Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-03
- Columbia Record: Superintendent

Columbia Record: Superintendent
Griffith of the penitentiary is quoted
as saying that he would like to be gov
ernor for just fifteen minutes in order
that he might grant pardons to three
prisoners in the penitentiary-Mrs
Fannie Carson, old man Bob Jones and
Walter Allen. We would be glad to
see Captain Griffith governor for two
terms, because he would make as good
a governor as he has made superin-
tendent Of the penitentiary-which is
saying a good deal-but for the pur-
poses of the discussion we would be
glad to see him governor for just five
minutes, provided he would pardon
first Walter Allen. AS to the woman
who participated in the brutal killing
of her husband, who was Drained to
death as he slept-if we remember cor
rectly; and as to Jones, who was made
famous by Ebbie Watson's stories of
the "Edgefeid EXterminator" a man
who killed an old man and his family
We have our doubt about the pro-
priety Of granting pardons to these two
prisoners, nc matter their records in
the prison. But as to Walter Allen,
there should not be a moments hesita-
ton on the part of any governor In
the first place, Walter Allen is not
bad man, so far as his record shows,
and the jury which convicted him went
to the extreme in its verdict. He shot
down the man who had inSulted his
wife, and while the socalled "unwritten
law" has been much abused, and while
technically Allen may not have been
justified in his actions, since under the
law no words justify a blow, still he
did what every natural man, with red
blood in his veins, would do. But
tl,af-F
pardoning Walter Allen. For several
years he was trusty at the peniten-
tiary, and was in charge 81 the sta
bleS. He did his work well, and had
the confidence Of the penitentiary au-
thOrities. One day lie was missing.
Going to feed the stock, in the early
morning, he easily slipped out of the
yard and was at liberty. 1t vas not
difficult to guess why and where he had
gone. 1t was known that few days
before hc had received a letter telling
him that his young wife-almost n girl
when he was impriSoned-was dying of
consumption, and that she lOnged to
see him. They were mountaineers the
Aliens, and after Walters conviction
the wife was forced to leave her
healthy home and seek employment in
cotton mill in the lower portion of
Grecnville county. The work or per-
maps insufficient nOurlShment un-
dermined her strength, and Walter
Allen knew that he might never see
her alive again. DO you wonder that
he yielded to easy temptation? But in
few days after his escape, Captain
Griffith received letter from Walter
Aliens wife. She told him that she
was greatly surprised and shocked to
learn that Walter had escaped. and
that though she wanted to sec him SO
badly she would send him right back to
the prison. That was the substance of
her letter: we do not remember its
verbiagC but have never read any
thing finer i'm sentiment. None but a
good woman could have written it.
And she kept her promise. One night
not long afterwards. Walter Allen pre-
scented himself at the penitentiary,
having come back voluntarily and
alone. Whether he might or might not
have been caught is not the question.
He did come back. ANY man who has
the longing for home that Walter AL
len had and who has the strength TO
come back to prison as he came back,
has in him, we assert, the making OF a
man. He deserves chance in the
world. If ever convict should be par
doncd, Walter Allen should.