The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-04-09
FREEDOM GIVEN
DIR. MAXY LEE
DARLINGTON MAN WHO KILLED
HIS FATHER IS PARDONED.
Quite a Celebrated Case-History of
Homicide and Trial Given by De-
fendant-Judge Benet's
Letter.
The State nth.

DIR. Mhxcy G. Lee of Darlington
was released from lbhe state pealiten-
tiary yesterday after lie had served
m1early seven years Of the life sen
tence imposed upon him by the jury
for killing his father, DR.. II. j. Lee:
When DR.. Lee entered the peniten-
tiary he was a young man, strong and
healthy, despite his excesses; whem
he left he was broken in health and
spirits and had aged very percepti-
bly,.
The story of Lee and his trial and
conviction is q most interesting one,
J familiar to mal,>y in the Pee Dee sec
= tion of. the state, who followed its
history from start ITO finish. On Octob-
cir 5, 1899, DR.. Lee and his father,
DR.. II. j. Lee, became involved in a
quarrel at their residence about 10
miles out from Darlington. The two
had lived alone for a number of years
aanl, according to the statement made
by Maxcy Lee, both were III the habit
of drinking together. Lee was tried
20 days after THE fomicide and it is
said that llis conviction was due not
to q sentiment against him but only
because of feeling that lie should
be punished severely OH account of
the crime. His uncle, O. D. Lee, who
was one of the prosecutors at one
time. refused to recommend the first
petition for pardon, but afterwards
signed the second petition9 thinking
that the nephew had been punished
sufficiently.
There have been many attempts
to get pardon for Lee. The first
petbtion was presented ito Gov. Eller-
be amid after that followed papeas to
Gov McSweeney and Gov. Hayward.
In all eases the petition was not CANT
ed. In the case of Gov Hayward a
commission of three, consisting of
) Drs. j. w. Babcock, D. S. Pope and
|, }Samuel HanmohL were appointed to
4 liexamine his habits and sanity and
q the opinion was that Dr.. Lee was still
a atldic! cd 70 the use of drugs to a
j certain extent. Judge Bcnct, who tm-
ed the case, refused to recommend
Z the pardon but thc lahc j. Monroe
Johnson, who was solicitor at the
time. recommended that ii be grant
ed.
Most Of the history Of the ease is
told in the petition filed by DR.. Lee
himself before ahe pardon board and
before Gov. Ansel. 1t is as follows:
To His Excclcncy NJ. F. Astlel, Gov
ernor of the State of South Car
olina:
Your Petitioner respectfully shows
that on the 9th day Of November,
1899, in the court of general sessions
for Darlington county, ila the state
of South Carolina, he was tried and
convicted of .t1le crime of murder
with the recommendation to the mercy
eAof tMe court, and thereupon was SEN
ks,enred to the state pcnitentiary for
SRle tenn of his natural life and is
bw confined herein.
lThat on the 5th day Of October,
D0, at the residence Of your petit
aaer and his father, the deceased,
AAthe county and state aforesaid
- ire they then Lived and had lived
lie for many years, practicing their
lession together in perfect har-
" and enjoying to an unusual
.4s ee the affection that naturally
IS between father and son, your
ioner and his father, being @nd
hg been for several days under
hfluence Of whiskcy, by reason
Eidh your petitioner was depriv
his reason AMID rendered tenn
6ly irresponsible for his acts,
70 involved in a difficulty in
the father was killed by your
ner without provocation or
- any motive whatsoever. That
etitioner has no distinct rccol-
Of 1.-The circumstances attend
difficulty or the killing and
I,ign no motive whatever for
=, me amid can explain the kill
49,. y on THE hypothesis that he
Importantly orazed by the en-
- :, and protracted use of wl,is-