The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-29
WILL JOHNSON
 GETS RESPITE Governor Gives Negro New
 Lease of Life. HANGING AT GADSDEN Convicted Murderer of Mrs. Smith May Not Die. White Citizens Declare that One of Three Men Tried for Crime May
 Not Have Been
 Guilty.

By an order of Governor Jelks. issued yesterday. Will Johnson. the negro who was recently convicted with two other negroes of the assault and murder oi Mrs. Jane Smith of Gadsden. will no, be hanged today.
 respite at this critical time gives Johnson new lease on life. It saves him from the scaffold until February g. and may result in more lenient expia- tion of the revolting crime at Gadsden than death.
 justice is done. number of Gadsden' S leading citizens have petitioned strongly for the respite granted yes- terday Many of these citizens at tended the trial and profess to have studied the testimony closely. They declare it will be sickening spectacle to hang the negro, Johnson. on what they regard as frail. incomplete and impeachable evidence
 No few of Gadsden's foremost men have asked the Governor direct to com mute the death sentence of Johnson to life Imprisonment. They positively af- firm that the trial of the defendant did not evolve that degree of conclu- siveness that should induce a jury to fix the penalty at death
 Murder of Mrs. Smith.
 The horrible story of the outrage of Mrs. Smith and her murder on the same night in July Is familiar to most people of the State. No more harrow ing crime could be imagined than that which sealed the fate of Mrs. Smith, a widow. on the mountainside to the south of the furnace. Stalked by those black fiends as she was returning home from town, the woman was beat en brutally and dragged by her hair to revolting death
 In a series of sensational trials, Jack Hunter. Vance Garner and Will John son, three negroes, were found guilty of the murder. All received the death sentence. There are no intercessions in behalf of these other wretches. No clemency will be extended them, and Gadsden will today witness the execu- tion of both
 Those who have succeeded in get ting q respite for Johnson hope that some statement will flow from the mouths of Garner and Hunter today, that will exculpate Johnson. It is urged that no testimony has been of fered on trial to establish the presence of Johnson on the scene of the murder at the time it was committed. There was testimony from negro witnesses that Johnson was seen with Garner and Hunter on the night of the crime, that he was seen in the vicinity with them ana others carouSin&, and that he did not spend the night in his GUS tomary bed At the same time it Is claimed that evidence is gravely want ing to connect Johnson with the com mission of the crime. -t
 Governors Statement.
 The Governors explanation of the respite Is as follows:
 This man was convicted in the City Court of Gadsden of the crime of mur- der. He was sentenced with two oth- CTS to be hanged for a crime, one of the most diabolical ever committed. in Alabama.
 Tt is made to appear to the Board of Pardons that there is doubt of this mans guilt. while probably none at all of the two others sentenced at the same time. Many good citizens. with no end to serve save to see that jus tice is done petition for reprieve for hin. believing that a few weeks will demonstrate that he Is innocent of this serious offense.
 Tt is ordered that he be reprieved from Friday, December 29th until February 9th. at which time the sher- fir will proceed. unless otherwise in- structed to carry out the sentence of the court" The respite was recommended by the Board of Pardons.