Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-27
.BLEASE SETS RECORD
IN CHRISTMAS PARDONS
South Carolina Executive Lib
crates More Prisoners Than
Ever Before at One Time
Especial Dispatch to The Journal.l

Especial Dispatch to The Journal
COLUMBIA, S. c., Dec. 24.-As a
Christmas gift Governor Blease has
granted clemency to eighty persons in
the penitentiary and scattered on chain
gangs and in jails throughout the state,
including three to whom pardons were
granted to restore citizenship. The Of
lenses for which the prisoners were
serving terms ranged all the way from
murder down to minor infractions of the
law. The convicts to whom clemency
was granted will be liberated today in
time to go home and eat Christmas
dinner tomorrow.
Probably the most interesting case in
the whole batch is that of J. G. Ken
nedy, white, of Barnwell, convicted of
the murder of a man by the name Of
Ussery, and sentenced to life impris-
onment in the state penitentiary. The
killing of Ussery occurred during a car
nival week in Barnwen and excited
much interest throughout the state.
Two negroes are now serving life sem
tences for this same offense, and one of
the reasons assigned for the pardon of
Kennedy by the ex-governor is the differ
ence in statements of these two negroes
on their two trials and since, Kennedy
having been convicted largely on their
testimony.
Alex Farrell a white man. Of Flor
ence, convicted in 1896 along with a
woman for the murder of a man, was
paroled The woman was previously
granted elemency by a former gov
ernor.
Samuel Randolph Way, of Columbia,
who conducted a drug store on Main
street and was convicted of obtaining
money under false pretense from his
wife, was pardoned.
Robert Chestnut, of Orangeburg, a
white man, convicted Of killing man
concerning domestic relations, was pa
rolled.
Louis Cantrill and Charles NJ.
Gaines, convicted along with Charles
L. Angel of the murder of a farmer
of that county, and sentenced to life
Imprisonment in the state penitentiary,
were paroled on the condition that they
leave the state within twenty-four
hours and never return. Angel was
paroled last year.
B Whit Goodwin, white, convicted
at the June, 1908, term of court of
Newbury county. of mansl&ughter and
given ten years in the penitentiary,
was paroled.
A record was set in the number of
persons receiving clemency at one time
when Governor Donaghey, Of Arkansas,
exercised clemency in $50 cases last
week The number receiving clemency
at the hands of Governor Blease this
Christmas is the largest number ever
turned loose at one time in the histo-
ry of this state and is double the num-
Der turned loose at any one time by
the governor heretofore.
Many Of the persons receiving Glenn
ency worked in the hosiery mill at the
penitentiary and this mill will be some
what crippled by the number OF con-
victs let loose today. The governor has
announced that If the legislature does
not abolish the hosiery mill which he
calls tuberculosis factory" he will
make a wholesale liberation of convicts
therein and break 1t up in that way.
Counting the number Of prisoners
liberated by the governor on Thanks
giving, those between that time and
now and the number let loose for
Christmas, the total reaches about 120,
almost every county in the state is
represented in the number liberated to-
day.
The governor refuses to take any &C
ton on the petitions for clemency Of
John Y. Darlington, serving a term
for breach of trust in connection with
the Seminole Securities company, and
w. T. Jones, the wealthy Union farm
err sent up for life for killing his wife.