The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-07
EDDIE DAVIS NECK SAVED.
HIS SENTENCE COMMITTED TO LIFE
IMPRISONMENT III GOV.
ATKINSON.


His Respite for Thirty Days Re-
suI.ed in the Saving of His Life.
He Had Il Narrow Escape From
the GaIiOWs ON Jan. IL. when He
Was to Have Been HanEcd-Hard
work of Davis Attorney 40 secure
the CommutaiiOn-Davis Receives
the News with Joy.
There viii be no legal hanging in Sa-
vannah this month. Eddie Davis was 10
have been hanged Feb. Is for the murder.
in January. 1884. Of Willis Brown, he hav-
ms been given a respite OF thirty days
by Gov. Atkinson at the request OF sew
eral well-known citizens. The news Of
the Communication OF Davis SEN
tence to life Imprisonment was
received yesterday. the first information
being a telegram to his attorney. Air.
z. r. Mcclellan. from J. Il. Deveauz.
who went to Atlanta to present the petit
ton in Davis behalf personally TO the
governor.
The circumstances Of the crime are IA
miliar. Davis and Brown had a quarrel
about the formers wife on the morn
ing Of Jan. l6. 1894, they had a scrap about
the matter. Davis father went TO Brown
TO straighten it out. While they were
talking together Davis came up. grabbed
up Browns gun. with which the latter
was just starting on hunt, and shot him.
Davis claimed that Brown advanced on
him with an ak, and struck at him. and
that he merely picked up the gun to de-
fend himself, and it exploded without bis
Intending to shoot. he said that he had
nothing whatever against Brown and
never intended to do hlm the least injury.
There has always been some little dc ubt
in the minds of several who are familiar
with the case as to whether there was not
small element Of selt-deIense in Davis
case. and others seemed to consider il a
case Of manslaughter and not murder
Davis was sentenced 70 be hanged in
April. 1884, but an appeal was taken and
last fall the supreme court affirmed the
decision of the court below.
In december Davis was again SEN
fenced to be hanged. the date set being
Jan. IS, 1895. The circumstances of his
narrow escape are famil ar. He had bid
a farewell to all his fellow prisoners and
was almost on his way to the gallows
when Sheriff Roman was telephoned by
his attorney and asked TO wait until the
governor could be heard from. Sheriff
Roman agreed to wait until L O'Clock
noon, and a few minutes before that t.ne
he received a telegram from the goyernor
respiting Davis until Feb To- Davis was
overjoyed at his respite. lie had never
had any hope of being saved from the
gallows and he looked upon his execution
as certain.
After he was respited his attorney went
to work at once to see what could be done
towards securing a Communication of his
sentence. a petition was prepared to for
ward to the governor and the signatures
of all the jurors in the case asking a
Communication of his sentence was OBJ
tanned. Besides these the signatures Of
many wen known citizens. including
that of Mayor Myers, were obtained. The
petition was presented TO the governor by
j. II. Deveaux. the colonel commanding
the first battalion infantry Georg.a vol
unteers, colored, and he telegraphed the
news OF the commutat.on to Davis at
torney yesterday.
A telegram to the Morning News last
night stated that in cons. dering The petit
ton the governor had given weight 10 the
fact that Davis is a negro of weak mind.
The news OF the Communication will be Ie-
ceived with pleasure by many who have
interested themselves In Davis case, and
his attorney deserve much credit for the
hard work he has done 10 save the negros
neck. The success was due no DOUBT,
principally to his efforts, and had he not
asked a postponement of the execution
on Jan. IS Davis would no doubt have been
hung at that time.
Davis was informed yesterday by his
attorney of the result of the efforts made
to save his life. lie was oVerjoyed at the
success of the effort and was profuse in
his ii 4 lks to those who had been mate
rial III securing the Intervention of the
governor.
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