The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-21
SAD CASE
An Innocent Man Kept in Prison
Tyycnty-OBe Years.
CThe Horny Herald.)

The Horny Herald.)
The Atlanta Journal says, beDt with
age, penniless, and just out of a hos
pitaI, after months of illness, Charlesl
Franklin, the man who was sentenced
for life to the penitentiary for murderl
by a Bibb county jury, and who sery-l
ed twenty-one years before his limo
cence became known when the real
murderer confessed his guilt, came to
Atlanta last week to appeal to the leg-l
islature for recompense for his twenty
one years false imprisonment.
Franklin is 90 years Of age. He liv-t
cd in Griffin twenty-five years, servedl
in the Confederate army as a pr1vatel
in the Griffin Volunteers, Of the Four
teenth Georgia regiment, and then
moved to Macon, and followed thel
trade of q carpenter.
He met on the streets one day Fred
Knight, n man, whom he characterize
ed as having been absolutely worthless
and the two engaged in a quarrel. A
fight ensued, and Franklin came out
the victor. Knight could not forget
the humiliation Of that whipping he
received, and he swore vengeance, and
he got it.
One morning, on one of the main
thoroughfares of Macon, the dead
body of Mitt Bryant was found, his
throat 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 a good reputation, in the face or
the positive testimony of the negroes,
he was convicted of the murder and
sentenced to serve a life sentence in
the penitentiary. One Of the negroes,
John Dayhawk, as he was testlfying,
dropped dead on the stand.
REAL MURDERER CONFESSED.
In February, 1901, Fred Knight,
while on his death bed in Augusta,
called for his sister, II asked her to
write down his dying confession,
which was in effect that he had killed
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, fol
/ am dying, and | am miserable"
The letter was sent to the proper
authorities and the wrOnged mar was
given his freedom after having serveC
exactly twenty-One years and clever
days. At the lumber camp at Adrian
franklin fell in the machinery an(
lost his left hand.
When Franklin came out of tn
Denitentiary his health was broken
Most of the time of the two years ant
n.ore that he has been free has beel
spent in the hospital. III nearly all tn
tine, and with n hand gone, he ia
Eeen compelled to depend on Chart.
for his scant living.
APPEAL TO THE LEGISLATURE
Franklin got out of bed to come t
Atlanta to appeal to the legislature 10
some manner of recOmpense for hi
impriSonment. He spent his last cen
last night for supper, II was force
to appeal to the desk sergeant at tn
police station for lodging last wee
which was ch%eerfully given him.
Franklin was seen at the station b
q representative of The CONSTITUTION
He did not have Il word OF reDuke 10
tie man who wrOnged him, or the Jur
that sentenced him.
Il have a wife in Griffin, and a MAJ
rIe1 daughter in ~Fernandina, Fla" d
said. These are the only relatives
have left. | wish | was able to ear
my own living. but that is imposslbl
Hon. Joe Hall, the r~epresentat1V
of Bibb county, is going to appeal
the legislature to aid me, and L fe'
sure they will not refuse. l dont as
TO. any certain sum; but want the les
islature to give me what they think
deserve.
'.Since Knights confession my inn'
cence has never been questioned. ID
had Il grudge against me, poor tello'
Almighty God had ruled that the II
gro Dayhawk, should not tell that
on NE. There was o anything ell
the matter with him.
There is no use in going INTO Il
awful days I spent while 1mprlsone
the torture of both mind and body, L
that, thank God, is over. could Ma
begged the money for lodging, but pr
ferred to come here