Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-18
.RLWLIHs BOYS ASK FOR
PARDON FROM LIFE TERM
Famous VaIdoSta Murder Case
ReviVed--Father of Boys
Was Hanged

Petition Tor a full and complete par
dom for the Rawlins boys. convicted or
murder some i've years ago when the
three OF them were respectively 10. 10 ana
Il years old. and now serving life SEN
fences in the peuitentiary. have been al
dressed TO the governor and were hled
with the state prison commission at noon
Thursday by John p Cooper. OF Naldos-
"a. attorney for the boys.
This petition recalls ore Of the most
sensational criminal cases in the history
or the stale The father OF the boys, J.
q; RawIins, was huns Tor the crime to-
Eether with the negro. All Moore, VINO
confessed that he had been hired oy
EaWIins to kill a certain Carter OF that
section. and on the scaffold, Just before
the black cap was slipped over mis- face,
the father protested once more That his
boys were innocent and prayed that they
be set free
Milton. Leonard and Jesse Rawlins are
the names OF the three boys who are now
applying together for liberation, claiming
that they were entirely innocent of the
crime for which they were sentenced.
No CHANCE FOR FAIR TRIAL.
Two OF the children OF Mr.. Carter. who
had been marked for death. were killed
before their fathers death could be &C
compIished: and the killing of the chill
dosta and the whole state, to such a
pitch of excitement that-Attorney Coop
er now claims-there was no possibility of
n fair trial for the boys and they were
convicted and sentenced purely by the
frenzy OF public sentiment with no
chance to prove themselves innocent.
with the application for pardon are sub
Knitted several petitions signed numerous
" by the citizens OF Lowndes county and
Rcouaintances Of the Rawlins family. The
petition was dOcketed on the commissions
hook shortly after noon Thursday. and
IL yet to be set down for a hearing.
Attorney Cooper sets out in the petit
ton that a special term OF court was
called TO try the indictments. and that
they were tried and convicted within 30
DAYS after the alleged crime had been
committed. while sentiment was at fever
heat and unressoning.
ARE INNOCENT OF CRIME.
He contends further that they were
mere children not capable OF the crime.
end that they were convicted on no other
evidence than the negro ALI Moore's tes-
timony. and that All was already a self
confessed murderer and that the promise
of his life was held out to him il he
would testify against the boys. He claims
that the boys arc absolutely innocent OF
tire crime for which they are now serving.
and offers to prove an alibi- The divine
law OF IAN eye for an eye and a tooth for
= tooth has been observed. he says. Two
were killed. and two have been hanged.
The three Rawtns boys were indicted
for the murder OF the Carter children in
Jowndes county lin 1906. and J. G. Raw
Inns their father. and All Moore, the
negro. were indicted for accessories after
the fact They were all tried and all
found guilty. J. @. Rawlins. All. the ne
gro: Milton and Jesse. were sentenced to
he hanged. and Leonard was sentenced to
life Imprisonment They appealed their
cases to the supreme court OF Georgia
where the judgment was affirmed. They
appealed to the United States supreme
court. which affirmed the judgment of
the Georgia supreme court They returned
to the fight with technicalities. and again
lost. They appealed to the state prison
commission for clemency. and Milton and
Jesse were saved from the gsllows. but
J. G. RawIins and the negro were hanged.