The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1899-02-09
alleged in the affidavit, and ask his
permission to send 1t to you.
Very truly and respectfully,

Very truly and respectfully,
Gro. @. HARRIS.
read now letter which DIR. Har-
ris enclosed with his letter to me.
MT. HELENA, MISS, Dec. 20.
DIR. Geo @. Harris:
My Dear Father-I am Just now in
receipt of your letter asking some
questions in relation to the matter
mentioned in the Governors letter.
Some time ago--I do not recall the
exact date--I was in the postofice at
Mont Helena when the affidavit re-
ferred to came to me In large en-
velope having in the corner the adj
dress Of Miller, Smith & Hirsh,
with request for immediate delivery.
/ delivered it to Sutton, and at his
request read it to him. He asked
some questions as to how he should
proceed. / answered, saying it was
a serious business and he had better
90 slow, and said / did not wish
to have anything to do with it. He
wanted to 60 at once and qualify to
the affirmations Of the paper. This
/ discouraged.
On Christmas eve he came and
borrowed $3.50 from me. He is one
Of hundred or more who ask fol
get small loans for Christmas.
If Sutton has ever signed the docu.
ment do not know it; up to now ]
supposed the matter had dropped.
/ had nothing to do with the paper
or the signing Of it, and regret that
my name should have been used In
this connection.
Your affectionate son,
GEO. @. HARRIS, JR.
Mr.. Murray Smith Is q member Of
the firm Of Miller, Smith & Hirsh
mentioned in this letter.
have trespassed somewhat upon
your patience, to show there Is nc
doubt Of Mr.. Smiths connection
with this slandering paper.
Now few words as to this pardon
/ was not in my Office when the petit
ton for pardon Of Jerry Sutton was
received, as the following from Mr.
Conan, private secretary, will show
January 8, 1899.
Gov. A. ]. McLaurin, Jackson, Miss.
SIR
In response to your inquiry l can
say from my memory in connection
with the record kept by me in the Of
fee, that / absolutely know that you
were not in the office between the
oath and goth of January, 1896, and
] know from date Of filing, written by
me, that Jerry Sutton's application
for pardon was received in the Office
by me on the 28th Of January, 1896
during your absence on account o.
sickness.
Respectfully,
J. J. CONAN.
Walter McLaurin stated to me thai
he does not remember George Sutton
and H. j. McLaurin, to whom
wrote about the matter, writes me, ir
substance, that he defended Jerry
Sutton, who was charged with muir
der, for which George agreed to pay
him 5000 with 10 per cent. interest
for which he took two notes, and one
of them has been paid and the Other
unpaid, and when George offered K
employ him to assist his son to get 6
pardon he told him he owed him
more then than he could pay, and he
would do what he could to geta: tt
son pardon without fee.
The convict was a one-legged ue
gro, whose leg had been amputaseG
before arrest, and Capt. ]. J. Evnis
presented an application to the board
of control to recommend him for par
don, on my promise to the father OIL
the convict, in the presence of Capt
Evans, to pardon him if the board
would recommend it. The board
recommended the pardon, as may be
seen on the minutes of the board, and
I thereupon pardoued him.
AN IMPORTANT STATE ISSUE.
Now my fellow citizens, will un.
cover one Of the most important state
|. issues that we have to meet. It il
also one of the most dangerous, be.
cause there will be a concerted and
persistent effort throughout this
campaign opened here by Mr.. Smith
to cover it up under abuse by them
Of your chief executive.
The Illinois Central R. R. Co.
practically owns the Y. g. M. v. R. R.,
and the company, the Y. & M. v. R.
R. Co., owes more than a million
dollars of back taxes in this State
that will exempt them from the pay.
ment Of these taxes. If they could
but create nucleus of such senti.
ment, and out Of that elect major
ity Of the legislature while public at
tention was decoyed away to some
other subject, and at the same time
elect Governor who would appoint
supreme judges in harmony with
such sentiment, it might serve their
purposes. Don't let them say now
that ! am rejecting upon the judic-
larry. We have an honorable judic-
larry, but honorable and able men
may have their minds trained to
think in certain channels.
REFERS TO JUDGE COOPER.