The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-06-09
YEGGMAN REFUSED PARDON
PECULIAR CASE RECALLED IN
PETITION OF JOHN KING.
Case of Mistaken Identity Made 1t
Necessary for Gov. Hayward to
Release Three Others.


Four years spent behind the prison
walls at Atlanta and over six months
in the South Carolina prison has
made John King, alleged safeblower,
a physical wreck, according to peti-
ton presented to Gov. Ansel who re-
fused to pardon him. In behalf OF
King, a member of the house Of rep
resentatives wrote an appeal to Gov.
Ansel, in which the interesting and
pathetic case of the man Is set out.
L. NJ. Gasque, Of Marion, is the at
torney who petitioned the governor.
John King was sentenced to serve
two years in the penitentiary, having
been convicted of housebreaking and
larceny, and came to serve his SEN
tence in October, 1909.
Finding a Den.
Back in February, 1904, the safe
Of John L. Dew, merchant of Latta,
was rifled and the same night the
postofice was broken open and a
quantity of stamps and other prop
erty taken therefrom. Not many days
thereafter out in the country was
found a den where three men resid-
ed. In this den were found stamps
and pennies. Apparently here were
the guilty persons, Leonard Harding
and his two companions, H. E. Cum
ningham and T. H. Marion, were ar
rested by postof1ce inspectors. The
men were tried by State courts
and, having been found guilty, were
sentenced to serve five years each In
the State prison.
McCarthy's Confession.
Meantime John Mccarthy in a Yer
mont prison made a confession, i'm
plicating John King. That was In
1905. The confession was made to
Postof1ce Inspector Gregory who is
well known in this State. The con-
fession exonerated the three men who
had been tried for the Latta robbery
and made King and Mccarthy the
guilty persons, according to Nc
Carthy's own statement.
With this confession before him
Gov. Hayward pardoned the three
men, who had been serving their SEN
tence for nearly one year. Subse-
quently in Charlotte one Of the men
died. The discovery of the mistak-
en- identity was made by accident
one day when Inspector Gregory
visited the State prison.
John King was tried in Charleston
by the federal court in April, 1905.
Upon the testimony furnished by Nc
Carthy, who in the words of the petit
toner, "was confessed criminal, a
safeblower," King was convicted and
sentenced to serve four years In pris-
on. He Immediately went to Atlanta
and remained imprisoned there for
four years.
Following his release from the At
lanta prison, King was Immediately
rearrested and tried in the State
courts.
At the time he had been in jail for
nearly a year.
with five years already served for
one offense," writes petitioner,
"King was again brought before the
court" He was convicted and SEN
fenced to serve three years. He
came to Columbia in October, 1909.
Is a Physical Wreck.
The petition states that King is
now a physical wreck, worn ont by
his close confinement for six years"
and that he had never been in trouble
before the Latta case, according to
McCarthy's confession. The petition
er pleaded to let King out 80 that
he might become better citizen.
"While John Mccarthy is enjoy
ing his freedom, having been par
doned by the president Of the United
States, by the governor of North Car
olina and by the governor Of Ver-
mont, King, has fingered in prison
and suffered" pathetically states the
petition.
That King had been sufficiently
punished was Judge Watts's opinion,
he having tried the case. Solicitor
Wells did not agree with Judge
Watts, saying that the other fellows
who suffered for Kings deed were
punished and were innocent. The
reason King stayed in jail one year
before trial was because there had
been a mistrial.