
and sought to force him into q difficulty In
which be would lUse his life. And 10 pur-
suance OF such design they did 80 follow,
annoy, Vex and threaten, until he was
compelled 10 take the life Of billiard. We,
your signers, here affirm this 10 be true,
60 far as we can learn Of the facts, which
would probably not have been admissible
10 Court as testimony. We alSo say that
there 10 not q more peaceable, quiet, and
%lnoffenslve man In the county than AlOn.
20 Mitchell, and one for whom, on account
Of such qualities the people entertain q
higher regard than him.
Attesting his good character, and salts.
hed that be felt called upon for his own
ssfety ~ commit the act which he did, We
conceive that he was justified, and al
though the findings OF the Court we're le'
gally correct, yet II is such q case as en-
titles him TO q pardon at the hands Of your
Excellency, and for this we humbly and
respectfully pray. And your petitioners
would further represent that all the wilt
nesses on the part OF the state were the
members Of the same Church, immediate
relatives, ~nelRhbors, living on the same
place and around the same Church VILE
this man billiard, and belonged 70 the
command Of Andrew Owens, who led the
negro mob against Vlcksburg, and undei
whom was the said billiard, as a Lleuten
ant, and the friendship which Mitchell
showed to the white people aroused ant
kept alive the enmity Of these witnesses.
naananNf nl1v