Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-12-12


The following is copy OF the petit
tion to the Governor in behalf of Mary
Barnes. who is now confined in the
Virginia penitentiary under a ten
year-sentence;
Hon. Charles T. O'Ferrall,
Governor of Virginia:-
Your petitioner humbly complain
ing ,prays for the exercise of executive
clemency in her case upon the follow
ing statement of facts. She submits
for your consideration a printed copy
of the petition which she addressed to
the honorable Judges OF the Supreme
Court OF Appeals of Virginia in which
will be found Transcript of the record
of her case.
Mr. PoLLARD's EVIDENCE.
She submits also a printed copy of
the evidence of Mr.. K. s. Pollard given
during the trial of Pokey Barnes, to
which are appended the certificates of
the clerk judge. com monwealth at
torney, that the testimony of said e
s. Pollard contains all the testimony
which in any way affected the case o.
your petitioner.
MARABLE HER ONLY ACCUsER.
She submits also q letter from the
commonweath's-att o: the coun-
| ty of Lnnenburg from which it appears
that she was convicted upon the testi-
mony of Solomon Marable alone.
Your petitioner says that a writ of er-
rOr was granted by the Supreme Court
of Virginia. and that afterwards her
case was dismissed from the docket
of the court on the motion Of her
counsel.
WHY HER PETITION WAS WITHDRAWN.
That action was adopted by them
because they feared that in the event
Of a new trial, she would have to be
returned to the county Of Lunenburg
where she would be in the danger o.
losing her life.
At that time the excitement causeC
by the murder of Mrs. Pollard was Sc
great, and the prejudice against youl
petitioner wa5 so violent as to cause
her counsel to apprehend the wors
consequences, If she should be carried
there.
THE NEW TRIALS FOR OTHERS.
, In the cases of Mary Abernathy ant
Pokey Barnes, which contain the sam,
allega ions of error as are contained il
my petition to the Supreme Court o
Virginia, new trials were granted, ant
it is therefore made apparent tina
your petitioner would have been gran
, ed a new trial If her case had not beel
withdrawn
Mary Alternately and Pokey Barne
were granted as above said new trial
and their cases were sent on to tn
county of Lunenburg, where the mur
, der was committed.
THE CHANGE OF VENUE.
Their counsel then submitted to tn
} Judge of the county court of said coun
: ty a motion for change of venue o.
the ground thata fair and impartia
: trial could not be had in said county
After hearing the evidence of numeI
4 GUS witnesses, an order was entered t
! send their case to the County of Primo
: Edward for trial
a They were tried in the County couI
> of said county and discharged becaus
I sufficient evidence was not adduced
justify conviction.
q MARABLE's CONFESSION OF THE rNNC
oENCE OF rHR WOMEN.
When Your Excellency shall hay
read the papers submitted you will sc
n that your petitioner was convicte
It solely on the testimony OF SOlomo
Z. Marable, who was tried, convicted. sci
II fenced and executed for the murder
Mrs. Pollard. On the scaffold in I'll
s presence of death, he declared to thoi
II who witnessed his execution that h
n akatanenf in oouft against VOur nat
," tionsr was false, and that another pc