The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-08-10
WILL NOT HANG.
Sentences Altered in the Case Of
Murderers BY
GOVERNOR. HAYWARD

uray ReDrleved Until Last Day OF
Month aud William Gibbs Sen.
tence COMMITTED Refused
to Respite Marcus,
Within the borders of South Caro-.
lima, says The State, three men were
to have been hanged Friday, three
men to have paid tho penalty Of the
old Mosaic laW-'an eye for an eve, 4
tooth for q TOOTH" OF these three.
only u was BwunR into eternity, for
the others have had their sentences
altered, one temporarily, 1T iB true.
The %strangest part Of the incident
IL that the two men whose deaths
nave been deferred are negroes, while
he who was hanged vas o white man.
This 10 a tribute to the State and o
REPUTATION Of the sIurs so often CAST
by alien lips upon the Justice OF the
courts Of the Palmetto commonwealth,
Thursday the governor on the ad-
vice of the board Of pardons, repriaved
until August 81, Luke Clay, q negro
murderer Of Aiken cdunH, and com
mutod to LIE imprisonnent the son.
tenoe Of William Gibbs, also g mur
defer, Whose crime was committed In
Georgetown county. In both instan-
ceB, the chief executive was guided by
aGrong recommendations and the ur-
gent ADVICE Of the board of pardons.
He declined to interfere with the
course of the law In regard TO- William
Marcus the Charleston murderer. sI
The change in the sentence 1SsSsay
was made because his attorneys claim
60 have mitigating circumstances
which will, they are confident, induce
the pardon board to recommend q def
mite alteration In his sentence. The
governor has reprieved this man, only
at the instance Of the pardon boards
advice and the solicitation of various
oittzens Of Aiken, among whom are
numbered many PROMINENT names.
Two weeks time will be given In
which these mitigating circumstances,
II there are any, are to be shown, or
else the man Will be hanged on the
last day Of the month. Tne governor
will write the petitions that this rull.
Ing must be- complied with and bheu
sf,ile ne feels; blIasc2 gfsY Isl hi naurdar%
or, he grants the repriaye because the
ma Ii o fr1endlesS negro and because
che pardon board so recommended.
The attorneys who assisted the 80.
lioitor are fighting any commute.
tiOn. Their version OF the killing liz
that Gray asked Clifford Woodward, o
white man of Montenorenci, what he
mad said to Gray's wife during the
morning hours. Gray, according to
their story, said nothing and advano-
ed toward the negro with his hands in
the front pockets of his trousers, when
the negro, backing away, killed the
white man with a shotgun which he
carried. or course this statemenu ia
necessarily biased, on account of the
position OF those who make it. The
Killing occurred or February 2, 1905,
ana Gray was tried at tho summer
term Of court, The negro had no at
journeys, and B. Il. Wyman and w. M.
Smoak were appointed by the court.
Son Oliver, tho brother. in.law Of
Gray, and who was tried with him,
was given q life sentence In the State
prison.
1t will be remembered that Gray is
ullC hOBlO WIN "dlAOo lhHO oOVUEuOI
Heyward's Office and surrendered, say
ing he had killed q white man down
IN Aiken.
William Gibbs, who, 1t seems, kill
cd Ned Anderson by sbabbing him on
April Q Of this year, has been given q
good recommendation as an honest,
hard working negro, and an entirely
reverse character was given to Ned
Anderson, colored, the man whom he
killed. Many prominent oiti2 3ns OF
Georgetown, among them Mr.. s. IA.
Ward, testified aud wrote that Ander.
son was o bully and 8 desperate Of
the worst type. Judge Watts recom-
mendod the alteration Of the sentence
to life imprisonment. Mr.. Lewis
O'Bryan, Gibbs attorney, has been
~unceasing In his efforts to o
change In the sentence.
I But Marcus had to die. This muir
} derer who 30 brutslly slew with an ice
pick o trusting woman who lived
with him and who believed that he
mad no other wife, paid for the awful
deed committed on the sands by
tho seash0re. The governor re-
oeived another telegram Thursday,
p%urportiDg to be from Marcus wife In
, Cincinnati, or rather written In her
interest. If the telegram ba bona
fide it Is only another indication of
the ruling passion" The dispatch
read:
Governor d. O. Hayward, Columbia,
8. O.
Lizzie Marcus has known two days
only awful plight OF her husband, ia.
there Of her five tots. Penniless, friend
less; she could not go Immediately.
Have pity, Governor. Don't deny her
chance to say lasa good. bye.
!, Rev. Joseph Jasin,
1876 Clinton.
AS all South Carolinans know,
there was never o more humane or
feeling executive Shan Governor Hey
ward, but In this instance, although
ne and the pardon board have given
the matter full oonsld eration, he does
not feel that he could Interfere.
Strong Drink In NowbeFry.
Senator Tlllman spoke ut Younp,a
Grove Newberry county last week to
about 800 people. During his soeecb
no referred TO Maine. Iowa and zen.
sas, socalled prohibition States. AZ
/ fhia fnjnt Il II NH