The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-12-30
THIRTY CHRISTMAS PAROOAS,
ELEVEN LIFE TERM CONVICTS
LIBERATED, NINE OF WHOM
WE'RE SENT UP FOR MURDER.
1t Equals 238 Years. Based ON Value
OF Service for Year, it Totals
$2S,9OO - Statistical Date Shown
Total Cost to State to Be $4,000.

Columbia, Dec. 23.--Thirty prison
ers held in the South Carolina peni-
tentiary and in the county jail re-
ceived their liberty yesterday at the
hands OF the Governor Of South Car
olina. when a record for pardons AMI
paroles was made.
Briefly stated. there were II life
time prisoners freed. nine of whom
were convicted on a charge of muir
der. One was convicted on the
charge Of burglary and arson, and
the other on a charge Of arson. Sew
en- were convicted on a charge Of
granddaughter. the sentences ranging
from five to twenty-six years. Sew
eral had been convicted on minor
charges and one was paroned to re-
stored citizenship.
Eliminating the ques s,ion Of the
moral right to grant pardons promis-
cuously and viewing the act Of the
Governor Of South Carolina from an
economic standpoint and considering
the pardon record for a day made
possible BY the constitution Of the
State. 1t means that this State was de-
prived Of the service Of convicts ag-
gregating tive hundred and thirty
nine years. This is for unexpire&
terms. The estimate Is made upon
an average OF twenty years for q
lifetime prisoner. The average length
Of service is probably longer. A liber-
al estimate Of the value received by
the State for the service Of a convict
for one year is 500, which would
make total OF s2y,ge0. lost in labor.
There was clemency granted in
thirty cases. legal statfstfcians have
estimated that it costs about $500 to
convict a prisoner ir tRtlx State. This
would mean an additional $4,000 az
court expenses incurred. Taking the
sum total OF the expenses snd value
to State. the Governor OF South Car
oIina yesterday expendeH gSS. 600 Of
the tax-payers' money: This Is
most liberal estimate ana $4,000
would very probably be, nearer cor
rect
OF the eleven lifetime prisoners to
receive cIemency at the hands Of the
governor Sarnuel Reefe, thu Chester
county wife slayer, is probably the
most noted prIEoner. He WAS con-
victed in November 1899 for kffring
his wife while she slept in iiiis horne.
The case 6t the time attracted great
deal Of attention. and public sentiment
was against the man. He has served
only twelve years of a life term The
parole was granted during good be-
havfof.
The papers granting the clemency
to the prisoners were made up In the
office this morning and
sent to the secretary Of State's office.
where IT required more than one hour
to affix the great seal Of Ito Ssxrs
Tho papers were then sent to the
and there was n general
exodus Of prisoners.
The governor Of South Carolina as
sumed ONCE ON January 17th, and
since that time has granted clem-
ency I'm three hundred and severtecn
cases. which are as follows
Parfons. 1877; paroles 1870, total
SIT.
Taking the estimate Of legsl statisti-
clans Of $500 for a convietiou, this
that this feature of tir, elem
ency record has cost the tax-payers
of South Carolina $15S,50V
The governor soon after entering
office dispensed with the State board
OF pardons. and announced that in
the future he would decide all cases
presented for clemency. The con-
tuition requires that he make re-
port to the general assembly on all
pardons issued, and include the report
OF the State board Of partions. This
means that a report win have to be
made on all Of the 317 cases.