Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-12-14
MERCY FOR BOYS
Necks of Milton and Jessie
Rawlings are Saved.
SENTENCES COMMITTED
Decree of Death Revoked and Life Sen.
tences Imposed by Governor Ter
relI on Recommendation of
State Prison Commission.

The Rawlings boys, Milton and
Jesse, did not die Friday On the gal4
lows erected for them in the Valdosta,
Ga, jail-the same gallows from which
their father and the negro, Alf Moore,
were swung into eternity.
Twenty-four hours before time for
their execution, the state pardon board
recommended that their sentences De
commuted to life Imprisonment, and
Governor Terrell promptly signed the
order, which saves the lives of the
two young boys. Sheriff Passmore
was Immediately notified of the action
of the chief executive, and on Friday,
the day they were doomed to death.
they were, instead, sentenced to be.
gin their terms of Imprisonment for
the rest of their natural life..
At the same time that the sheriff
of Lowndes county was notified to
stay forever the gallows sentence. At.
torney Cooper OF Macon, who has
fought for their lives with such de.
termination, telegraphed the two boys
in the Valdosta Jail that Governor
Terrell had saved their lives from the
gallows and also wired the broken
hearted old mother in Coffee county,
who had just returned from the burial
of her husband, j. G. Rawlins, who
had been hanged with Alf Moore.
The recommendation for a commu.
tation of death to life Imprisonment
was made at a quiet meeting of the
state pardon board Thursday morn.
ing at 10:30 o'clock.
They had as their evidence the in.
fiuence that old man Rawlings is said
to have exerted over the boys-the
youth of the two defendants who were
Is and II years old when the Car.
ter children had been murdered, and
the overwhelming expressions of pub.
lie sentiment that had come up from
all parts of the state asking that the
boys lives be spared, because they
believed that justice had been meted
out when old man Rawlings and the
negro, Alf Moore. paid the death pen
atty On the scaffold.
The opinion of the pardon board in
committing the sentences was drawn
by Judge Turner, and gives the rea-
son for the decision, in part, as fol.
lows
THE father of the defendants, Leon
ard Rawlins, their brother, and All
Moore, the negro, were all convicted
of the same crime and all sentenced
to be hanged with the exception of
Leonard, who received a sentence Of
life Imprisonment in the penitentiary.
"The defendants Jesse and Milton
Rawlins) were, at the time the crime
was committed, aged is and Is years.
and were doubtless completely domi-
mated by their father, whose will
would brook no opposition from any
one, much less his minor sons.
"Their participation in this atrocious
crime must have been at his intiga-
tion and command. Since the execu-
tion of their father and Alf Moore.
public sentiment seems almost uni
versal that the ends of justice have
been satisfied and this clemency is
urged by more than two thousand
citizens of the state and from every
portion thereof and of every station
of life.
"They are represented by more than
two thousand kilograms and letters be-
sides the petitions. More than 500 cit
liens of Lowndes county have urged
this clemency. among whom are seven
jurors, who convicted the defendants,
lawyers. bankers, newspaper men.
ministers Of the gospel, city and coun-
ty officials, and numbers of members
of the house and senate Of the state
legislature