The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-21
ESCAPED CONVICT ASKS
GOVERNOR FOR PARDON
Visits Executive Offices and Is Told TO
Return TO Penitentiary, Which
He Does.
Young Man. Convicted of Assault in
bristol, Makes Getaway From Rond
Forces and Goes 10 l'Iorida.

tall, squarely- built young man.
with bronzcd face anu an uneX-
pectcd nervous manner. walked into
the antcrooin OF Governor Stuarts Of
iicc yesterday 1T the dinner hour and
went straight to the desk 1T which
Secretary Alexander Forward was
seated. Except for the secretary, tho
Office was deserted
Il would like to see the Governor"
said the visitor uncasily.
The secretary explained that tho
Governor was 1t lunch. Tho visitor
hes!tatcd a moment. and then startled
Forward by saying.
II am an escaped convict. My name
is c. Randall Campbell, and ! nave
come 10 give myself up. hoping TO Oh
tain a pardon They have been look
ing for in- Tor months, and am sick
Of the fear OF having Il sheriff place
lis hand on my shoulder at any mo-
incnt"
Somewhat embarrassed by the char
acter OF his caller. the secretary asked
Campbell To be seated and await the
return Of the Governor.
TAKE care not TO talk before wish
the escaped convict IN the company
OF Assistant Secretary Martin Camp:
tell, labOrinS under visible stress OF
emotion. adopted The suggestion. and
held his peace until the Governor came
i'm from luncheon.
WILL CONSIDER PARDON
THROUGH FORMAL CHANNELS
You have done right In deciding To
surrendcr, said the Governor when
he heard Campbcll's appeal, but your
surrender must be az oiutcly uncon-
d!tinnal. will not promise 10 pardon
You II You give yourself up, bur !
shall he glad TO receive your appllca-
tioN for pardon in the formal channels
after YOU arc recommitted 10 the peu!-
ten;iary. and viii .reat your case
sHF,Tu ~. .lf.4Fs'
,ampben told the Governor that his
sentence had been unusually severe,
and his omensc. the outcome Of pa iii"n
In game OF cards, was committed
uaGcr mitigating circumstances
My advice said the Governor. rs
to go over TO the penItcmtiary, with
cut snE!nS word 10 any one, and
surrender 20 the superintendent. You
know. OF course. that you Will have
u"cid" not 20 take my advice. ] shall
IN all events. preserve your confidence
until Tomorrow. ana wili tell no one
The convict. torn with conflicting
doubts ana fears. went back to the
secretary's oi!ice and faced his BATH"
dow looking out under the south por-
tico. aud let his eyes wander over the
green fields of Chesterfield. the rolling
vcrdure OF Capitol square and The pic-
lure of freedom revealed at his feet
FINALLY he turned rcsoiutcly ana asked
SS.cretary Forward for paper and pen.
vousiy for few minutes.
have written 10 my mother 10
tel her that am going to give myself
up" said he when he had Finished.
VIII YOU please mail this for me I'll
mail IL myself. but ii is getting late.
and am afraid the penitcntiary will
FORWARD TELEPHONES
TO THE PENITF.NTIARY
When he had departed with For-
wards assurance that the letter home
would he placed In the st-oiiicc The
secretary called up the pcnitentiary
and told the warden that prisoner
to the prison cell.
At 4:l5 O'Clock tho telephone in the
governors Office rang. and Secretary
Forward Forward answering. was told by the
had returned and was in his old cell.
spent the winter In Florida" he
tod Inc warden "liut 1 did not have
good time: Every man / saw looked
like Il sheriff"
Campbell became engaged in a brawl
IN !. Brist9l saloon in the summer OF
by StfikinS him over the mead with Il
bottle. He was tried in the Corpora
ton Court Of that city in September,
liNe years in the pcnitentiary. He was
assigned by the Penitentiary Board to
work at the convict road camp in
4 pleasant manner he won the favor OF
the guards, and in October 1919. slinped
pu!ctly away from camp without en-
countcring the slightest difficulty.
In all probability he will have onc
year added to his term for the escauc
HIS application for pardon will come
up Tor formal consideration by the Gov
cFnof IN the course of few weeks
II hope they send me back to the
ROAD camp, said nc to Secretary For
ward before leaving for the pcnIten-
tlarN. Tine prison cells arc terrible
ana they treated me white in camp"