The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-10
THREE ELMORE LYNCHERS ARE
 PARDONED BY THE GOVERNOR

tive office last week, and while Governor Jelks was absent attending a school com- nencement in Jacksonville. Having been absent from his office all of last week, and knowing that he would be absent on official business the best part of this week, the Governor spent several hours in his office Sunday. At this time he took up the letters from Judge Denson and Solicitor Brewer. recommending clemency for Howard. Strength and Full Ter. He then determined to grant pardons to these men. and so notified his Private Secretary, who, in turn, advised the Con- vict Department and the Hand Lumber Company of Dolive. lessees of Howard. Strength and Fuller.
 The pardons, of course, were not for mally issued until yesterday, and are dated June 9.
 The pardons bear the following endorse ment by Governor Jelks:.
 These three men were charged with taking part in the lynching of one Robin first tried and he voluntarily went on the stand and told the jury what he knew of the lynchfng His testimony was purely voluntary, Strength a and Fuller were ere killing, and the evidence showed they were< in the conspiracy to kill White, though both have denied this They were sentenced to ten years. The three men have served almost one year. and have thought it proper and right to relieve them of further imprisonment. l am led to this course by the appeal of the Judge trying the case, the Solicitor of the cir ,,A ha nvh0 tried the cases. and a very large number of the best people of Fillmore County and surrounding counties. The fact is the three men were led to commit this crime by reason of an exaggerated report of the offences of Abe and Ropin White. Let full pardons issue"
 Story of the Lynching.
 Robin White, a negro. was taken f. om two constables and lynched on the night of July 1. 1901, The negro was hanged to a tree on the road leading from We tumpka to Tallassee. at point about fifteen miles from wetumpka. The com stables were taking White to the We tumpka jail, the negro having been tried by justice of the peace near Tallessee and bound over to the grand jury on a charge of assault with intent to murder.
 The assault grew out of controversy between Robin White and his brother, Abe White, on one eide, and John Thom- as, white man, on the other. The white man and the negroes lived near each oth- CT, and the negroes had complained that the chickens of Thomas were destroying their garden. Finally Robin White shot a chicken belonging to Thomas. Shot from the negro's gun struck the house of Thomas, and, it is said that the latter, in his indignation. aroused his neighbors with a report that Robin White and Abe White had attempted to assassinate him and his family. Abe White fled. but Rob- in White was captured, tried and bound over to the grand jury.
 Constables started with the prisoner to the county jail, in Wetumpka. The negro was taken from the officers and hanged to & tree until death relieved his suf- fering.
 Acting under instructions from Gov ernor Jelks, Solicitor Brewer made a thorough investigation of the lynching with the result that Howard. Strength, Fuller and Thomas, with several others, were arrested. A special term of the Cir cult Court of Elmore County was ordered to make quick disposition of the cases.
 To the complete surprise of everybody. George Howard, who had hitherto borne an excellent reputation as law-abiding citizens, went on the witness stand and confessed to the part he played in the lynching of White, and giving the names of his associates. A still greater surprise came when the jury, after being out but a few minutes. returned verdict of guilty and sentencing Howard to the pen itentiary for the rest of his life. The trial, conviction and sentence of Strength, Thomas and Fuller to ten years each fol- lowed.
 Howard, Strength and Fuller were leased to the Hand Lumber Company at Dolive, and have been working there since sentenced. Thomas chose to appeal his case to the Supreme Court and pend- ing it's decision, he has been in jail at wetumpka. Recently the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the lower court, and Thomas was tra1sferred to the peni- tentiary at Wetumpka. In a few days he will be sent to Dolive. the place just quilted by his associates.
 Judge Denson's Letter.
 The letter of Judge N. D. Denson. who presided over the trial of Howard. Strength and Fuller, recommending that they be granted paroles. is as follows:
 Lafayette. Ala. June T. 1902. Governor w. D. Jelks. Montgomery. Ala.
 Dear Sir-The case of John Thomas vs., The State, appealed from Fillmore Cir cult Court. note in The Advertiser has been affirmed and therefore can no long, CT be occasion of any embarrassment in the consideration of the question as to whether or not Howard. Strength and Fuller better known as the Fillmore lynch ers should be paroled or pardoned. You are already familiar with the cases of the above named parties in every par tlcular. There Is stenographic report of the evidence chat was elictted in the trial of the Thomas case on file in your office and my bench notes of the evidence made on the trial of Strength and Fuller you have on file.
 These cases were tried at a special term of the court held for Elmore Coun- ty at the instance of Your Excellency. in August. 1901, and are familially known as the Eimore lynching cases.
 John Thomas was the principal defend- ant, though he was last tried, The kill ing of Robin White Ca negro) was the result of a difficulty which John Thomas had with Robin the day before Robin was killed. and unquestionably Thomass eX- aggerated account of the difficulty he had with Robin was the cause of the persons who took Robins life being involved In the killing at all Howard was first tried. After the State closed It's evidence in the case against Howard he voluntarily went on the stand and told the jury all about the case and named the persons who were present and who took part in the killing. I want to lay special emphasis on the statement that Towards state ment made on the stand was voluntary because 1t has been intimatcd in certain quarters that he did so from hope of re- ard tp tho shana nF IiChtar O1lniQhnent