The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-08-29
COL. NEAL PARD0NkD.
Governor McSweeney Gives His Rea'
sons For the Pardon.

uOVcTnOT mCSWtSHSy NiFSo iho '
sons For the Pardon.
Col. VIM. A. Neal, the former super
intendent of the State pe2itentary
who was convicted in June in the
court OF general cessiols for Ricalanl
county, of failure to turn over within
80 days to his successor public funds
in his hands and was sentenced TO
serve four months in the county jail
and pay a fine Of $1,000, has been par
doned. The pardon was not surprise
to the general public in view OF the re-
markably strong petitions and letters
that the governor has been receiving
for the past week. When Col. Neal
was informed Of the action OF the gov
ernor he wept like child. Soon al
terwards, the man whose case had at
tracted the attention Of the people o.
the State so much during the past te"
months. took the train for Anderson
and went to his family circle, decla"-
ing that he has now to start out upon
life anew and show the world that he
could yet be a man, though he had
gone through enough to kill an orul'
nary mortal Thus ends a case that
has excited universal comment, and
one which has commanded the atten-
,tion of the courts to considerable de-
gree.
Of course the pardon was not gran
ted until the appeal pending in the
State supreme court had been aban-
doned and the following notice Of sucS
action had been served upon the dt-
torney general:
To G.. Duncan Bellinger, Attorney Gen
eral and J. W. Thurmond, Solicitor:
You will please take notice that
VIM. A. Neal, defendant in the abov!
stated case, has abandoned his intan-
ton to appeal to the supreme court.
notice of which was served on you on
the first day Of July. 1901.
P. H. NelscT
Julius E. Bog2S.
Attorneys for VIM. A. Neal.
Gov. McSweeney gave the following
statement in writing as to his reasons
for granting the petitions in this case:
In addition to the petitions which
were signed by gentlemen of the high
est reputation and standing in Rich
land Anderson, Greenvlle, Spartan
burg, Pickens, Rock Hill and other
counties and cities where w. A. Neal
was known, received letters from
prominent men from all parts OF tie
State urging me to exercise executive
ciemency on the ground that the law
had been vindicated, and the defend
ant on account Of the high position he
once occupied, had been sufficiently
humiliate,l and punished by his con-
viction. and had made good to the
State, prior to his conviction, all the
money for which he was officially liza
BILE.
"a pardon was urged by the suretiea
on his official bond, not only by the.I
signatures to the petition, but also by
letters and personal interview. The
petition stated that Neal had paid the
full amount for which his official bond
was liable. and one of the sureties. IL
a personal interview, assured me thai
they had paid up all moneys demanded
by the State from them, and that they
had been reimbursed by Neal short
time after settling with the State, and
prior to his trial for breach OF trus!
with fraudulent intent. upon which
charge he was acquitted.
The petitions made no question buI
that Meals trial and conviction were
regular and technically proper. but
prayed his pardon upon the ground
that the law had been sufficiently vim
dicated by his conviction and conse-
quent humiliation.
Il saw no leas2n for Withholding
clemency, inasmuch as his conviction
and sentence has shown that the way
of the transgrcssor is hard, and the
highest as we'll as the Lowest citizen
is amendable to the law.
imprisonment under such circun.
stances could not add anything to the
humiliation OF one who has occupied
such petitions as Neal, but could only
bring sorrow and pain to his wife and
children, and the exercise OF that elem.
ency, which l am authorized under the
constitution to exercise. may be the
means of inspiring him to an earnest
endeavor 10 redeem his life, and rein.
state himself in the good opinion Of his
fellow citizens"
In addition to this staten ant the
governor handed to the newspaper
men and correspondents the large
batch Of letters he had received froE
prominent men in different portions OF
the State urging the pardon OF Coj.
Neal. Only few Of them can here be
referred to.
Col Jas. L. Orr, Of Grcenville, wrote
the governor thus: 81 would respect
fully ask the pardon Of w A. Neal,