Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-06-03

Lyles and j. w. Moores, of Mem
phis, agreed to go to Little Rock
and present all the papers. NJ,
being an old Lincoln county man.
having gone to school withFord's
father, and served as a faithful
Confederate soldier in the same
army, having been raised and ed
ucated in the same neighborhood,
being well acquainted with Ford
and family and knowing the high
character and standing of the
hundreds of Lincoln county petit
TONERS, many of whom he knew
personally, Ideemed it quite prop
er that he should accompany Col.
Lyles, which he readily agreed to
do. A more sincere, earnest man
| have never seen than Col. Jas.
w. Moores, well known here, also
by the people of Memphis and by
many in Arkansas; he stood de-
servedly high with all. They,
Lyles and Moores, telegraphed to
the Governor several days in sue
cession stating the business they
wished to see him on and to know
when they could see him at his Of
lice; his secretary answered these
kilograms stating theGov-
ernor was not i'll and he did not
know where he was or when he
would be in. On the 23d of Nav
they went to Little Rock. The
Governor had not still arrived,
and they could not learn from his
secretary anything whatever of
his whereabouts. In the mean
time Col. 5. w. Fordyce, former
ly of Alabama but now of Hot
Springs, and Maj. Sam'l H. Whit
thorne, formerly Of this State but
now of Arkansas, reached Little
Rock anxious to see the Govern
or and prevail on him to exercise
executive clemency. They join
ed their efforts to those of Lyles
and Moores. kilograms were
sent i'll every direction where
there was faint suspicion he
might be, but still no tidings of
him came. In the meantime his
continued absence under the cir
cumstances, and considering the
high and responsible duty devol-
wing on him which could be prop
erly performed only at has office
"a Little Rock, and the near APP
preach of the day of execution
caused a feverish anxiety and nc
little concern to pervade all class
es Of the citizens Of Little Rock
A number of the leading citizens
and ostprominent officials went
to the executive office and re.
quesfed to see the papers. Or
being shown them, so plain was
the case to all that they became
greatly excited and again indus.
Itriously sought the Governors
whereabouts but in vain. The
personal friends of Gov. Miller
then went to his Private Secreta-
ry and son-in-law, W. j. Joblin
and begged him for the sake Of
the Governor to grant a respite. .
1t was then thought by many
that it would be proper for the
President of the Senate, who re-
sided at Little Rock, in the abb
sence Of the Governor to extend
the clemency prayed for. That
officer was willing to do so, but
as he understood the law, he did
not have the power unless "the
Governor was absent from the
State" and as the Governor was
understood to be somewhere in
the State Though nobody knew
where) he did not feel authorized
to act in the premises. Again
the Private Secretary was be-
sieged by numerous earnest and
anxious people to grant a respite,
if but a short one, so that the
Governor would have the 0ppor-
tunity at has office to hear and
examine the whole case thorough
ly and do right aUith a .tuU en-
derStdnding Of all the. facts. The
pressure was so great at one time
that it was understood he had well
ded and that the respite would be
granted. just about this time,it
being on the night of the Goth of
May, my solicitude being very
great | telegraphed to Moores &
Lyles to know the status of the
case. Between 8 and 10 o'clockp.
m. | received the following tele-
gram i'll reply: "Hare ecery rea-
son to eTpect Governor an morn
ing. Judges and everybody esa-
listed an oar cause and erpect to
succeed, though the Gorermor
don't aarive." | felt confident
then that all would be right and
my soficitude was much relieved. |
received no other dispatch till
about 8 O'Clock ON themorning of
he 2oth when the following was
handed me: "LittIe Rock, 1rk.,
Nay 2Sth, ZSS0--Hdd hope till
asst night. Governor fatty re-
fuses respite. Signed, o. p.
LyIes." | cannot describe my
ceilings at this juncture. 1t pier
ed my heart more keenly than
lnything | have ever felt. Ford's
ife trembled in the balance and