Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-03-23
FANNIE CARSON FREE AT LAST.
. Woman Leaves Prison After Serving
Fifteen Years.
(NewS and Courier.)

men, planned the death OF her own
husband, will leave the State prison
| where fifteen years Of her life have
been spent. She may go back to that
home now, where still fingers the
! memory Of dark night, many years
ago. when J. o. Carson lay asleep in
his bed and was murdered by ED.
Green and John Page, while the
wife stealthily left the home. DE
| string rather 10 err on the side Of
mercy, If ! err at all, | do hereby
grant unto said Fannie Carson q full
pardon of the offense she has hereto
fore been convicted of, and the SEN
tcnce for which she is now serving"
are the words, and a few strokes of
the pen making the Governors sigma
ture, that give Fannie Carson her
freedom.
Tonight Fannie Carson Is happy.
Alternately laughing with JOY and
! sobbing from the fullness Of her
heart, she awaits the morrow in her
cell at the penitentiary. She was
seen late to-day and told Of the fact
that she had been pardoned. Natu-
rally, she WAS overjoyed to hear the
news. Once before, when seen at the
prison while her pardon was being
| considered. she pleaded for mercy,
and now that it has come to her she
hardly realizes what freedom will
mean to her.
Has Rcpcntcd.
An humble woman now is Fannie
Carson Out at the penitentiary they
say that she has repenved Of her sins
Conducting Bible class among her
| fellow prisoners. il is probable that
| she has seen the error Of her way
and is truly sorry for what she has
done. Pity and the opinion that she
has suffered much are the moving
powers in the securing of a pardon
for this woman. Frail Of body, a
physical wreck, according to the writ
ten statement of physicians, Fannie
| Carson is not fit person, in the
opinion OF those who considered her
case, to serve out her days in the
| State prison
| Other Petitions Presented.
Fannie Carson has not been with
out hope in her prison life. Eight
years after she had been sentenced,
a petition was presented % Governor
Hayward, and her pardon was then
| refused.
Governor McSweeney, in 1902, also
refused to pardon Mrs. Carson. Al
ter seven years another petition was
presented to Governor Ansel. Per-
haps there never was a petition for
pardon presented that pleaded so elo-
, quently for the release Of a prisoner.
Letters upon letters from promi-
nent citizens Of the community were
presented. Only those who have
seen the many petitions for pardon
that are presented to the Governors
Office can realize the difference be-
! tween most of them and the Carson
petition. Some Of the letters were
most pathetic, and in pleading tones
| begged for clemency
These letters had their weight.
The board Of pardons, at the January
meeting, recommended the pardon
and since then Governor Ansel has
had the matter under advisement
After citing the history of the case
in many details, the board gave its
| bn
recommendation concluded:
Boards Recommendation.
'Becausc OF the enOrmity Of this
crime, the board has with some hest
| lalion reached their conclusion. In
consideration, however. that the pcti-
| TONER is a woman of no mark ed
! strength OF mind or character, that
| her husband was addicted to drink
and was at times harsh. il not cruel.
! in the treatment Of his wife. that
! she had fallen under the influence OF
a crafty and designing man, who
! had, by his intrigue. secured her
| confidence, II not her affection, and
| by his stronger will largely dominat-
ed and controlled her conduct; that
! shortly after the execution Of the
| crime, or which she was only an ac-
| ccSSory, she rcpcntcd and voluntarily
gave testimony, without which it may
| have been impossible TO convict the
| principal in this terrible crime, and
| that, too. without outside induce
mcnt, and even without the promise
| and hope of immunity; that she has