The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-06-02
NOAH TAYLOR PARDONHD. :.
Was Convicted In This County In 1892 OF
Wife Murder and Sentenced to
Life Imprisonment.

Noah Taylor, convicted of wife mur-
der at the July, 1899, term Of the ses-
sions court for Newberry County, and
sentenced to life Imprisonment in the
State penitentiary, has been pardoned
by Governor Hayward. The pardon was
issued on Saturday, Taylor h wing
served just a few days more than three
years and four months of his sentence.
Taylor was charged with shooting his
wife on March s, 1899. 1t was
rumored at the time that Immediately
ritter the killing Of his wife he at
tempted suicide. The tragedy occurred
at Taylor's home in the lower part of the
county. Mrs. Taylor died on the 23d of
March, and Taylor was placed on trial
foi his life. Taylor claimed that in a
scuffie with his swife the pistol was acci-
>dentally discharged.
\ The case excited an unusual amount
of interest. The trial was attended by
large crowds, including numbers Of
ladies'. Solicitor Sease for the State
was assisted by Messrs. Johnstone &
Welch, and the defense was represented
by Messrs. Hunt & Hunt and o. l..
Schumpert. The jury was made US as
follows: l. Nc. Smith, foreman, W. M.
Bobb, David B. Werts, Chas. Tidmarsh,
Thos. P. Adams, r. A. Welch, w. D.
Bundrick, Job H. Ringer, Alex Il.
Brown, Edw. R. Hipp, J. A. McGraw.
:, AN ABLY CONDUCTED CASE.
THE following in regard to the manner
'rof the trial is from The Herald and
News of August l, 1899: "The case
throughout was one of the most ably
conducted on the part of the attorneys
on 10th sides, and the most impartial
on the part of the presiding Judge, that
this writer has ever heard tried. The
attorneys on both sides conducted the
case with credit to themselves, and as
His Honor stated in pronouncing SEN
tence on Noah Taylor, it is due to the
zeal and ability of his counsel, Messrs.
Hunt & Hunt and 0. L. Schumpert that
he got off as light as he did for they
made good fight, in what seemed to
us to be hopeless case"
JUDGE GARY TO TAYLOR.
Judge Gary, who presided, is re-
ported in The Herald and News of the
same date as having thus addres sed
Taylor in delivering sentence: "Noah
Taylor, think it due the zeal and abil
ity of your counsel that you got off as
light as you did. You have violated two
laws. You married this woman, taking
an obligation to ever support, protect
and defend her, thus violating your
marriage obligations, and by taking her
life violated the laws of your country
thus your offence was double. l will
not say what intended saying to you,
as your counsel hes given notice of az
peal, and what I say might prejudice
your case in the future, but simply inn
pose this sentence: You shall spend
your natural life at hard labor in the
State penitentiary.
Notice of appeal was given, and Tay-
lor did not 60 to the penitentiary until
January 18th, 1900.
The following in regard to the reasons
actuating the Governor in granting the
pardon and as to Taylor's manner and
words when he learned that his period
of servitude was over, is from the Co.
lumbia State of Saturday:
Upon the solicitation of Col. w. H.
Hunt and Col. O. l.. SchumperG, attor-
neys for Taylor, Gov. Hayward de-
cided to release the man from prison
and send him back to hie old home near
Newberry. There v:re several peti-
tions sent the Governor, ten jurors
joined in the request for Taylor's liter-
alton, and Judge Gary and Solicitor
Sease also joined in the appeals for
clemency. 1t was represented to the
Governor that the principal evidence
against Taylor was what purported tc
be an ante mortem statement of his
wife in which she declared the shooting
to have been intentional and willful
She lived two weeks after the state,
menC and made subsequent declarations
exonerating Taylo.' and declaring the
affair to have been accidental. But
these latter statements were not ad
mitted as evidence, not being made il
expectation of death.
TIE first intmation that Taylor re-
ceived of his pardon was from the re,
porter of The State. He merely smiled
locked rather sheepishly at the flool
and declared II am glad to hear it,
His story is indeed strange one. He
had been married but a year and foul
months when the terrible blow came
upon him. "Why did you shoot you
wife, Taylor?" His answer was indeed
unexpected. "She told me if I brok.
her bottle she would cut my throat will
razor
"What bottle?"
"Her bottle. You see, she had beer
drinking some and | came home ant
picked up the bottle from the mantle
piece and she thought was fixing tt
break it. No, sir; wasn't drinking
myself. She started at me with the
razor first and I dropped the bottle OF
it's side. Then she went and got tn
pistol and in scuffiing with her for it tn
pistol YVES fired and the ball went int
her face under the left eye, coming ou
under the ear.
IT didn't boue tho pictO1 I HiIn'