The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-28
PARDON CAME TOO LATE
JURY ASKED FOR CLEMENCY, BUT
 NEGRO WAS DEAD.
Unusual Story of Pat Thomas, a Con- vict of Montgomery County. Mrs. Moore Asked Pardon
 For Husband.

If Oscar, alias Pat, Thomas a Mont gcmery negro who died in the peniten- released from the peral service to which he was condemned for term of ten years by jury in the Mont
 It is al unusual story that has to dh with this convict whom an unseen hand delivered from prison walls when his spirit left the mortal body. Not withstanding he had been dead nearly two years, the jury which fastened the punishment on him without the knowl- edge of his death, asked the State au- thorities that he be released. Cover nor Cunningham was about to fix his official signature to the papers author izing his release when he was advised vict answering to the name and de- scription of Thomas: that there had been such a man but that he was dead. ed in the Montgomery City Court of highway robbery. The evidence show ed that a negro owed Thomas $l and had repeatedly refused 10 pay him; Thomas. pointing a pistol at the head of the negro. collected the money. Then tho negro had Thomas arrested and he was indicted for highway robbery.
 The jury determined that Thomas was guilty of an offense against the law. They, however. faced a dilemma. The court had charged them that the minimum penalty for highway robbery was ten years in the penitentiary. They did not think Thomas should be sent to prison for ten years but it was teD years or nothing. Finally they agreed to return a verdict of guilty and at the expiration of two years to join in a petition to the Governor for a pardon for the unfortunate negro. The yer dict was duly returned and Thomas was sent to Pratt Mines, where he died August 13, 1902.
 The Pardon Board met yesterday and several of the jurors were on hand to ask for clemency for Thomas accord ing to their agreement Among those who went before the Board were +. 5. Jenkins and T. Gardner Foster, well known citizens of Montgomery. They laid the case before the Board and had no trouble in securing unaniomus re- commendation for clemency.
 The papers went over to the Cover message was sent to the State Convict Department for information as to the prison record of Oscar, alias Pat,
 Thomas is dead" the message came eaek sSss s Hs sos aisd S ft pfes Mines
 And would have pardoned that man" said Governor cgnningham, when the message from the Convict De- A Pathetic Case.
 A pathetic case before the Board of Pardons yesterday was that of Wal ter Moore, a young iron puddler of Jeff ferson County, convicted of grand lar- ceny and sentenced to two years in the
 
 The heart-broken wife of Moore, with her little children, appeared be- fore the Board. With tears streaming down her face and with wistful looks out of their baby eyes they pleaded for mercy from the Board which had a recommendation within its gift. Mrs. Moore said she was in destitute cir cumstances; she begged from her neighbors just as long as she would beg and she would go to the asylum for the poor before she would beg again.
 But" she said with deep: earnest ings were dead than that they were
 More than this. the Board found merit in Moore's case. He was con ricted of grand larceny in the Grim inal Court of Jefferson County, and was recommended to clemency by Judge Samuel E. Greene of that court. He was accused of stealing a horse and buggy while drunk. The evidence showed that he bore an excellent char acter prior to this lapse.
 The members of the Board made Mrs Moore happy with a recommendation to Governor Cunningham that her hus- bond be pardoned and he will probably accede to the recommendation today