The Forrest City times., 1912-09-27
oo.ernor Ia s.a..nlent.


 lowing statement:
 T am not afraid Of the citizen wht comes out in the open and boldls critcises my official action. This is the right of every free American and should be exercised whenever and wherever, in his judgment. it is neces sary. The state and country at large should fear the assassin who does his work under the cloak of darkness ot midnight hours.
 "l am indeed proud that during my nearly four years of office no one has been able 10 stand out in the open and point 10 single dishonorable act of mine. am still prouder that I haze driven some of my enemies to such a fit of desperation that they have had to resort 10 darkness to at. tack my official action.
 This effigy incident was, in fact. not perpetrated by men who care any thing for the act complained Of. but, it was melted by those who are dis. pleased al the character of my official life. but who dare not make known 70 the public the identical matters with which they arc displeased.
 Ill this instance l am slandered in the dark for pardoning a negro boy IS years of age for alleged assault His penalty was death. He was tried twice and convicted in both instances. Sixty days ago gave him a respite of 90 days, until could examine the mat ter carefully. In the meantime it was discovered that another negro well know as Jack the Shooter" had con fessed that 1t was he who committed this crime and not the negro who was convicted. The convicted negro also proved an alibi, but the jury did not believe it to be true at the time. The sole testimony upon which he was convicted was that Of lighted match Tor but a few seconds and the peep ot light from a street lamp through crack of a window shade. I did not believe, nor do I now believe. that under such conditions I could identify any ole, and it did not appear to me that an excited woman could do it. The confession of Jack the Shooter made this belief stronger.
 But I was not alone in this conclu. sion. After due consideration, IS of the 2i men making Up the two juries who tried the negro came to the same belief and petitioned me to completely pardon the negro, whom they had condemned 10 hang Three of the Jurors could not be seen. so it was stated 10 me, two of them refused to sign the petition and the other was sick and could not consider it when presented 10 him. Thirty-four officers Of the City of Little Rock and Of Put lafki county, who were well acuuaint- ed with the case, signed the petition Many white women signed it, and about 5h0 other citizens of the county signed il, many of them prominent in the business and professional world. So after arriving at the conclusion I had already reached all of the evi- dence of the petitioners belief in the negro's innocence served as q cnecx to my convictions and gave me more strength to act as l did But as the matter stands now every petitioner l. slandered and hanged i'll effigy. An future governor is warned that it mat ters not what the conditions may be. he must hang a negro, whether inno. cent or guilty. In fact, the midnight mob. too cowardly 10 speak out or show themselves in daylight, have given notice to the governor and good citizens of the state that it is soine to see that the office is run to suIt the mob. This ac ion will doubtless work to deter the political trimmer ir office from doing his duty He must not let innocent blood get in the way of his holding office. If the mob Is soing to eriticise him he must not risk his political chances by actins upon principles of right The mob might iniure him.
 Such is the tendency of the action this mob has engaged in in this III. stance.