The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-11-05
Petition for Pardon.

To His EXcellency. Governor A. ii. Longno
Jackson, Mississippi:
SIR
The undersigned citizens of Lincoln County
Miss, respectfully petition your Excellency to
pardon one George Wood, who, at the May
Term, 1902, of the Circuit Court of said county,
was convicted of murder and sentenced to i'm
prisonment in the State pententiary for life.
George Wood is young man. 81 years of age,
the son of honorable and reputable parents who,
since his trial, have become resident citizens of
said county where they are respected by all who
travelling wagon show that on the the day of the
unfortunate homicide was to give performance
at Perch p o., Miss. He is a brother of the
owner of the show. Just Immediately before
the homicide mot over minutes, if that long
before), Wood had gone outside side-show tent
to quiet disturbance created by some men and
boys Just outside the tent. Several of the men
cursed Wood and his mother. and several of
them had sticks and knives and one got fence
rail with which he attempted to strike Wood,
who ran in the tent after striking with his fist
the man who had cursed and threatened him.
Wood raised the side wall of the Side-show tent
and ran Hereunder when pursued by some of
the crowd that had started the difficulty; the
part of the tent at which he entered was petit
toned off from the rest of the tent by curtain
about or feet high and stretching entirely
across the tent. Immediately after Wood got
behind said curtain someone raised the side
wall of the tent where the crowd that created the
disturbance was standing. Defendants only
eye witness to the shooting testified that it was
William Netherland, the deceased, who raised
it. States testimony by their only eye witness
was that Wood raised the side wall of the tent.
The witness who testified for the State said he
could see over the cross curtain, and saw Wood
when he raised the tent and fired at Netherland.
Bart Strong, witness for defense, testified that
when he saw George Wood run under the tent.
saying, Bart, they are after me- that witness
followed Wood under the tent, and just as they
got about middle of the curtain Netherland
raised the side wall of the tent. and George
Wood. who then had pistol in his hand said:
"Stand back, or I'll ShoOt!'' The person who
raised the tent did not deSst and Wood fired
one shot into the air and was in the act of firing
second when witness grabbed his arm and
this caused Woods arm to be pulled down in
the direction of Netherland and the pistol fired,
the bullet taking effect in Netherland.
The Wood family are citizens of Kentucky
and were entirely unacquainted with anyone in
said county The defendant is a very weak
minded young man, who has been unable to
learn to read or write after being four years in
school. He is quiet, peaceable person. whom
we think never intended to kill William Neither
land or anyone else, but was attempting only to
frighten away the crowd that he thought was
threatening him bodily harm and violence. But
even If the shooting be regarded as intentional,
would have justified Wood In the belief that de-
prvation of his life OF that great bodily harm
was threatened by Netherland or the crowd, of
which he might have reasonably supposed Meth
eTland to be a part.
AS citizens of Mississippi, who desire always
to see her laws enforced in proper cases, and
being likewise DESTROYS that protection be
Speetf1y submit that this is preemi I mt
case for the exercise of executive clemeDcy
and we respectfully request that George Wood
be pardoned by your Excellency,
Respectfully,
CHAS. w. CRISLER,
F. H. HOFFMAN,
M. a. RAGSDALE.
and hundreds of Others