The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-03-24
CRARGES POLITICS.
Gov. Blease on Action OF Supreme
Court in Davis CaSe-COmmuted
Sentence in Capital Case.

SCAtCuSC HI SAVAtSeA >>'
: Charging that a new trial would
have been granted had the special
Judge controversy not come into the
case Gov. Blease commuted the SEN
tence of James Davis, the Laurens
county negro, to life imprisonment
The supreme court recently affirmed
the sentence of death imposed by the
Laurens county court upon Davis and
ordered that new day be set by
that court for the execution.
In the decision in the Davis case the
court incidentally ruled that speclal
Judges must be commissioned by the
governor upon the appointment by the
supreme court, and also ruled as to
the right of the governor to order a
special term Of court
"I commuted the sentence OF DAVIS
on my own violition,'' said Gov
Blease. 81 am satisfied that the negro
would have been given another trial
upon the appeal made if the supreme
court had not lugged a political ques-
ton into the opinion which was caus-
ed by the special Judge question. /
would be an inhuman fool to sit here
and let the negro be hanged" GOV.
Blease continued. He said that he
would have commuted the sentence if
he had known that it would have been
his last act.
Other Petitions.
Several other petitions for pardons
and communications we're acted on by
Gov. Blease.
Benjamin G. Turner, a white man
from Aiken county, who is serving
a sentence of seven years on the
charge of killing his step-father, Riley
L. Johnson, was granted a pardon up
on petition of the members of the jury
who tried the case, the presiding
judge, the solicitor and upon an al
fidavit furnished by little negro girl
that she had told an untrue story OF
the crime when the case was tried.
She says in the affidavit that she was
asleep and knew nothing of the crime.
It was claimed by Turner that he kill
ed his step-father in defense of his,
Turner'S, mother A pardon was re
fused by. Gov. Ansel. He was cor
victed in 1907.
The sentence: of Mark Floyd, con-
victed in Horny: county and sentenced
to one year in prison or a fine of S4OO
has been commuted to six months i'm
prisonment or fine of $50. He was
convicted of assault and battery with
intent to kill
Jesse Jones, convicted in Horny
county and sentenced to five years on
the chaingang on the charge of as
sault and battery with intent to kill,
has been pardoned by Gov. Blease. He
was convicted in 1908.
Gov. Blease has pardoned James l..
Love, of Marion county, who was serv-
ing life sentence IN the penitentiary
on the charge of murder, mercy haV-
ing been recommended by the jury
Love has been out on parole for the
past year or account OF i'll health. Gov
Blease said that he would do away
with the paroles granted by Gov. An
sci and just grant him full pardon;
He said that he might as we'll be par
doned
''I will not grant this negro par
don, but Communication in order that
he may be disfranchised." This state
ment was made by Gov. Blease in
granting a communication to sentence
to date to James Smatthers, negro
convicted in Richland county on the
charge of stealing grip from NJ. W
Mobley at the union station several
years ago and sentenced to eight
years in the penitentiary.