The age-herald., 1901-11-06
GOV. JELKS WILL PROBABLY FREE
 FANNIE BRYANT Pardonlng Board Recommends Clemency for the
 Negress REVlVES THE HAYNES CASE Woman Falls on Her Knees and Pleads for Mercy--Mrs. Trapp Started
 the Movement for
 Pardon.
REvlvES THE HAYNES CASE


 for complicity with Dick Hawes in the murder of his wife and children in Bir- mingham in 1sS8-the most notorious and widely known crime. in the annals of Jef- ferson County-will probably be pardoned by Governor Jelks.
 The Alabama Railroad Commission, act ing in it's capacity of advisory pardoning board, has made report to the Cover nor that Fannie Bryant be pardoned, and 1t follows that the Governor will comply with this recommendation.
 Most carefully and with a full con- | sciousness of the grave duty and the great importance of the case, I examined the evidence in the case of Fannie Bry- ant, and the result of the investigation made 1t imperative that join my asso- ciates in recommending to the Governor that the convict be pardoned," said Pres ident John V. Smith of the Railroad Com mission. who was in Birmingham last night.
 Evidence Not Sufficient.
 Tt was clear to my mind that the evil dence against the woman was not suf- ficient; 1t was exceedingly weak-so fiimsy in fact to cause astonishment that con- viction was secured by the State. But of course allowance must be made for the spirit of bitter resentment against Hawes that then prevailed in Birmingham and an served Hawes as a servant, washing the family clothing, cooking, and the like, but there is no actual evidence that she was in any degree a party to his ter rible crime.
 'Close study of the evidence made my duty clear, and it had a similar effect upon the minds of my associates. There was nothing in justice and right for us to do but recommend the pardon of this woman, and that recommendation we have submitted to t. Governor.
 There. was submitted for our consid- eration to the Governor a letter from Judge Samuel E. Greene of the Criminal Court of Jefferson county, in which this learned and eminent judge of criminal law expressed grave doubts of Fannie Bryants guilt; and he referred to the powerful public passions of that day, which had been so fatally aroused by Hawes' Nmonstrous deeds''
 In this relation. it may be borne in mind that President Smith was for many years the States solicitor for the Third circuit and that he was one of Alabama has ever had. he ranking the first solicitor of his time in convictions and fines as recorded in the office of the Attorney General. These facts lend es- pecial value to his opinion of the evil dence upon which Fannie Bryant was convicted.
 She Plead for Mercy.
 "I saw and talked with Fannie Bryant in the penitentiary at Spegners last week." said Hon. Thomas Bradford, in- spector of convicts, who was in Bir- mingham yesterday.
 'The woman plead with me piteously to recommend her pardon to the Gov ernor, but in the circumstances I could do no such thing and told her couldn't. The interview was painful to me, for the wretched woman fell on her knees in her pleadings for mercy and what she de- clared to be justice
 " My God, judge she cried to me, in that day they would have convicted the Lord Himself if he had been there and accused of having anything to do with the Hawes murdersr
 '1 frankly told the woman" Judge Bradford continued. that her case was not one in which I could interfere; that could do nothing for her But I am x.ln o~%1 A. board has recommended her pardon. Fannie Bryant Is of most powerful build-almost gigantic for a woman. She looks as If she might be six feet tall, and is very muscular
 Mrs. Trapp Started Movement. The Montgomery Advertiser throws this light upon the matter of the recommenda- tion of Fannie Bryant's pardon:
 When Capt S. B. Trapp was president of the state convict board it is said that Fannie Bryant as domestic came un- der the eye of Mrs. Trapp, who took an | interest fin her case. Mrs. Trapp was so much interested that she gathered infor- nation about her convicticn. lawyer was secured and the case was presented to the Governor, and by nsm sent to the advisory pardoning board. It was not the first time Fannie Bryant had ap- pealed to a Governor for clemency. Gov ernor Jones declined to interfere with the sentence several years ago.
 At the earnest solicitation of Mrs. Trapp, the board took up the case yes terday and after discussing it at some length signed a recommendation to Gov ernor Jelks for pardon for the woman. The recommendation to the Governor sets out that after full investigation into the case it was found that the evidence dis closed the fact that there were grave doubts of the guilt of the woman. The