The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-04
PIERCE-REED CASE.
Ex-sherif White Sheds Light on
the Crime.

s4AU 0AAUl1s
The Pierce-Reed pardons granted a
few days ago by Governor Bailey have
stirred up considerable discussion at
Emporia as to the facts concerning the
murder for which Pierce and Reed
were sentenced to be hanged. The EN-
poria Gazette publishes the following
on the subject.
Captain jeff White, father of o.
NJ. White, offers the most probable
explanation of the Mcmillan murder
affair. He was sheriff-elect at the
time Pierce and Reed were arrested
and says he knows most of the details
of the affair. 1t is his belief that Pierce
and Reed were frightened into maxi
ing the confession, but that the con-
fessiOn they made was genuine and
true. He says that the night the boys
We're supposed to have made the con
fessiOn there was a great cOmmotiOn
made on the railroad A string of en-
glnes were run upon the track beside
the court house, and men were sta
toned near to yell, and when Reed and
Pierce heard these noises they con
fessed. They told where the sickle bar
was with which they killed Mcmillan,
and where they had hidden some col
lars and cuffs which were covered
with blood.
'.The officers found these things
where Reed and Pierce said they
would, and all of the other circum-
stances of their story were zorro Dor
ated. Captain White says that he
never knew of a county attorney who
was more Jealous TO convict prisoners
than was Feighan, who convicted
Pierce and Reed, and he believes that
he resorted to this method to secure
Reed and Pierce's conviction. He
doesn't believe that Feighan received
any of the reward offered by the gov
ernor for the conviction of McMillan's
murderers When the boys came into
court Judge Graves, who was district
judge at the time. had been told that
they were going to plead guilty to the
charge of murder in the first degree,
and used every effort to keep them
from doing it.
He tried to get them to let him en-
plOy a lawyer for them and to have
them put up a defense. He asked them
If they had been induced through
threats or promises of any kind to con-
fess and they told him they had not
that they had purDOsed to confess of
their own free viii and accord. After
this Judge Graves said the only thing
left for him to do was to hear their
confession and convict them to be hung.
Afterward he said he heard that they
had been induced to confess from fear
of lynching.
Following is the journal entry made
in the records OF the district court OF
Lyon county. They were instructed by
the court as to the nature Of the crime
charged against them in said informa-
ton and the penalty prescribed therefor
by the laws of Kansas. and said de
PENDANTS were asked and required to
plead to said information and the said
defendants entered a plea of guilty to
the crime of murder in the first degree
as charged in said information, and the
court asked said defendants if said plea
was made entirely of their own free will
and voluntarily and without threat,
promise or hope of reward from anyone,
and each of said defendants answering
! that he had entered said plea of guilty,
voluntarily and without fear of violence
or promise of reward, and that he I'M
I derstood the nature of the crime charg-
ed against him and the punishment
+ thereof The said court accepted the
said plea of guilty.