The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
IMPRISONED LONG ny ERRoH.
Leo Served Fourteen Years pcforr It Was
Learned That u" Had Not Bc-n Convicted.

ATLANTA, Ga, March la.-Major Lee. n negro
who is now u stalwart man. but was a stripping
when first inCarCeratcd. has just been released
from the state penitcntiary, or more properly
from the chain gang at Hoodoo, in Johnson
county. after a term OF fourteen years nj hard
labor. II has been found that his imprisonment
was due TO an error.
In the fall Of 1882 Major Lee was a lad working
in Bullock county on "A little farm managed by q
relative OF the same name. One day he and his
cousin, Ebert Lee, accompanied the old man to
Savannah To sell the crop Of cotton which they
had grown on the farm. After the cotton had
been sold the old man put the money into his
pocket and he and the two boys started for
home. That night they campcd about ten miles
from the city. and on the Glowing morning
Major appeared at the house Of a backwOod-
farmer, and reported that somebody had at
tackled and murdered his uncle during the night
and had beaten his cousin Elbcrt on the head
until he was almost dead. An investigation re-
vealed the fact that the body Of the dead man
had been robbed. The younger man was still
alive, but was not able TO give any account of
the attack. Major Leo claimed TO have been
frightened by the noise of the attack. and TO have
fed, thus escaping with his he.
MAYOR Ice was arrested and carried 10 Savan.
nah jail. where he wa Kept until his trial came
or. The court rppoiatoi Col. F~alligHnt to de-
fcnA him. and the jury brought in Il verdict "
guilty WIN "A rcComilHnlat!nn To mercy, which,
Under the li"a OF t"OrgiA, saved him from the
Eul,Oyys. \ motion for ~ new trial was made
and the cnsu Was taken To n" supreme Court on
appeal. That was IN i-~I. and soon Hftrrwarl
MAJOR Lee WAS turned over to the lessee, OF the
state prnltrntilrl and sent Ia the Goa. miuc- at
Cole City 10 begin serving n life sentence. IN the
mean time the supreme Court Erantc! Ice %
n'N trim! on The ground that the '"!dcncr ~ tiir
'i',,. which was purely cirrumHtantial wa, in
sufficient {" warrant {, conviction.
Col. Fllligdnt VAS elevated To Tie hCnrh gnl
new counsel was appointed to defend h." when
lun-thouC! into months AMI month. into year, f.,
and l. 'r continued To dclyc In thc mines AT cole
il,OIgh he WIS rntitl,d t" u new trial, and h.
wur!d haze been there until nOw had not the
lcs-c'a o! tue coal lnine property Iaiic@ 20 pay
rcrtaih fines imposed upon them 10y the Gov.
rruur, which resulted in the anuullncnt of their
contract with the state. and the convict, in
Iiirir charge, were turned oyer To another
Ecoii undrrsroMnd 10 toll ~ = atwnlll
ut ~iloOioo. That. was done last year
and Ice remained at IA" s4Nn.ll inl,
Tue c,,,r Nss uncdcthrl ia the CLERKS Office IN
savannah ana It caused a sensations, ilr priu.
Cipal keeper Ot the paultcnt.try a. once ordered
I"nlt., the lessee IN th"rsc 81 l~loUIuu camp, tu
GuN AMI judge Galloway WAS rvlu ,iCi to call
= pgs!.l .sS.uu ~ the superior Cont To g.N.
Ice. q 4uw trial, Il, Jurg" I~aIliga:t "'5 ui-.
ON the call ithc c,.5r ;lurr W.a uu pro,cruio..
~, those iHt. rested In ~, ou,,' had n! GirI ur
IluN'd ava! and Ice was rc.ut.u! Ium CU-.ut!
,hlih ;hNS inG - crime 90 " ~ ~ ny v \,l
been proved. guilty. tnICr the rr"itrn',trt
renEi ,;.uHH TIL, amount "a tNcut' -y,"r mi.
When mrs. ~rrlct-ri H." dll no. -,,n To h..uw
what lu 30 With E,;u#r!l, I!r hgi l"ru cut III
!."in ,I.i .-fo'l"ilun VITA thc out d. worid 81
AMI viii uOT tab mp lhc Old routine -, p!.nla'
{ ton work where ho left OF i"sny H"a,' a-o,