The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-10-30
MANY SIGN THE
DUNCAN PETITION
Several Hundred Citizens Ask
for Communication of Sentence
PRISONER Is VERY HOPEFUL
Receives Letter From officers in Flor.
ida Saying That He Never Ad-
mitted That He Was Guilty
of Killing Officers.
PRISONER is VERY HOPEFUL

Several hundred names were added yes
terday to the petitions being circulated,
asking the governor of Alabama to conf
mute the sentence of Frank Duncan, con-
demned to die on November 25, for TAX
ing the life of Policeman George W.
KirSley. The attorneys. friends and sym
pathizers of Duncan expect to make this
the largest petition ever sent to the chief
executives office of the state of Alabama.
1t will be sent to Montgomery in order
that Governor Cunningham may have
ample time in which to carefully con-
slider it. Personal letters from influential
men of Birmingham and the county will
also be sent to the governor in behalf of
the condemned man.
The petitions have been placed at sew
eral stores In the city, and a majority OF
tho signers, If not all. call by and attach
their signatures voluntarily. At the home
of NJ Brennan, at 17O1 Avenue 3, where
the wife of Duncan Is boarding, a petition
is on hand, and hundreds of citizens re-
siding in that portion of Birmingham have
called by to sign the petition.
Names in a Book.
The petitions are In form of stenograph-
er's note book, are well bound, and on the
fly leaf is the petition addressed to- the
governor asking for executive clemency.
There is no doubt but what Duncan Is
hopeful of good results from the petition.
He has recently secured several letters
with reference to his case. and all of
these will be sent to the governor with
the petitions.
In regard to a certain statement Chief
of Police ]. S. Jones of Tampa is said to
have made with reference to Duncan, the
chief replies to letter as follows:
Letters From Chief.
Mr. Frank Duncan, Birmingham, Ala:
Dear Sir--In reply to your letter of the
| DIST inst, / would say that l do not re-
member of telling anyone that when [
confronted you with a picture Of yourself,
that you said that 1t was not you that
killed the officer in Birmingham, but 1t
was the man with you that killed him, but
if l did say it, l was mistaken.
81 will say further that you have stat
| ed on every occasion that had CONVEX
| sation with you, that you knew nothing
whatever of the killing of the officer
and as well as 1 remember you claimed Il
me that you was in your room.
| ''Yours respectfully,
~. S. JONES, Chief of police"
Detective Bell of Tampa, has writer
Duncan with reference to the matter:
Detective Bell Writes.
although unsolicited. inasmuch as
had a conversation with you while yot
were confined in the county Jail at Ia.
wares, on or about October 3, 1904, In
the night time, while on guard duty al
that place, concerning your connection
with the killing, and have but one ambi-
ton in the case and 1t is that justice might
prevail in other words If you are guilty
think the supreme penalty of the law
would be merciful to you, but on the other
hand, If innocent would very much regret
to see or know you died to eXpiate the
sins or crimes of another.
81 feel especially interested on account
of nv connection with the case, in being
instrumental in your capture in the first
instance.
"The conversation referred to In sub
stance was as follows:
you denied the killing or rather your
connection with same, stating that at
the time of the shooting you were up
stairs In a room, further asserting that
you had never seen, to your best know
ledge, any of the officers killed-dead
| or alive"