The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-02-09


McLaurin one hundred and ten dol
lars ($l10); that after his son was
convicted and sent to the peniten-
tiary he secured the services OF Mr..
H. ]. McLaurin to petition for his
pardon, and agreed to pay him fifty
dollars for this work; that his son
was pardon ed, and that he Is yet due
the fifty dollars.
That Walter McLaurin never knew
anything whatever about the matter,
nor did he have anything to do with
Il except one day in Jackson, where
he afflart had zone tc nrasent his
petition to the Governor, he met
Walter McLaurin. whom he knew
whom he lived in Sharkey county,
and that said Mr.. McLaurin asked
him what he was doing out there,
and when he told him he (affiant)
asked him to help him, and Mr.. Wal
ter McLaurin told him that he had
better see Mr.. H. ]. McLaurin, and
had nothing further to do with it.
Affiant further states that he isSan
ignorant negro and cannot read, and
| that the attached blank affidavit was
handed to him by a Mr.. Dewess, q
clerk in the store house on the
Helena plantation, in Sharkey
county, which is owned by Mrs. Geo.
C. Harris, and is managed and con-
trolled by DR.. George G. Harris, and
that he was told by Mr.. Dswess that
DR.. George G. Harris had instructed
him to deliver the paper TO him with
his transportation to Vicksburg, and
that there he was to meet Mr.. Murray
F. Smith, and that he was to 60 with
Mr.. Smith before a justice OF the
peace and make affidavit to said at
tached paper and deliver it to Mr..
Smith. That on the train coming
down from Rolling Fork for this pur-
pose he fell in with two colored
friends and showed them the paper
and asked them to read it to him and
that they did 80. That he realized
at, once that the facts stated in said
attached paper were not true, and
that the impression intended to be
made thereby was false. And that
on the advice and in the company OF
said friends he carried the paper and
gave it to Mr.. R. l.. McLaurin and
explained the circumstances to him,
and that after same was fully under.
stood all around this affidavit was
voluntarily made to set out the true
state Of facts as to this whole mattr..
Afiant further states that never
did either Mr.. III. J. McLaurin or
Walter McLaurin promise him a
pardon for his son, or that they
would get him pardon, but Mr.. He
J. McLaurin did agree to get up a
petition and assist him as best he
could in the matter.
Witness my signature this, the
26th of December, A. d. 1898.
| his
GEORGE x SUTTON.
| mark.
Witnesses:
A. HI. BOOTH,
E. N. SCUDDER.
Sworn to and subscribed before me
this, the Goth day of December, A. D.
1898.
T. v. McALIsTER,
Notary Public.
Did ever the genius Of Islander
descend to deeper degradatlon2 The
false ex parte affidavit of an Hitter.
ate, ignorant negro sought to blast
the reputation of the Governor, and
to reflect shame upon every citizen
Of the state. An effort to cut
through the honor and good name Of
the state in order to strike chief
executive who will not bend to the
old levee ring with it's defaulting
treasurer and absconding treasurer,
and the Y. & NJ V. R. R. Co.
And yet this is the man who pre-
faced his insinuations against me
with the expression, sit is with pain
and regret that say it," Yet this
is the man selected to open the cam
paign against me, not for the State
Of Mississippi.
I received this paper and affidavit
on the evening of the 9th Of Decem.
Der, after supper, but l was not will.
ing to say that even the spirit OF
malice had sunk so low, on the affl.
davit alone Ct an ignorant negro, sup
ported though it was by the palpabls
circumstances, and / wrote the next
day to DR.. Harris letter calling his
attention to what Sutton had sworn
as to the manner Of his possession Of
the paper, and inquiring Of him III
Sutton's statement in reference to
the way in which the paper came
into his possession" was true, and
what, if anything" he chad to do
with the paper" will read to you
his reply. Here it Isl
MoNT HELENA, MISS, Dec. 80, 1898.
His Excellency, Governor Of Missis-
sippi, Hon. A. ]. McLaurin:
II Dear Sir-I have your letter Of the
28th inst, wherein you advise me
that George Sutton went to Vicks.
| burg last Monday, bearing atype-
| written form Of affidavit, with alleged
instructions from me. communicated
through some third party, to sign the
same before q magistrate. and that