The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-07-12
An Innocent Man Kept in Prison
Twenty.0ne Years.
WANTS. REC0MPENsE.
AVetersa Falsely Convicted Of Murder
Goes to Atlantis Pennilsss aHd Benz
with Age. Can General As.
sembly OF the Safe OF Geor-
gia Meet His Claim?

The Atlanta Journal says bent With
age, penniless, and just out OF hos
pital after months OF illness, Charles
Franklin, the man who was sentenced
for life to the penitentiary for murder
by Bibb county jury, and who ssrv-
ed twenty-one years before his inno-
cence became known when the real
murder confessed his guilt, cane to
Atlanta last week to appeal to the Leg
islature for recompense for his twen-
ty-one years false imprisonment.
Franklin is IS years OF age. he liv-
ed in Griffin twenty FIVE years, served
in the confederate army as private
In the Griffin Volunteers, OF the Four
teenth Georgia regiment, and then
moved to Macon, and followed the
trade Of 8 carpenter.
He met on the streets ore DAY Fred
Knight, man, whom he cnaracteflz'
es as having been absolutely worthless,
and the two engaged d in quarrel. A
fight ensued, and Franklin came out
the victor. knight could not forget
the humil1aticn OF that whipping be
received, and he swore vengeance, and
be got it.
One morning, on one OF the main
thoroughfares OF Macon, the dead body
OF Mitu Bryant was found, his throat
having been cut almost from ear to
ear. Several negroes appeared, and
said they saw Franklin commit the
murder.
Though Franklin had served faith
fully in the civil war, and had always
had good reputation, in the face OF
the positive testimony OF the negroes,
he was convicted Of the murder and
sentenced to serve q life sentence In
the penitentiary. Oae Of the negroes
John DaYhswk, as he was testifyIng,
dropped dead on the stand.
REAL MURDERER CONFESSED.
In February, 1901, Fred Knight,
while On his death bed In Augusta,
called for his sister, ard asked her to
write down his dying confession,
which was, in effect that be had kill
ed Bryant and had put it on Franklin,
because he was mad With him. He
committed the crime and got John
Dayhawk to swear against him. His
confession closed with the appeal:
Turn him loose, turn him loose,
for am dying, and ! an miserable. "
The letter was sent to the proper
authorities and the wronged man was
given his freedom after having served
exactly twenty one years and eleven
DAYS. At the lumber camp at Adrian,
: Eranlin fell in the machinery and lost
his left hand.
When Franklin came out OF the pen
itentiary his health was broken. Most
of the time Of the two years and more
that he has been free has bsen spent
ia the hospital. III nearly all the time,
and with one hand gene, be has been
compelled to depend on charity for bis
scant living.
APPEAL TO LEGISLATURE.
Franklin got out OF bed to come tc
Atlanta to appeal to the legislature
for some manner Of recompense for his
Imprisonment. BE spent his last cent
lssp night for supper. and was forced
to appeal to the desk sergeant at tne
police station for lodging last week
which was cheertully given him.
Franklin was seen at the station bJ
a recresestative OF The Constitution
He did not haYe q word Of leouke fol
the man who wronged him, or the Jur!
that sentenced him.
''I have q wife in Griffin, and
married daughter in Fernanolna
Fla" he said. These are the onl!
relatives have left. wish I was aol
to earn my own living, but that IS i'm
possible.
''Bon. Joe Hall, the 1e2rtsentat,v
OF Bibb county, is going to appeal :
the legislature to aid me, aud | fee
sure they will not refuse. I don't as
for any certain sum; but want the leg
islature to give me what they think
deserve.
s'Since Knights confession my lnnc
cence has never been questioned. b
had a grudge against me, poor fellow
Almighty God had ruled that the ne
ero, Dayhawk, should not tell that II
on me. There vas not anything els
the natter with him.
There is no use in going into 10
awful DAYS I spent while imprisoned
the torture Of both mind and BODY, Il
that, thank God, is over. I could hay
begged the money for lodging, but pr
ferred to cone here
Drinks Poison.
A. E,,lton Mo. James E. PEN