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

have been guilty. Potter's con-
fession that Ford was not guilty
did not make the fact any more
patent to my mind than the eyi-
dence on which he was tried and
convicted made it. A copy Of
the review was furnished to
Gov. Miller as well as to Judge
Eakin and other officials. Some
400 or500 copies were distrbu-
ted among the people, that they
might not be ignorant of the real
facts on which he was convicted.
The petitions attesting the good
character of Ford and family and
praying for his pardon were prin-
ted and circulated throughout
Crittenden county, that the peo-
pie might know who he was and
that he was no felon as might be
supposed by those who were
strangers to him.. A great reac-
ton i'll his favor in Crittenden
county seemed to set in, and as
| am informed, some 600 or 700
citizens of the county petitioned
the Governor to exercise execu-
tive clemency. Several hundred
additional petitioners from Lin
coin and Moore.prayed the Gov
ernor for executive clemency. A
numerously signed petition from
Saline county, Illinois, was also
sent. Memphis seemed to be a
unit in desiring his pardon, and
considerable number of her
leading men worked actively and
energetically In his behalf. The
newspapers in Memphis and 9TH
er places in Tennessee, as well as
some in Arkansas, plead earnest
ly and urged executive clemen-
| cy. When the real facts be-
came known, everybody seemed
to become satisfied that Ford
would be pardoned. Jeffries
made his escape from Jail in
Marion on the night Of the 14th
of April. Huey demanded his
trial;at Osceola the first week in
Mayra His COUNSEL urged that
he be tried. The State .contin-
ued, the case on account of the
absence of Potter, until the No
yember term of Court. The pa
pers were all gotten up to be pre-
sented to the Governor on or be-
fore the Goth day of May.
It was believed that, taking
all the evidence together showing
his innocence of the crime, the
want of proper evidence to con
yict, his good character, and the
overwhelming desire of the best
citizens everywhere that he
should be relieved, that a full and
unconditional pardon should be
granted him. | do not believe
nor did l confer with any one
who believed the Governor under
the facts would permit him to be
executed; certainly none who
thought he would allow him ex-
ecuted before Huey was tried.
1t was supposed by some that his
sentence might be again respited
till after Huey was tried, by 9TH
ers that his punishment might be
committed to Imprisonment in
the penitentiary till after the pre-
sent exciting contest for Cover
nor Of Arkansas was over.
/ never did hear any persons
outside of Crittenden county say
that they thought Ford should
be executed. On the contrary,
almost everybody seemed to be
a unit in favor OF executive Gle
mency in some form. Most gen.
orally they express themselves
in favor of an immediate and full
pardon and almost always in
earnest and strong language, a.
bout as expressed by an editorial
in the Memphis Appeal of April
18th, and the Independent dr.
kansid,s few days afterward.
The most Of those in Crittenden
county whom / heard contending
that Ford should be executed
were not white people but ne
groes, who did not care to argue
whether Ford was guilty or in-I
nocent, but eontended that as
of, their own color had
been recently hung in the coun-
ty the white man ought to hang
too, that to hang the colored peo-
pie when they were convicted
and not to hang the whites when
they were convicted was making
a distinction in the two races
that was notright. j tried with
out much avail to impress them
that they had misconceived the
whole matter, and that it was
not making question of "col- |
or" but of "gaaH or s,anocepce.D
| didlmeet a few of the colored |
people ,whe admitted they be-
lieved Ford innocent and should |
be pardoned. sf M
On the 18th of May l sent a
communication to the Governor
his attention to the
strong points in the case, pre-
senting a summary Of all the
leading facts made by Ford's
friends-and. stating in conclu-
sion / thought the evidence was