The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1899-06-17
THE ANSWER.
GOV. McLaurin Tells About The
Miller Pardon.
A CLEAR STATEMENT OF FACTS.
He Denies Very EmphaticalIy That He
Promised to Pardon Before
Conviction.

SCutly dCIuScu tLc Culcl cAtCuIlVO VI
promising pardon to 1vo Miller prior
to his trial and conviction. We ask a
careful reading of the letter, which Is
as follows;
"One night last summer Judge 5. r..
Coleman came to the mansion and told
me that Ivo Miller had been indicted
for the murder Of Mcdonald, and that
he was going to plead him guilty Of
manslaughter and wanted me to pardon
him out of the penitentiary. I said
that unless the statute had been
changed it was not necessary for the
court to sentence him to the peniten-
tiary; that he could fine him or send
him TO Jail, rs I remembered case
where the court fined man few
years ago for manslaughter. He told
me the judge was prejudiced against
Miller and would sentence him to the
penitentiary. I then told Judge Cole
man that the Constitution prohibits
pardoning before conviction, and that
could not, for that reason,if for no
other, promise him pardon. He saiu:
But you won't pardon him before con-
viction.' l replied that It would be
virtually pardoning him if ] promised
to pardon and afterward pardoned on
such promise, aud would be violative
of the spiri: Of the Constitution. He
said something about criminal assault.
inquired: They don't charge Nc
Donald with that, do they?' He then
read me the evidence on the trial be-
fore the magistrate, when he was coun-
sci for Miller, as, he said, and after
he finished reading the evidence
said to him: Upon that evidence Nc
Donald was not guilty of criminal as
sau!t.' He undertook to argue it with
me, but told him that it was too evi.
dent that the crime could not have been
committed under the circumstances
parrsted. After telling him that |
could not be made to believe Mcdonald
guilty of c:,mir al assault on that evi-
dence, said that Il man who Stays
another for despoilirg his female rel
ative who is previously chaste, or if he
believes she Is, to him she is chastc,
ought In my opinion to be pardoned
He said he must have something def
mite. replied that he could not ge
anything definite from me in the way
of a promise; that would do anything
in my power for him consistent with
my official duty, bu. that I must ODE,
the constitution as | understand it, an(
as I construe t. IT'S spirit prohibits ;
promise, before conviction. to pardon
In his efforts to argue the question witt
me I repeated the substance OF thi
declaration to him tnany times.
II told him if he should pleaG hi
client guilty Of manslaughter es
pecially mentioned manslaughter as tbt
crime OF which he contemplated plead
ing him guilty, and never pleading hin
guilty of murder-aDd should present;
petition for pardon would hear boil
sides and then pass upon the applica
tion. He said ne would Within thirl!
days present to me perfectly satls1ac'
tory proof nf the young Womans pre-
y;Ous hastity. and of the faIsity OF the
Arh.rges .oains, he,. OF course T can.
cha'see ~ aAue' no,. W coo' ~ 10" .a
not give the exact language or all lha'
was said, but this Is the substance.
A'ter ouugs' So1eulan asreeu W
verdict OF guilty OF murder ana tht
court had sentenced Miller hear(
! .,..& h., b.l s.,;d TINT hol s,wc,,s sof
thaI le hau snlu 'us', nav p'o.n'se>
to pardon Miller, and when next saw
him T said to him: Sam. why did yO!
,l,,t r ,uor, ;sad "a -. vi ~ M;ljar
say tn1' P'oH 'es" ~ wv. "i'I'v
when expressly told you that coult
not hefore nnviction nrOmise to Dardol
80, II, .o;d :, ,,,,s hen,,ea :, r;,ro,uf
MIN! re salu ~ was oee" oeo e1o"t
came to aim, mad, because ne mac
nleadcN Miller guilty. and threatened
~ ~, ~ M r,,sod =, mo mani;
not 10 ie' u',' "e '",tTcu ~ 'uo pe"'
tentIary, ana ne nad TO tell them some
thir~ to keen him from being taxi
f.o,,, ,ho oaso.r. uo ala M
away iroiu VIC otn.o 40 "a" Nv
then claim any prOmlse OF pardon.
"Tn December last received a let
.-.., L;x,; - v,A;oh ho do,rooa.e,
TER IrOHl niIn III WHICH "o uop. oo"'o'
the utterances OF a greenwood news
~. nor In refer,nre m the case. and OF
p"pSno no.1 - tn.a.s,s1.a,, vrntn b;r, nj
the 22nd OF Decemoer wrote Ill" VII
letter:
Executive Departmen1
".Nackson. Miss, Dec. ~, 1898.
. ".uo,. 9, R Coleman. Greenwood, Miss.
.!tmnar Som Reca,,se ri n meeting Of til
no, ~ yeai a. Tr,,s,yss ~ the Aicorn College,
ho;sfIE hoE y no in ~ nevt month. will hear tn
] 'inatdn,, De nGam u ~ Two Mijler fnr nfrflon q
MMPpi.sda.,v" Mp,,nsd.w t%a hth ~ next month hnyin
nv ,7". ,nt would cot the Ith or 5th fo
g, tSiu uya,..t yuu .n"O hava r"t;aai Hnn. T. 4. wi
VIE VIZ, nma ~ tho nrnserutnrs. of the time,