The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-09-29
THIS IS NOT A "DEMOCR)
LIE" BUT COURT RECOR
Gov. Russell Promptly Pardons
gro Politician, Sentenced for a ]
Gus Offence.
Colds boro Argus.

NV ikHSSti promptly PardOnS ffeiT
gro Politician, Sentenced for a
Gus Offence.
GoIdsboro Argus. ernc
Are parGons granted by Col do
ituSSell for political reasons, and tn;
ne turn loose convicts in orde1
they may perform party servieeAca
These questions are asked bHybi,
a pardon has just been granted 4hic
has not been made public and IA III
Il would seem, cannot be explaipa
on any other ground. lAms
We refer to the pardon OF Ere
Ia la kcho
Freeman Davis is a negro In
teacher and Republican poIiticA
Duplin county. 1S9
He was tried in December tel n il
OF Duplin Superior court. upon of
| ~ ~! 'iiieiit charging the seductiO him.
Slrt, who was going 10 school tovresi(
Judge Robinson. q Republican \ POI
ed, and Mr.. NJ. G. Richardson. n NJ
ulist, prosecuted as Solicitor. Amor
W. r. Allen assisted the Solici
the prosecution sss
Davis was examined as a witrirope
his own behalf and admitted intd ii
relations with the girl, but denIyicte
promise Of marriage. A jury cd{ence
him and Judge Robinson senbrs
nm to serve a term of two yeEmeI
the peuitentiary. Before iudhde
was pronounced an effort was INTO II
induce the judge not to send him Of
penltenbary, upon the payment IT,.
certain sum the prosecutrix, BIZ
Judge refused to agree to this ar14s
the defendant ought to go to tbf1
tertiary if any one should bst 81
! there
/ An appeal was taken from this5 "
nent ana the defendant gave h
Tor his appearance, and althouth
appeal was never perfected, the defe
| dant was not taken into custod~ m
august term Of 1898, of Duplin cou
| vt that term, it being rumore Z Ah
an effort would be made to Sc lie
pardon, letter signed by NJ. c. Ric
| ardson, Solicitor. and w. r. AlI.ri {
Sistant prosecuting attorney, was ina
| 20, addressed to Gov. Russell. ard as
ns him to notify w. r. Allen, at Col,
! ooro, before acting upon the applieati
/ FOR a pardon.
NO notice was given to Mr.. Alien a
/ On August Goth, 1898, within 81 days
I Ter he was sent to the ranitantia
| freeman Davis was pardoned.
After the pardon was granted J
=. NJ. Pearsall. of the Newbern Bar.
me request of Mr.. Allen. called at
Executive office and asked permisJ
20 see the papers upon which the
ION was granted. when he was 4
mat the papers were not public re-
ann ne was not permitted to se.tf
The one redeeming trait for
we have hitherto given Gov. II fu
redit in our estimate Of the m Jan
ms Vagaries, viciousness, and faltos
eF reprehere was fse(hdt
mad no sympathy for those twho
sSaults upon virtLe-tile vir,f Tue OF
ren; that he would htly v{punisi
sucn outrages, whether the same
n$idiously perpetratcd, as in IN
stance above, or violently Ncarr. q
as IN cases where lynchines rnttFlV
| oW: but now even this basis in the
@ert OF his uras reign is swepr av,
| nd another shocking incident is adj
. his official acts. already sufGcier
nnbersGme in odiousness to sink
nto eternal infamy.
ia further comment necessary, p,
his article over again-Take in ali
features OF the case. The same pol
cal influences that acconDlisl
Davis pardon were at work to thv
as conviction. but he was constcted
spite Of them. An attempt was 4
made to palliate his punishment.
his was rejected by the indign
Judge, who passed sentence upon
70 the satisfaction Of the righteous 3
nnent Of the community. An apr
was then taken-for what purpose
sequel illustrates.