The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-25
LIFE HANGING IN BALANCE Fate of John Williams Still Undecided, GOVERNOR MEETS WITH BOARD Result of Effolts Made in Prisoners
 Behalf Uncertain. Labors of Son for Condemned slayer of state senator n. |. Hipp--
 Decision Mu.t Be Made
 Before Friday.

The fate of John Williams of Cult man County, the slayer of State Sena- tor Robert L. Hipp, is hanging in the
 balance Whether or not the man con- | demncd by jury and ordered to be ex- l ecuted by the Supreme Court of Ala
 hama. will hang day after tomorrow, | is still an undecided question.
 | The relstives of the prisoner. who came before the Board of Pardons to plead in his behalf on Monday, the l friends ard lawyers of the imprisoned man. are alike ignorant of what the decision of the Board will be It Is, a
 matter of doubt whether even the mem bers of the Board themselves know whether the verdict of the courts of the State will be sustained or abro- gated.
 Al6ne In his cell in Cullman County John Williams waits news from the Capitol of Alabama. In possible actiou l by the highest authorities lies his only i chance for fife. 1t is not much he asks It is only commutation of the sentence of execution to one of life inl- prisonment. And yet, because of the circumstances of the killing. and the moral effect of whatever action be taken by the Pardon Beard and the 1 Governor, if Is doubtful if even this snsni1 request be granted.
 I Yesterday the prisoner knew he had still three days ir which action In his
 case might be taken Today he has l two more days left. Forty eight hours | Is short time, but to John Williams l forty-eight hours spent in uncertainty will be little less than an eternity Friends I.ahor for Him. 1 There is one thing he does know ] however. Nothing has been left undone by attorneys, by friends by relatives.
 which could have been done to save his l life The appeal to the Board of Par dons made by his wife and his friends on Monday was the strongest appeal that has been made for condemned
 man In years It was last effort, made to the court ot last appeals Whether or not 1t attains its object 1t
 was as forcefuISa plea as could wen I have been made.
 There Is another comforting thought ] thot comes to John Williams as he sits 1 in his cell today. Seldom has iiial love been showh more stropsiy than in the | efforts of Frank Williams, his son, who In his behalf Poor, without money to prosecute his work of love, the young
 man has gone about cullman County collecting the 5000 names which were presented to the Board oe Pardons on Monday.
 working to nay for hls meals. doing chores for lodging, neglecting his work often sleeping on the ground for want of money to pay Tor rooms. the loyal son has gone from one end of the county to the other. seeking sympathy and moral support In the effort to save
 the life of the man whom he called Father"
 Met on every side by frowns and
 hard words at the start. he has perse-
 vered. Rebuffs did not serve to turn him aside from his course. And as eloquent evidence of the earnest spirit of the man, the names of more than 5000 of cullman's most prominent men stand on record today, for clemency. including nine of the jurors who adjudged Williams guilty and sem fenced him to the gallows Seldom has ! the love of father been more nobly requited by son than in the case of the plain Williams family. of the country
 side of Cullman. 4 Board In Consuitatfon. Just when the final decision of the
 Board and the Governor will be made cannot be ascertained. No further con sideration of the case was held by the
 Board after the hearing of the peti-
 tioners In Williams's behalf, Monday
 afternoon. The members of the Board
 wished to ponder over the weighty
 questions involved.
 Late yesterday afternoon, however, a meeting was called of the Board,
 which was attended by State Auditor
 !. M. Carmichael and Attorney General Massey Wilson. In consultation with them was Governor Jelks, who also had heard the pleas for and against Williams the day, before. The three
 roen remained closeted for an hour,
 and later. when the Governor took the evening train out of the city for Gads-