The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-07-13
CAPITAL COMMENT And
NOTES ON LIVE TOPICS
HEARING ON GRANT EXTRADITI0N
IN PENNSYLVANIA.
The Tax Commission in COurt-lSen-
hover Applies For Bail-Tbe
s Cotton Situation.
(By John K. Aull.)
Special to The Herald and News.


Columbia, July 12.-Attorney Cen
eral Thos. H. Peoples and Solicitor
George Bell Zimmerman have returned
from Harrisburg, Pa, wnere they went
to appear before the governor of that
State in a case whose developments
have been watched witt a great deal
of interest not only in South Carolina,
but throughout the country.
In 1913, Governor Cole. L. Blease is
sued a requisition upon the chief ex-
ecutive of Pennsylvania, Governor ].
X Tener for the return to this State
of a negro, Joe Grant, alias Fred
Brown, charged with murder commit
ted in Edgefeld county nearly ten
years ago, tie negro at che time of
the issuance of the requisition having
just been located in Pennsylvania.
Grant, represented by negro attorneys,
fought the reQuisition, alleging that
he could not get a fair trial in South
Carolina, the sum and substance OF
his contention being that South Caro-
lima was a lawless State, where ne
groes were lynched and had no legal
rights, and the famous address of Gov
ernor Blease before the conference of
governors at Richmond in December,
1912, was cited in the record as evi-
dence of this contention. Governor
Tener, who was present at tie Rich
mond conference and heard the ad-
dress of Governor Blease, after hear
ing in the Grant case honored the
requisition of Governor Blease and is
sued his extradition warrant for the
return of Grant to this State. Grants
attorneys then carried the case through
all the courts of the land, in every one
of which the reQuisition of Governor
Blease. and the action of Governor
Tener were sustained, the final de-
cision being rendered by the supreme
court of the United States.
In the meantime Governor Tener, of
Pennsylvania was succeeded by Gov
ernor Brum5aug:t and Governor Blease
of South Carolina was succeeded by
Governor Richard I. Manning.
After the decision of the supreme
court of the United States Governor
Brumbaugh revoked the extradition
warrant issued by his predecessor,
Governor Tenor, the alleged lawless-
ness of South Carolina and the denial
of rights to negroes being urged by
Grants attorneys, the Winnsboro af-
fair being cited as evidence.
Attorney General Peoples and Gov
ernor Manning requested tat this
State be given a hearing, which was
granted by Governor Brumbaugh last
week, and he reserved his decision.
So here we have a case in which
! the plea of lawlessness in South Caro-
lima during the administration of Gov
ernor Blease was overruled by tie
then governor of Pennsylvania, and the
same Flea sustained by the now gov
ernor of Pennsylvania during the ad-
ministration of Governor Manning, by
the now governor of Pennsylvania.
Of course, the plea in this case that
Grant would probably be lynched, ana
would not be given fair trial in
South Carolina, was untenable during
the administration of Governor Blease,
and is untenable during the admins
tration of Governor Manning. Until
the case gained national attention by
tie fight against eNtradition very few
people had ever heard Of the case, and
the negro could have been brought
back to South Carolina and tried WILL.
out attracting any more attention than
any other case in the ordinary run
of criminality," as prominent mem
Der of the Newberry bar would say.
But it is interesting to speculate upon
what tee newspaper comment would
have been had the case been reversed,
and the extradition warrant granted
by Pennsylvania during the admins
tration of Governor Manning and re-
voked during the administration OF