The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-05-01
GREEN AND PAIGE PAROLED.
Men Serving Life Sentence for Muir.
der Set Free.

Columbia, April 26.-E. D. Green
and John L. Paige, two young white
men, of Spartanburg County, who
were convicted of having murdered
Ben Carson while he was lying asleep
because of the love which Green bore
Mrs. Fannie Carson, wife of Ben Car
son, were today paroled by Cover
nor Blease on condition of good be-
havior. Mrs. Fannie Carson, who en-
gineered the plot by which her hus-
band was foully put out of the way,
was paroled by former Governor An
sci.
The crime happened in Spartan
burg County eighteen years ago and
was said to have been one of the
most coldblooded ever perpetrated in
South Carolina. Ben Carson, with
his wife. Mrs. Fannie Carson, were
living on their farm in upper Spar
tanburg County. He was a young
man and a respected farmer and his
wife was a very attractive woman.
With them boarded E. D. Green, a
young school teacher, and John L..
Page, another young white man, lived
On the Carson place.
Story Of the Murder.
| Green was young man with good
manners, and he and Mrs. Carson
were said to have been much in each
others company. Ben Carson, all
unsuspecting, was going about his
daily tasks unmindful of the plot
which was Matching in his own house.
Mrs. Carson and young Green, it is
alleged, soon become so enamored of
each other that they began plotting
how to get rid of Ben Carson.
Once Mrs. Carson is said to have
tried to poison her husband, but fall
ed. 1t was then that she is alleged
to have resorted to sterner and more
certain methods.
Consulting with Green and calling
in the aid of Paige, the plot is said
to have been Matched. One quiet
moonlight night as Ben Carson was
sleeping he was killed. A window
had been left open and it was charged
that Green and Paige silently stole
through the window and into the
room where the sleeping man lay.
Carson was Drained and his throat
cut with a razor to make assurances
doubtly certain.
The Three Suspected.
Suspicion at once centered on Mrs.
Carson, Green and Paige, and they
were arrested and arraigned for the
murder of Ben Carson. Terror
stricken Mrs. Carson turned States
evidence, and on the stand told of the
awful plot, of her love for E. D. Green
and outlined the scheme by which
Ben Carson was put out of the way.
The trial took place at Spartanburg
in the fall CT 1895, with Judge Jos.
H. Earle presiding and Solicitor
Schumpert prosecuting the cases.
Mrs. Fannie Carson and john L.
Paige were found guilty of murder
with recommendation to mercy and
sentenced to life Imprisonment in the
State Penitentiary. E. D. Green was
found guilty of murder and sentenc-
ed to be hanged. An appeal in his
case to the Supreme Court resulted
in a new trial being ordered, and in
June, 1897, with Judge Buchanan
presiding and Solicitor T. S. Sease,
now Judge, appearing for the State,
Green was found guilty of murder
with recommendation to mercy and
sent to the Penitentiary for life,
where his two companions had al
ready preceded him.
Many Appeals for Clemency. .
No similar case had so stirred Spar
tanburg and the upper part of South
Carolina. No sooner were Mrs. Car
son and the two men in the Peniten-
tiary than efforts were begun to Sc
cure clemency for them. Appeals
were made to each Governor, but
without avail until Governor Ansel's
term, when he finally pardoned Mrs.
Fannie Carson and permitted her to
go back to Spartanburg.
With Mrs. Carson free efforts to ge.
Green and Paige out were renewed.
Finally a petition for clemency in
Green's case filed with Governor
Blease contained 1915 signatures,
235 of whom were ladies of Spartan
burg County. Judge Sease, who
prosecuted Green at his second con-
viction as solicitor, recommended
clemency and many of the leading
citizens of the county were on his
petition. A strong petition for
clemency in Paige's behalf was also