The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1905-08-31
WILL EXUM'S NECK SAVED
But he Promises Never Hereafter 70
Appeal TO Any Governor For the
Reduction Of His Sentence-Gover-
nor Believes the Man is Worthy Of
Death.

News and Observer.
Governor Glenn has committed the
death sentence of Will Exum. of I.e-
noir county, to life Imprisonment at
hard labor in the State penitentiary
at Raleigh. Exum was tried at the
September term, 1904, of Lenoir erin
inal court and convicted of murder
In the first degree. He was sentenced
to be hanged. Appeal after appeal
was made TO the governor after the
Supreme Court refused to find error
In the ruling of the lower court.
Large representations of lawyers and
prominent citizens appeared again
and again before the governor, some
urging commutation, while others
as strongly opposed 1t. Once compell.
ed by pressure to give written
statement as to what he would do in
the case, Governor Glenn wrote that
communication was denied as Exum was
guilty of murder in the first degree.
AT last the murderer's attorneys
headed by Ex-Governor Chas. B. Ay-
cock, petitioned for communication
on the ground that there was no pre-
meditation in the commission of the
atroclous crime. This and the arnest
heart-rending appeals of the ex-Gov-
ernor have saved Will Exum S lie.
Governor Glenn S raseons for grant
ing the communication are as follows:
ION appeal to Supreme Court, no
error was found in the ruling of the
lower court, and the judgment of the
court was affirmed. The prisoner un-
der the rules of law, having applied
TO me for communication from the death
penalty to life imprisonment at hard
labor III the penitentiary, l nave read
and re-erad the evidence and consid
cred carefully everything urged, both
by counsel for the State and counsel
In favor OF communication of the pris-
oner's sentence.
The prisoner, himself, acknwl-
edges the great atrocity of his crime
by hllng written statement, signed
IN the presence of witnesses to the eff
fect that II the extreme penalty of
the law is not enforced against him,
that he will never hereafter appeal to
any Governor for the reduction of
his sentence
In my own opinion, there was
ample evidence of murder in the first
degree, and the prisoner would receive
but just sentence to pay the penalty
IT his crime by the forfture of his
life. However, nine of the jurors, the
trial judge, the judge delivering the
opinion Of the Supreme Court, and
another of the Supreme Court Judges
who had carefully examined the case
strongly recommended communication
OF the prisoner sentence This is
also urged by thousands of the best
citizens of Lenoir, Greene and Pitt
counties, and while great many good
men oppose the communication, public
sentiment seems to favor it on the
ground that there was lack of premedi-
tation on the part of the prisoner.
Therefore, while [ still believe he
IS guilty Of an awful crime, acting in
favor of life, and on account of the
strong recommendation of those who
heard and tried the case, I commute
the sentence from death to life i'm
prlsonment, believing that i'll err it
is better to do so on the side of hu-
manlty than run the risk of doing a
wrong that could never be recalled
1.-The sheriff Of Lenoir county is
therefore directed to immediately
take Will Exum and convey him to
the proper authorities at the State 3
prison in Raleigh, there to be con-
fined at hard labor for the remainder
Of his life
"Thls, 2lst day Of August, 1905.
"R. B. GLENN,