The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-06-10
P|TIFUL PLEA is
MADE BY FAMILY
Appear Before Judge Jarmi-
chaeI Asking Pardon
WASHINGTON AT CAPITAL
The Negro Leader VIII Deliver Two
Speeches In Montgomery Today
On the Negro Labor
Question.
WASHINGTON AT CAPITAL

Montgomery, June 9.-(Special.)-M
Idttleton, wife of Frank Dtteton, their
two little children and the father of
Frank Lttleton, gave the state auditor,
Judge ]. NJ. Carmichael, bad half hour
yesterday. They were a party to excite
sympathy in the plea they made for the
liberty of the said Frank Littleton, serv-
ing a life sentence in the state convict
camps for the murder of the sister of
his wife, Mrs Ella Hodges in Lee
county.
Judge Carmichael was the only MEM
Der of the state board of pardons in
the city when they came over Therefore,
1t was up to him to meet the situation
alone. He met the old man, the woman
and the two children in the office of the
secretary of state and heard their story.
A wife without means of support; two
children, one of whom had never seen
his father, and broken hearted father
yearning for the sight of his boy.
Il heard them as patiently and as kind
ly as it was in my power to do said
Judge Carmichael this morning. They
needed my sympathy and I felt sorry for
them. True they did not present any
thing new in the way of argument for
release than we had some time ago when
1t was refused, but l let them tell me all
they knew to help the matter out. 1t
seems so pathetic. There was little boy
nearly years old who had never seen
his father, and his poor old father plead
ing for his liberty.
An Awful Crime.
The crime for which Littleton was con-
victed was one to chill the blood of the
average citizen The evidence tended to
show that Mrs. Hodges was in delicate
condition as a result of association with
the prisoner, and her dead body, accord
ing to the testimony of one of the doc
tors, shown in the bench notes of the
trial judge showed marks of violence
after being taken from a mill pond. The
theory of the case was that Lttleton kill
ed her and threw her into the pond. The
defense eombatted this, contending that
she committed suicide. 1t was testified to
that she told a friend that she was go
ing to take her own life.
There is a long petition for the parole
or ,paSon of the prisoner signed by many
of the leading citizens of Lee county. It
will be recalled that at the time of the
trial, early in 1900, the feeling was very
strong against him. many contending that
he got off very light. However, there
seems to be a change in sentiment. the
theory of suicide finding many believers.
= in the attorney general of the state
fes this view of the case.
An Evil System.
!, The evils of the county convict system
,nme up today in a case from Marshall
alunty. A boy of 16 had been sentenced to
ftrd labor for one year. He is sick, hav-
Jg had pneumonia in both lungs since
Us conviction. The doctors at Gunters-
flle fear~tha work in the mines will per-
tanently ruin his health. The friends up
: there have asked that President Shirley
Bragg transfer him to the walls at Speig-
ners. They think he will get well If kept
In the open air.
DR.. Bragg heard the plea from a Mar
shall county man today. 81 can do moth
Ing" he said. HE does not come under
my care. If he was a state man | would
send him where he would get well, but
being county man l have no control
ever him.
And that was the story. The life of a
man is in jeopardy because there is no law
to keep him from such labor as may
kill him. A boy Is sent to serve less than
a year (having credit for good BEHAVIOR,
but the sentence will likely prove a life
term. There is no way to save him from
the danger of death save by the pardon
of the governor. He seems to be guilty of
the crime charged, as all the courts have
said So and there is no excuse for elem
y.
the way of a law to break up this me-
farious CUSTOM" said the Marshall coun-
ty man to DIR. Bragg, land ] will bring
you al 1.-THE help in my power to have the
legislature pass it,
Washington to Speak.
Booker T. Washington, head of the Tus-
kegee institute will speak here Sunday
on the question of labor supply, dealing
with the negro labor especially In the
afternoon III Twill speak at Dexter Ave
rue Colored Baptist church. and at night
at Old Ship hurch. There is much of in
terest manif sted by the white people of
the city, as This is one of the important
questions to- be dealt with by all classes.
Reports from the farms indicate that
there is not enough labor by large meas
ure to handle the crops. and that the out
put of every product this year, as last,
A Trifa SAVING