Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-26
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.

The Associate Reformed church al
Troy, Greenwood county, was destroy
ed by a windstorm last Sunday night
The trustees of Erskine Theologi-
cal seminary have elected Rev. f. Y.
Pressly to the presidency to succeed
the late Rev. W. L. Pressly. Rev. +,
Y. Pressly is now president Of Erskine
college and as to whether he will give
up that position to accept the presi-
dency of the seminary has not yet de-
veloped.
Columbia, June 23: Governor
Hayward here today pardoned Hoyt
Hayes of Oconee county, who was In
the penitentiary for life for the MUIR
der of his wife, Lula Hayes, several
years ago, about two miles from the
town of Walhalla. Hayes was first
under death sentence and after being
given several reprieves his sentence
was commuted by Governor Hayward
to life Imprisonment. The case OF
Hayes Is one of the most notable that
has ever been in the courts OF South
Carolina. Hayes claimed that he
found his wife one night lying on
her bed with her head completely
blown off from the effects of gun
shot wound. Hayes was the first one
to apprise the neighbors Of the fact
that his wife was dead, he claiming
that he had gone to the lot to attend
to the stock and that when he re-
turned he found his wife lying on the
bed with her head blown off and a
shot gun lying near the. bed. A note
was found which Hayes claimed was
written by his wife in which she
stated that she preferred death TO
the pain which she would have 10
suffer in childbirth. Hoyt Hayes
neighbors did not believe his story
and he was brought to trial. The
evidence was entirely circumstantial
and the whole chain hung on wheth-
er the note which 1t was claimed was
written by Mrs. Hayes was genuine
or a forgery and a verdict of guilty
was returned. Hayes was sentenced
to be hung and the day was set. Mr..
Jas. P. Cary Of Pickens, who was one
of Hayes attorneys, fought the mat
ter through the courts, every availa-
BILE legal step being taken to secure
the mans freedom. After the matter
had been entirely decided by the
courts an appeal was made to Gov
ernor Hayward that he exercise his
clemency. Strong pressure was
brought to bear on the governor oy
both sides and after considering the
matter the governor decided to re-
prieve Hayes, so that he might more
fully investigate the circumstances
which surrounded the affair. Gov
ernor Hayward then sent to New
York and employed one Of the IA
nous handwriting experts or that
city to pass upon the authenticity OF
the note upon which the whole case
hung. The expert gave as his opinion
that the handwriting was that OF
Mrs. Lula Hayes. Upon receiving
the opinion of the expert Governor
Howard announced that he would
commute the sentence of Hayes TO
life Imprisonment. This action
aroused a storm of criticism all over
the state. In Oconee county the peo-
pie were bitterly opposed to the idea
of the sentence being commuted. In
the statement which the governor
gave out for publication, in which
the report of the handwriting was
incorporated, he intimated that ne
would before he left office grant
pardon to the man If during the IN
terim he was not convinced that the
man was guilty. Many people took
the stand that Hayes ought to De
either freed or hung. From the con-
tents of the statement which Gov
ernor Hayward made 1t could be
seen that he regarded Hayes as an
innocent man, but wished TO inves-
tigate the case a little more fully De-
fore he was given his liberty. Hayes
was today released from the peni,,
tentiary where he has been confined
for several years.