The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-11-24
PA7DONED BY TIE governor.
Two state Corstxb!e1 Convicted OF Man
s!aashter Ser at Ii srty.

mer Turner by State Detective New.
bold and abou! the flight Tuesday OF
Newbold. Gov. Euerbe stepped IN
Tuesday ard granted full pardon to
L;q Ior Constables J. Il. Buice ard J.
&. Stay, who killed john 7. Sims IN
the Dark Corner" section OF Spartan
burg county, On December IS, 1896,
nearl Y one year ago. Strange enough
it happens that the killing took place
IN iGentically the same county IS that
in which Mr.. Tuner was killed.
The constables were puI on trial in
Spartaaourg county in June last, and
both OF them were convicted Of man
slaughter, the sentence Of the court
being two years IN the State prison in
each case. Cra wicrd. the otner coz.
stable who was present at the time OF
the killing, was also charged with
murder, but his case was mol pressed
by the solicitor. After the conviction
the attorneys Representing the consta-
bies at the trial gave notice of an ap
peal to the Safe Supreme Court, and
pending that appeal the two men were
released on bond. Tney have been out
ever since. The clerk of the supreme
court has within the last few days,
it is understood, been notified that the
appeal has been abandoned.
Sims was a lnoonshiner; the raid in
which ne was killed was the last upon
which the constaoles yentured in the
"DArk Corner" section of that State.
The scene Of the killing was about
eight and half miles from Greer's,
in Spartanburg county. It seems that
the constables came IN and one OF
them was leaning over smelling Jug
when the victim appeared with rifle
le7elIed upon him. TIE rife was
knocked up and the fight ansuea.
Buice aud May shot frequently at
Sims, and Sims aud one OF tne cousta
bles clinoned aud fell cut of the door.
Though already wounded several
times in the fight, Sims gos up and
tried to run scross the yard. Another
Of the constaoles clinched him and
they struggled oo the ground. Sims
wife and children being gathered
around and screaming all the time.
Several more shots were fired, aad
when it was all over Sims vas q dead
man. These additional statements
were made yesterday by a man who
vas IN that section at the time.
Another coincidence about these
pardCns is tAt LAWYER Thomson Of
Spartanburz, who is connected with
the Newoold case, figures in the mat
ter also. It may be mentioned, too,
that the governor acted upon the ap.
plications Tor pardon without the
usual references OF the papers to the
presiding judge and solicitor, he so
s!ateo Tuesday afternoon IL response
to an inquiry.
Mr. Thomson was the attorney as.
sisting the solicitor in the prosecution
Of the mea. E9 wrote the following
letter to the governor, and upon it
Governor Elleroe based his action il
part, i: being supported however, by
q large number OF petitions Ior the
pardon from several counties:
II assisted the solicitor il the prose
cution CT the defendants, May and
Buice, and in my opinioa they would
not have been convicted if they had
not been State constables, and { will
state further that l replied to the ar
eument made On the part Of the de-
PENDANTS for a new trial, and I belie7-
ed, after hearing the argument made
on the part OF the attorneys for the de-
fendants, that the presiding judge
would grant their motion for new
trial. thought then that he ought to
grant it, and I still think that he
ought to have granted it.
Nv. S. Thomason.
A petition was present signed by
the clerk Of the court. judge of pro.
oate, master, county auditor, county
superintendent OF edu cation, and Mag
istrate Gunter Of Spartanburg county.
the following is the form of the peti.
ton signed by several hundred people
from Aiken county:
TO his Exceliercy, GOV. Wm. E. Ell
ler5e:
We, the undersigned citiz: :ns of al
ken county, hereby petition you to
pardon Mr. John a. May, who was
convicted OF mansIsughter At the
June term OF the sessions court for
Spartanourg county, and sentenced to
serve term Of two years in the State
panitenL L;ary. We submit to yonr ex-
celiency'S consideration, the fact that
from what we have heard OF Mr. Msy,
be has always borne 3 reputation for
peace and good order, that his reputa
ton in the community in which he
lives ard IN Aiken county for peace
and good order, moral character, So
briefly, and industry has always been
coed, and that We never have heard OF
his ever having been engaged in any
diso-6er!y conduct, and n our opin.
ion we 90 not think that ne would
commi. an sc: like the cne with which
he IS charged unless ne vas compelled
10 do SO to protect his own life. And,
therefore, we hum6ly petition you to
grant him a full pardon, etc.
Lhe sheriff, county supervisor, clerk
OF court, auditor, treasurer, Rspreseu
iatiye C1shmap, master, and other
officials Of Aiken county were among
tne signers Of the petition.
Z similar petition, notso numerous
" signed, however, vas presented
rom Cherokee couaty. 4 like peti
ton was presented in Nays behalf by
the ci;izsns OF GranitevilIe IL Aiken
county. Six pages OF fooiscap paper
covered with signatures, two to he
Iine, are attached.
Jurors ". S. Foster, ). Il. Beck
man, Taylor Smith, ". K. BSrne:t,
L. 3. L0c5maa, W. c. Berry aad r.
Q. CssscIt signed this petition:
"Eaur petitioners respectfully show
that they we're jurors II ;he rial OF
the 5tate rs. J. 4 Buice and ]. 3,
Nay Tor tie killing OF John Sims.
We Specttu:ly &sk taa: a pardon be
grantca them By ycur exce!iency."
Another petition from Grceuv:lie
county was sigGed oy about 13O CHI,
z9rs Of the county. Among them we're
H..