The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-11-25
FIVE FROM NEWERRY
COUNTY ARE PAROLED
ONE PARDON, 81 PAROLES, AND
TWO COMMTTATIONS.
Prisoners To Be Released Will Get
Home in Time for Their Thanks
giving Dinners.
Special to The Herald and News.

Special to The Herald and News.
Columbia, Nov Ex-Governor
Blease will tomorrow observe Thanks
giving Day this year by exercising
executive clemency in an even one
hundred cases. Only one pardon is
granted. In the list are two commu-
tations of sentence, and the remain
der, ninety-seven, are paroles during
good behavior.
There are five Newberry cases in the
J. list, as follows: Wallace Peigler and
Reuben Peigler, young white men con-
victed of aggravated assault and bat
a terry and serving. sentences of three
eyears each; George Wilson, colored,
q serving a life sentence for murder;
% Tom Boston, colored, serving five
wears sentence for assault and bat
81 terry with intent to kill, and Tom
j .swindler, serving a life sentence for
murder.
Below is given a list of the cases
in which clemency will be exercised.
The papers will go over to the secre-
tary of States Office tomorrow, and
will Immediately be forwarded to the
penitentfary and the various chain
gangs where the prisoners are located,
in time for those released to eat their
Thanksgiving dinners at home.
The reasons actuating Governor
Blease in each case are set forth off,
cially in the records Of the governors s
Office. These reasons published in
full for the one hundred cases would
u make some thirty or thirty-fve col
4 umns, and it is impossible to publish
them in full. The reasons in several
of the Newberry cases are given.
All the reasons would make inter
esting reading. There is one, in parti-
cular, which is interesting, 1t is the
case of Samuel K. Williams, convict
ed in Charleston of violating the Act
providing punishment for safe-crack-
1 ing. In this case Judge George E.
Prince, who tried it, wrote two let
Eers-one in June 1911, and one in
D September 1913. Judge Prince asked
HE governor please to commute the
entence or grant a parole. Il now
EEL he said, 'that l gave him too
severe a sentence, and if l now had
the authority to do so, l would with
cheerful alacrity suspend the remain
der of said sentence" :" ''I first gave him
ten years and one month"; said the
Judge, "and because of some insolence
Mn open court, added four years and
eleven months"
The reasons in each and every case
will be printed and transmitted to the
4 senale.
1t will be observed than more than
two-tnirds of those receiving clemency
are negroes. In some of the cases
there was no one at all to present pleas
Me petition for the defendants, and
he exercise of clemency is the result
bf the governors investigation of the
bases.
Following is the governors
Thanksgiving List:
The following will be
ParOled During Good Behavior.
Murray, ]. E., colcred, convicted in
i Calhoun county, May, 1910, of bigamy,
and sentenced to five years i-nprison-
ment.
Woods, Ellis, colored, convicted in
Darlington county, October, 1909, of
murder, with recommendation to mer-
and sentenced to life imprison-
ent.
Wright, John, colored, convicted in
ancaster county, October, 1910, Of
nanslaughter and carrying concealed
weapons, and sentenced to seven
years and six months Imprisonment,
and fine Of 5000.
Wright, Arthur. colored, convicted
in Richland county, June, 1906, Of
SsRaIaughter, and sentenced to ten
Imprisonment
son, George. colored, convicted
ewberry couny, April 1898, of
cder, with recommendation to mer-
and sentenced to life imprison-
mt
Williams, Samuel X, white con-