The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-06-07
Condemns the Right to Pa-:d7n.

U0Qer CEe Ocau lille OF ~ UTd(e-
full Act of Justice" in your last issue
you informed the public of the par
don of Mr.. CHARLES G. Summer for
the murder If Mr.. J. W. Murdoch, at
Peak Station, last year. You also
state that since his conviction, his
attorney, Ccl. George tombstone, and
bis friends and relatives have worked
with urAagging devotion to have him
pardoned. That bis petition con-
tained 5000 names from three coun-
ties praying for his pardon-e7en
the ladies joining in his behalf. We
are also informed that a ms ority of
the Jurors also signed, and the pre-
siding Judge is quoted as saying
that 1.-The prisoner had the greatest
p%rovocation for the deed" The
News and Courier quoted the Judge
as saying that there was "great prov
ocation, ETC." You wind up by as
serting that the Governor could not
have turned a deaf ear to this huge
petition without doing an Injustice to
the State and the unfortunate p,is-
oner. From all this it is per
fec,ly clear that you are inclined
to Mr.. Summer, and which
you have q perfect right to be, ifyou
80 desire and for which We have no
criticism to cffer. But this whole
transaction forces a few reflections
upon the average mind which IL may
not be amiss to recall as bri. fly as
possible.
We have never known either Mr..
Summer or Murdoch, and therefore,
could have DO personal prejudices in
tie matter, but we d. know that
Summer had a fair and impartial
trial before jury of his countrymen-
a jury said to be far above the aver
age in intelligence and sound dis
c elton. He was d. fended by shrewd
and astute lawyers, who, We may be
sure, contested every inch Of ground
in their clients behalf. After weigh
ing all the evidence this jury de-
liberately came to the conclusion that
Summer was guilty of manslaughter
and so adjudged. At the time, if we
are not mistaken, the sitting Judge
and the same one who helped to keep
Summer out of the penitentiary, re-
fused to grant a new trial. His case
was carried up to the Supreme Court
which sustained the verdict of the
lower court in every particular.
Right here, be it remembered, that
murder cases in South Carolina rarely
get that far. We now arrive at the
dramatic and almost laughable part
of this scene. A petition is gotten
up, it is needless to say, which is
n%umerously signed, by 5000 suprli-
ants on their knees, for the pardon
of this man, many Of whom, We are
told, we're ladies, and even a M ,rity
of the jarors-wi!h the judge quietly
acquiescing. NV, Mr.. Editor, We
that the committees who were in
charge of this petition could have
about as easily gotten 10000 as 5000
names only with a little more time.
1t is astonishing with what facility
the public will sign almost any SOFT
of a petition and for pretty much
everything. So far a. the ladies are
concerned, We seriously doubt, with
all due Difference and respect, whether
any Of them ever read a line of the
evidence or know anything about the
real merits of the case. It is difficult
to understand how it is that a juror,
upon his solemn oath, and with all
the evidence fresh upon his mind de-
liberately renders a verdict and yet
will go out and sign a petition which
practically puts the lie TO what he
has done.
Again, Mr.. Editor, we are no law
yer, but has it gotten to be law in
South Carolina that a mani il justified
in killing another on ''strong provo
cation or even the "strongest provo
cation, as you put it, unless it be in
self defense? II this particular case,
Mr.. Editor, we are almost forced to
agree with you that Governor Ellerbe
could hardly avoid %pardoning this
man with his lavish use of the par
doning power behind HIM but we
cannot, We dare not, agree with you
that by refusing to do it he would
necessarily have done any injustice
to the State. In fact it is notorious
that most of our Governors have
used the pardoping power with too
much freedom for the welfare and
peace of our citizenship. As every
body knows human life is about the
cheapest thing in South Clrolina ITO
day and there is, so far al VI can
va ,ot a ~ hama ,,pop {bo bor;