The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-04-02

lie pror.r c1ulss to lake would be for
Mr.. lac aud myself - retire and let
! c9l Crimes. Dr. Dixon and Mr.. Joyner
hear y; or If ans Of YOU gentlemen OBJ
! jet 10 The CpuIcil Of state hearing
4. then allow ms L appoint three men
who Know nothing about the case ana
are not IN. ANY HaE Interested Then
. let them make known their decision
to IN. and | Will BE- governed by il.
Consult together and let lnr know
what !ou VIII do, gentlemen. ii ~ ny
wish to retire from this case.
Mr.. +. g. Linn then said: III wish
10 say that we know and believe that
whatever may be your priNat" opinion
that YOU viii be guided in this matter
for tho best interests Of the stat" Of
North Carolina. and We are perfectly
wiling and we ask that both Of YOU
gentlemen sit and hcar this matter,
Governor will Not Hear.
Governor Glenn then continued:
NOV in regard. to that letter that has
been referred to. in which | say that
unless Mrs. Sheriff. recommends the
pardon that | would refuSC-noW sup
pose that should go on and hear this
case, and from what was brought to
my attention should feel that ii Was
my duty as Il sworn officer Of North
Carolina to grant or refuse the pardon
as tse case might be-say suppose |
should grant Il conditional pardon.
then that letter was made nov t.
the public. what kind of position
would that put me in n North Caro-
lima? It would put me in such =
position that | cannot afford to hear
- ces / ven these mon t. l1l|
Il Trial as fair al Impartial as God
and man can give them. If they
ought to be ~pardonpd, pardon should
be granted. If they ought not to be
pardoned. it should be refused They
should nave a trial by impartial men
just as in jury trial.
Mr.. NJ. Il. Stickley Gor d~cfendants)
then said: Il did not Know several
weeks ago when Mr.. Frank Rogers,
Mr.. J. w. cannon and | wrote YOU III
regard to this ease of the existence Of
his letter, but SO far as | am con-
cerned and 50 far as they ate con
cerned, we havc absolute confidence in
you and Mr.. Lacy doing what is right.
but in view of this letter and i'll view
of the statements that appear there
in, we are willing for the course to
be taken that YOU have suggested.
Feeling as YOU do / only think it would
be fair to YOU gentlemen to take the
course that YOU suggest.
Governor Glenn said: Gentlemen
| again repeat that ] do not think
that Mr.. Lacy and | ought to sit in this
lease. Here are all letters and petit
tions in reference to the case. The
! eVlGence is over in the Supreme
Court room. You gentlemen can take
just such steps as YOU see fit. | do
not propose to mention the case again
to amy of YOU. | viii ask Col. Grimes
as ranking state officer. to act as
chairman. Whatever YOU gentlemen
decide to do viii be my position. I
cannot sit. | feel that would be Il
~prejudiced juror. so is MI. Lacy, he
for and ! against. We are not uuoIi-
fled to sit in the case.
Mr.. Lacy then said: Il do not hest
tate to say that ] would do the best
could. but | tell You frankly that
am prejudiced. | have tried to get
the Governor to pardon these men and
am not the man to recommend that
sort Of thing and then take another
position unless it was shown that |
was absolutely in the wrong. and /
strongly believe that these men ought
to BE- 1ardoned.
The Matter 10 Three.
Governor Glenn added: You can
see our position in this case. do not
know whether the petition asks for alb
soIu-e or conditional pardon. i Will
have nothing more to do with the case.
Here are the letters referred to as
being on file here. [ give them to YOU.
consider the case fairly, make Von
decision and it shall be carried out
by me as Governor Of the State. for
having referred the matter to YOU.
as my advisory board. l Will adopt Your
declSlon in the matter"
Governor Glenn and MI. Lacy then
retired from the executive office. leav-
ing secretary of State Grimes. State
Audfor Dixon and superintendent of
Public instruction Joyner. q majority
iof the Council of State. to sit and hear
1.-THE ease. The recommendation made
by a majority of the Council as constj-
tuted. Will be carried into effect by
Governor Glenn, his having been
agreed upon before Governor Glenn
withdrew.
The Argument Begins.
secretary OF State Crimes took the
chair, and Mr.. NJ. B. Stickley, of
Concord opened the argument for
the Whites. Previous to this col
Grimes. DR.. Dixon and Mr.. JOINER had
stated that they could near the case
without prejudice. had not expressed
an OPINION and the matter was open
50 Tar as they were concerned.
Mr.. Sticky first stated that While
ne was IN The recent Legislature that
petitions had been received by him and
by Senator w. X. Odell in favor of the
pardon Of the Whites. and that he had
seen Governor Glenn as to a time Of
hearing. that he came as Il citizen of
Cabarrus asking mercy on these bows.
He declared that they came of fine
ancestry. people who had done service
IN county. and State, never the name of
one on the criminal docket. before
this. obeyed the laws and were of
sturdy stock. The wife of
ChalmerS l. White he said is Il
descendant Of General Ramseur.
and the wife Of Thomas White the
daughter of a distinguished South
Caroinian. that the section from
winch these came united in asking
the pardon of their husbands. the
mother of whom is one Of the Coolest
women of Cabarrus who longs to vel
come her sons back.
He then read the petition for the
pardon signed by go leading citizens
of % counties in North Carolina. i'm
this plea there being cited the spIen-
did ancestry of the Whites. their law
fabiding conduct, the p~rovocation re
ceived in the letter which came from
their sister to them telling of Annie
Whites ruin, their visit to Russell
Sherrell the next morning, of his adj
mission of illicit conduct with their
niece. and of the alteration which
resulted in SherrilPs death. In the pc
tition the understood good character
of the neice was mentioned. and it was
urged that the conviction and punish
ment already inflicted had served the
J ends of justice.