The Ocala evening star., 1911-04-08
CORNETT MUST HAVE
BEEN 4 HARD CASE
STRIPPING should Have n Medal for
killing Him

Atlanta, April All the evidence,
affidavits, petitions and letters in
volved in the application for pardon
filed by Thomas Edgar STRIPPING, for
mer chief of police of Danville. Va,
and recaptured recently on a charge Of
murder. for which he was sentenced
to life term fourteen years ago. now
are in the hands of the state prison
commission. Arguments in the case
were ended last night. Ii probably
will be several days before recon-
mendation TO the governor is decided
upon.
STRIPPING killed W. ]. Cornett in Har-
ris county fourteen years ago. was
sentenced to a prison term and es-
capped while being taken to his cell
He went to Danville, Va. where he
was known as Morris, Joined the po-
lice force of that city and afterward
became chief.
Characters Contrasted
Many thousands Of persons in this
state and Virginia have petitioned the
governor to pardon Stripping the
ground of his good conduct since es-
Gaping. The relatives of Cornett, how
ever, contested his release and engag-
ed attorneys to appear before the pris-
on board. Stripping is in jail in Harris
county.
Stripping pleaded the unwritten law,
claiming that he killed Cornett in de-
fense of his home. Sworn statements
that Cornett had insulted Stripling's s
sister were presented to the commits
| sion.
acter of Cornett was painted, while
of he Of haf Srrin
ling had been a man of unquestioned
moral character and courage both be-
| fore and after the killing.
Did Not Have Fair Trial
| A strong feature of the case from a
Stripping standpoint was the intro
duction Of affidavits from the ten jury
men still living, who stated that in
their opinion that Stripping had not
had fair trial They stated that the
Judge hurried them up, telling them
| that if they did not make a verdict by
IL o'clock he would take them to the
next county and keep them locked up
until they did.
G. w. Davis of Harris county swore
by affidavit that "Cornett bore a bad
reputation, and that he had no respect
for virtue or morality; that his con-
and destroying virtue" Another af-
fidavit was read from a former friend
of Cornett who said that he had often
demonstrated with him concerning his
remarks about women, and told him OF
the afternoon OF the day he was killed
that somebody would kill him il ne
didn't stop talking about other mems
wives.
| II. W. Cornett. a relative of Cor
nett made affidavit on the night OF the
killing that he saw Cornett and told
him that if he didn't stop talking about
women there would be a funeral and
he would figure in it.
That's all right Cornett replied
I'm not figure in ii first. I'm too quicl
to be caught mapping"
"Cornett was absolutely without
morals" swore J. " Miller. one tim.
employed by Cornett.
Another affidavit was produced tina
Cornett had said ne had insulteC
Stripling's wife, and that Stripping haC
been informed of this statement.
Mrs. T. H. Durham. sister OF Strip
ling, submitted an affidavit, in which
she told of the advances Cornett hat
made to her. trying to make her kis
him and that she had told Striplin.
and her husband.
Mrs. Stripling's affidavit was mark
ed only by the denial of the report
that she and her husband have eve
been separated. She stated that on on
occasion. Cornett had written her
note to the effect that since her hus
band had gone for the night, he woul
like to call She kept the note. an
gave it TO her husband.