The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1894-06-23
COL. HESlAlINGWAY's PARDON.
How the News Was Received by His
Host Of jackson Friends.
The History Of One ofthe Mo~t Remarkable
Cases on Record.

W cltlZensnlp.
Gov. Stone was the bearer of the pa
don in person. About 4:3O Saturda,
afternoon the Governor wal <ed up to
the Auditors Office, and calling Mr.
Will Hemingway out in the hall anG
said: II am going to pardon your faith
er this evening. 20 home and prepare
your mother for the news"
The young man was too full for utter.
ance. and simply thanking the Gov.
ernor he fastened home without tell
ing his associates Of the Auditors Off
ce what stroke of good fortune was his.
When he informed his mother she
gave way to her emotions and tainted,
and in d. few minutes the news was
known over the neighbo"hoOd, but did
not become current on the streets until
announced in the C!nrion-LedVr
Leaving the Auditors Office, the Gov
ernor walked to the pententiary with
the pardon in his inside pocket, and as
unconcernedly as if on An ordinary mis-
sion. Enroute he met Mr.. Collins
Hemingway, nephew of the cx-trc&s-
urer, and to whose untiring efforts the
pardon is largely due. Collins handed
, the Governor another batch of pct
tions, etc, which we're received as hav
been thousands of other names. with
out comment, and the Governor con-
tinued his journey to the State prison.
without impartiny the object Of his
mission.
He delivered the important docu-
ment 20 the warden and then went to
the depot where he boarded the } y :
clock train for Starkvillc. to attend the
! commencement of the \. Il NJ. Colle.c.
BY this time the Clorion-L LelWr had
rain was pouring gin torrents, a number
of Col. Hemmingways most intimate
friends, both ladies and gentlemen,
hustencd to the prison TO offer their
congratulations Among others pretty
little Miss Mary Hamilton. and She Il
was who took the overjoyed old man ~
the hand and accompanied him home
from his prison cell to sthe w"rd@!:
Office.
Mrs. Hcmmin"way mad sufficiently 70.
covered from hcrcNritcmcnt to be VITA
her husband during his last hour at the
prison, but no 0.4-r member Of her
family was there. They remained az
home and impatiently awaited the mo-
mcnt when they could wrlromr him On
the threshold of a HON" built through
their own energies since his incarrcr;t-
,ion. and which h. had never entered.
The distance from the prison TO tie
Hemingway home is only thr. e blocks.
but in triercnrc to q request from COZ.
Stone. the dcparturo was not made t.:
about - rIock'
No pen can des,'rih" the joy of ;'t~
homecoming. The family wa- the hap
,,icst in the world. and Thousand, o..
friends rejoiced with them. \ stream
Of noighborS and friends have passed in
and out ofthc home since saturday ever
ing at o'clock. Sunday was Il vcl'
table reception Guv. and Mr.. and Mrs.
Hemingway remained on the front cat'
lerv in The hall from morning till night
to welcome the hundreds whoralcu.
HISTORY OF THE t.sSE,
The pardon of CO... HrminrW"y calls
to uind one of the most remarkable
cases on record. which it is we'll enough
to briefly review here:
He was elected treasurer of the Stat.
of Mississippi in 1875 and served con
| tinously till 1880 when he was sue
ceeded by Capt. j. J. Evans. Failing I.
account to his successor for S3l5.6l2. /:
the matter was reported to the Legisla
ture then in session, and an invesliga
tion of the affairs of the Office was Or
dered FEBRUARY p, 1890. The committee
reported the shortage as above stated
and the grand jury, which assembled
in June following. returned Il true bill
against Col. Hemingway charging
with him embezzlement and failure It
account for public funds placed in hi
hands as shown by the books. OF his
Office.
Trial was had at the same term 0
court: he was convicted and sentenced
to five years in the penitentiary or
June 2lst, 1880.
The case appealed to the supreme
court and aruged before that tribunal il
the following October. Justice Wood.
read:the opinion affirming the decision
of the Circuit court on the first day O
December, 1890, and Col. Hemingwa,
went at once to the penitentiary. where
he has remained till Saturday evening
last, June 10th, and::where he has made
an exceptional record.
AS each prisoner is credited with
three days on every month on account
of good behavior, Col. Hemmingway
was entitled to thirty-siX days or
every year of his sentence, or $50 day.
off the five years, SO that he would have
been discharged on June lst, 1895.
The pardon gives him eleven and d
half monthes Of freedom in advance
and restores him to citizenship.
The idea circulating petitions over
the State for his pardon, was conceived
by Mr.. Joe George, Of Yazoo City, and
were presented February lst, last, tc
the members of the Legislature, mos,
of them singing them, and on February
22d, they were mailed over the State.
The response was wonderful. The
generous people Of the State were hap.
~, ~ N "a onnOrtNnitv IN evnresS tho; =