The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-08-09
EXECUTIVE cLEMENCY.
A Difficult and Nerve Trying Duty
and How Gov. Heyward Dis
charges It-A Careful Studk
Made Of Each Case.

Made OF Each case.
Columbia, S. c., August S.-One Of
the most difficult pardon problems
Gov. Heyward has been called upon
to act on recently is that of three
young men, Waring. Minckey and
Cunningham, sent up from Marion
county. The detective in the case
has sworn to an alibi in their behalf,
but Solicitor Johnson has stoutly
maintained that they are guilty, and
there are various other perplexing
circumstances concerning the case.
Gov. Heyward has taken all the pa
pers in the case with him to Virginia
to quietly study out the situation so
as to come to a conclusion.
In this connection it may not be
auiss to mention some of the meth
ods Gov. Hayward adopts IN dealing
with the general run Of pardon peti-
tons, as to do SO might save some
persons in the future the use'ess iabo1
of writing long letters to the govern
or about cases of which they they
have little or no personal knowledge.
tt would surprise the ordinary person
to know to what extent the govern
mrs mai, is flooded with letters in
which the writer's undertake to as
sist the governor to a conclusion
about cases they evidently have not
the slightest personal knowledge OF.
Most OF these letters come from woni-
en- and have lots of weeps in them,
thoush there is no light whatever
thrown on the situation. These writ
ers. who often quote scripture, plead
with the governor to show mercy;
and they come fastest and in the
greatest length and with the most
weeps from one to two days before
some poor devil is to hang in some
part of the State for some brutal
crime Of which jury of his neigh
bors have found him guilty after
weighing all the evidence with often
an intimate knowledge Of all the
witnesses as well as of him and his
victin. It is hardly necesary.to add
that these letters do not in the slight
est affect the decision.
The governor realizes that he has
solemn duty to perform, and be 1t
said to his credit that he goes about
that duty in business-like narn,r.
and though he may make mistakes at
times, as every governor preceding
him has done, and though he is nat
uraly a tender-hearted and sympa-
thetic man, he realizes that his busi-
ness in the premises is to deal JUS
tice.
The recommendations of the trial
judge and the solicitor have more
ed in an ordinary pardon petition pre-
sented to Gov. Hayward, though, Of
course, the endorsements of jurors
and county officers have weight
What some lawyers hope to gain by
presenting with pardon petitions long
lists of signatures of persons entirely
unknown in the governors office iS
is difficult to figure out. 1t may be
said that practically no attention is
paid to such lists. The best hope
for executive clemency is based or
the presentation of some good, sounG
reason for interference. True, Gov
Heyward did act contrary to Solicitor
Boggs' recommendation in the Hoy
= Hayes case, but this was an altogeth'
er out of the ordinary case, which the
governor approached cautiously ant
which he acted upon after many
sleepless nights Of thought and study
49,
done with a nunder Of others. Art
communication will be followed sooner
or later by full pardon.
Gov. Hayward is not of a nervou:
temperament; on the contrary, hi
placid and genial manner and bear
ing are his most attractive persona
attributes. But women's tears vii
bring out nerves one would imagin'
he never had. He seems to have
1 mortal dread of a fearful interview
! with a woman pleading for mercy TO
Ia son, a husband, a brother or faith
He comes away from such inter
sews with his overwrought nerve
hgling. He shows plainly that N