The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-12
FOUR FREED
 BY CLEMENCY Jelks Extends Executive
 Hand. ONE FORMULATION GRANTED Sentence of Life Prisoner Shortened
 to Forty Years. James Pinckard. a Montgomery County Negro. Convicted of Grand Lar- ceny. Receives Full Pardon. Guilt was Doubtful.

Executive clemency was extendeo yesterday by Governor Jelks to i've inmates of Alabama prisons. two of whom were convicted or muraer, ssns ane fenced ranged from year and a day to life Imprisonment. the sentences or the four term prisoners lncluuea az gregating thirty three years. .,...,.a
 One of the prisoners, James Finck. ard, sent up from Montgomery county for a year and day for grand lar , Geny was given iui1 for onfe0n iife from Law renee county. who has served for twen- ty-one years, had his sentence com muted to forty years. ana tne three c'h-
 John Latham. sentenced to ten years from Shelby county. for assault 10 hu'- der. 4. ..,..oan years from Chiffon county, for mur- der in the second degree. .o
 Richard Kennybrook. ta sentenced fop a1 nine years from ranH JeTersen IsrsSnv county i''
 The crime for which Pinckard was sent to the penitentiary for year and a day by Judge, Thomas of the eTcmi- mnnt- Eomery, was committed early in the past year. He was sentenced at tne Juy term of court. and had served apo was inc stealing of an overcoat
 Guilt Is Doubtful.
 The pardon of Pinckard was based upon doubt as t" nSe6 ms Suiif bv 'he Judee Thomas, Sheriff Waller and his depu- ties, as well as the officials 9l mac0a con county, where he formerly reslaeu. anu the members of the Board Of faroons'
 The Governor. in extending clemency' made this notation upon the appiica- tion: .r,.I tudga recom- mends clemency primarily because ne ia doubtful of his guilt. All or tnis mans old time friends look upon the charge as almost unbelieNaDle pecauee Pardons think there Is reasonable sam Samuel Livingston. the Lawrence County murderer, whose eY, senesn 1o forty years in the prison, wrote pa thetic letter to the GoVerhor'. appe5, ing for release, or at least that ne ne exniration of a forty-year term. He was getting old. he told the Governor, and he would try to live the remaln. ing days of his existence Tn peace anu harmony with all mankind
 TJvingston was committed to the care of fine warden of the penitentiary April 20, 1886, and his prison record aurns the nearly twenty-one years ,.isho,a suse nas e 1t was largely upon that re- cord that the coHlmutation or the sent ence was based.
 Henry Johnson, the other man t1ar, coVn.
 
 mon his application for clemeney' was nsroled upon the recommendation or Inc trial judge, Hon. s: l.. Brewer or snS sn Mr. Bowling. the solicitor, who nrnssciited the case, as 1t Is believed that he has been punished sufficiently for his crime. and also because there Is a real doubt as to cns,asea ms suni'
 wben he was sent to the prison to serve his term of thirteen years Tor second degree murder Johnson left sev. iIftle sh s'"a more than years old, in care ns their mother. The latter has since died. leaving the little ones, who have been supported by funds supplied by inc father, without a protector.
 Furthermore, the funds that he has been using for their support are rum ming low. and the father. In a letter to the Governor, expresses the u.ihost concern for the future of his children. when they are cast, penniless and with out A protector, upon the world. Tn his letter, he protests his innocence or inc crime of which he was convicted. the killing of Asa Rollinson in Chiffon County, early in 1905. o-
 Since his incarceration, May 27, 1905. Johnson has been prisoner at Spelg- :. The Governor, in granting Johnson P'"TiTs "Tba Board of Pardons went over this case very carefully. and recom- mend as follows:
 Henry Johnson, of Chiffon County. was convicted of murder in the second degree In the. 'sprins term, l9Oo' ana sentenced to. imprison ment for thir- teen years He now applies for pardon or parole; he has large petition from the people of Chiffon County; his aP- plIcatiop Is endorsed by many promi- nent persons His pardon Is recom- mended by Hon. s. l.. Brewer. the trial fudge. and Hon. Mir. Bowling. tho Solicitor prosecuting him: who are insistent upon his pardon The States Witness may be said to have mado questionable statements in their testl- mony.
 "Johnson himself addressed letter to the Governor discussing other testi- mony in the case. and H his statements to the Governor be correct, then he should he unquestionahly pardoned. Judge Brewer. the trial fudge, in writ ing a letter. refers to JohnHor's state nents to the Governor. and says that he has no douht hut that it is absolute ly correct. This being SO. it appeafs, therefore. that in the opinion of the Board a pardon or parole should be granted to the applicant.
 II Is seen that the trial judge and