The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-05-01
i IL =>herala anil Mews
MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE.
Governor Hayward Pard0nS all Innocent
WOman-Her Religion Forbade
Her TeStifying.
The State.

HloLu ouV VI tue poIla'S VI eue
State prison came on Tuesday morn
ing woman whose pale and fur
rowed brow would excite pity in
heart of stone. For the first time in
seven long years she wore the gar
ments that are not striped aud
breathed the air of freedom The
thoughts that were hers in this new
sunlight Of liberty may never be
known, but if ever woman had cause
to curse Justice and hold in high
ridicule the majesty of the highest
law it is Mrs Plume Hall, whom the
governor has pnrdoned. In the an
nails OF crime there are few narratives
like this woman's and perhaps crimi,
nal Jurisprudence does not record Il
more signal miscarriage of Justice.
A little over seven years ago Wat.
son Hall, we'll to do farmer and
machinist, was found dead, shot
through his head, in his home near
Mars Bluff in this State. He was
seated in chair erect and a gun
stood near him, evidently placed
there to Indicate that he had com
mltted suicide. The effort to sug.
gest self destruction was futile, how.
ever, and the murderer, Alock Fer
rell, WAS arrested and in due time
convicted of the crime and sentenced
to life Imprisonment. Mrs. Hall,
the dead mans wife, WAS also sen.
fenced to lifN imprisonment M an
accessory befor" the TACT. There
werc several witnesses against her,
bnt mono c! them testified to any ma
teral poi;t that would have more
than suggested conviction.
The evidence that convicted her
WAS a letter which contained the
words, "Don't 60 where you said you
were going until yon see me-"
This letter, which the woman de-
cined to dlsavow on the witness stand,
sent her to the penitentiary. Col.
". +. Clayton WAS a counselor.
When he saw that things looked
more than dark for the woman he
decided to put her on tho wituoss
stand and told her as much 10 the
great surprise Of every one connected
with the case she positively declined
to testify III her own behalf. Puz
zled and confused at his clients
strange nttitude the defending coun-
sol went home and sat up tho whole
night to prepare now dcfense
The case had been on trial for two
days and the new dofense had no
effect on the jury, which after being
out short time brought in tho YER
dict Of "gulty" for both the man
and the woman.
Cot. Clayton, satisfied that the wo.
man WAS Innocent of any completely,
began an investigation. Mrs. Hall
had told him that sho never wrote
any snch letter. She declared that
she had written Ferrel', but THAI it
was letter that had nothing wroI q
i'll it and that she wrote it at her hrs
bands bidding.
Mrs. Hall, to convince her lawyer,
asked him to get her husbands cor
respondonce and said that he would
find letters that would corroborat q
this statement. This Col. CLAYTON
did and found communications bear
ing out her statement to the letter.
He also ascertained the reason why
Mrs Hall had so persistently de
clined to testify IN her own behalf.
The woman, it seemed, belonged to
one Of the Holiness societies which
were so numerous in the State at
that time and one Of the preachers
in Che society had written her that
she should not testify in her own be.
half, as the good book said, "Swonr
not at all"
The preacher also told her that
God would make it right and that
she should remain quiet. From that
day to this Col. Clayton has worked
for her pardon and Gov. Hayward,
convinced Of her innocence and the
truth of her statement, decided to
give her freedom. The news was
carried her yesterday by her attorney
and the woman, who had almost given
mp al hope, was over joyed when she
was informed that she WAS TO Ee
given her liberty. Col. Clayton car.
ried the news to her and it also trans