Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-09-09

/ Wnen ! tOileu IN the STRIPES there was
but one cry In my heart. and II was
that was an innocent man suffering
for anothers crime.
| II was born in Maine In 1910 and
came TO Georgia In 1861. enlisted In
the Confederate army In the Griffin
volunteers. After the war went to
Macon. In 1880 had fight with Fred
knight and whipped him. That same
year. In July. Nit Bryant was found
stabbed and in dying condition.
knight Informed the officers of the law
that ! had done the stabbing. and
was arrested and placed In jail Bry.
ant was engaged TO he married TO
Knights sister. and after he was
stabbed he married her.
1T was thought he was getting well.
and he went to Augusta. where he died
two months after he was stabbed. I
cause he did not want him to marry
his sister. knight did not say this In
his deathbed confession. but | think
that such was the case
Il was placed on trial In October.
1880. knight swore that he saw me
with Bryant short while before the
| stabbing. and he stole 5000 from his
father. with which he hired two ne.
groes to swear against me. One OF the
| negroes testified that he heard me say
that would fix Bryant I was con-
victed and sentenced to hang by Judge
I. J. Simmons. now chief justice OF
Georgia. Ny attorney made u motion
for new trial. and Judge Simmons
granted Il. was defended by Bartlett
& Dessau
AT my second trial In April, 1881. !
was again convicted and sentenced te
hang on July II. 1881. When the ap
pea! to the supreme court had failed
gave w all hope and prepared for
death. Three days before the day for
my execution my wife gave birth to a
little girl. our firstborn. heard that
my wife was very III and not expected
TO live. She died OH the morning Of
July II. and II was my expected death
that killed her.
ION the morning Of July II l was
dressed for tho gallows and all the last
formalities gone through with. | heard
the death warrant read without trem.
or had been afraid In the days be.
fore. hut | WIS calm and self pos
sessed. The good God that prepares
man for death under other circum.
stances Is with him ON the gallows and
mercifully gives courage for the ordeal.
! was made to stand on the trapdoOr,
the trigger having been set. and the
moose was about my neck. ! closed my
eyes and made shopt. fervent prayer.
'One of the attorneys. Charles Bart
lett. the congressman. jumped upon the
scaffold and said This man Is limo
cent. ana will die by him.
Judge Simmons had granted twen.
ty minute reprieve In order that Gov
ernor Smith. who was then governor OF
Georgia, could be heard from by wire
about petition asking that my sen
tence be commuted to life imprison-
ment. The governor wired TO the sher-
In that my petition had been granted.
The moose was taken from my neck.
and | was told that life was mine
Life? What had | gained! had
made up my mind TO die and even
courted death. and now ] was to be
given living death. Still. life Is
sweet, and. knowing that ! was inno-
cent. there was the hope that some day
justice would be done. Ii came at last.
but II came late-vcry. very late.
t.sats Ia. h.. .
was done on the old town farm in JEFF
ferson county. | stayed there only
three weeks, when | was removed to
the East Tennessee railroad. now
part of the Southern system. where
worked grading the roadbed for about
four years. l was not used to such
work. and suffered terribly. In May.
1854, I went TO Cole City to work In
the coal mines. and stayed there
twelve years. when | was removed to
James lumber mills and farm In
Emanuel county. II was there that !
had my left hand cut OF In the saw
mill When had served six years In
the mill was pardoned. knight had
confessed on his deathbed that he
killed Bryant and that was innocent.
He confessed. suppose. because he
wanted TO make peace with his God
before he died. May God forgive him
for what he did to me. II was worse.
far worse. than the murder OF Bryant
''They say II Is glorious thing TO be
told you are free man when you are
convict. but did not feel that way.
l was too old to begin life again.
went into the penitentiary when was
only forty-four years OF age. In the
prime of life Everything had had ON
earth had gone to pay for my defense
In the courts, and was n pauper.
without home and friends. was In
feeble health. I went back to Macon
and remained In the hospital several
months. When was strong enough
tried to make my living by serving as
night watchman. l had spent TWEEN
ty-one years as a convict and the best
years OF mans life.
II had never seen my daughter. l as
certained that she was married and
living In Fernandina, Fla. She helped