Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-07
FILINGS COATESVILLE
in PENNA'S FACE
Icontinued from First Page.I

answer a charge of murder he would
be lynched when he reached the Pal
metto State, were answered by the
statement that South Carolina had
not been the only Commonwealth to
have mob violence and that in this
case Brown was in no danger except
from the electric chair when the Gov
ernor gave hearing on the applica-
tion for return of Brown to-day. The
hearing occupied an hour and hall
OF which almost an hour was occupied
in presentation of a plea for Brown,
the Governor saying he would declue
later and asking for briefs.
The Governors desk was piled with
letters and petitions asking that he
refuse to return, Brown, who is In the
Philadelphia prison. He is accused OF
having killed a man In South Caro-
line April IA, 1906, and to have fed to
Philadelphia where ne lived without
being charged with any ofrense until
two years ago. A requisition was
made for him and granted by Governor
Tener. The case Was fought through
the United States courts and refused.
Renewed petitions against sending the
man away were made to Governor
Brumbaugh who recalled the papers
and reopened the case.
Prisoners Wife Here
A number OF colored people, includ-
ing the prisoners wife, came TO the
Capitol Tor the hearing. Deputy At
torneys General Keller and DAVIS sat
with the Governor. G. Edward Dick
erson, Il colored lawyer OF Philadel-
phla, aply presented Browns case, de-
cianng tnat he had been a good clti-
zen IN Philadelphia ana that in his
opinion the man would not get a faIr
trial ii he went back to Edgefield
county and would probably be lynch
ed He spoke OF the general feeling
against coIored men accused OF OIL
lenses in Southern States, referring to
the frank case as indicative OF now
people get stirred and SAID there were
Instances where the lite OF u colored
man was at the VIII OF a mob. Cole
II. BlesSe's remarks were cited TO
snow the feeling and the lynching in
an adjoining county TO tairneId where
the sherltt was killed was also referred
to, while Mr.. DicKerson bluntly said
that not only was the identincatlon oil
Brown made in an irregular way in
Philadelphia by tAe man sent for MIN,
but that If Brown went back ii wouIu
be to certain death, to locality where
there would be no change OF venue
for him and where he was not equal
before the law.
Some History Quoted
Attorney General thomas II. Peeb-
les, of South Carolina, and Prosecutor
George Bell Zimmerman, of Edgetield
county, sat within few feet OF the
colored lawyer as he assailed the SEN
ument of the South as he conceived ii
and Mr.. Zimmerman in opening said
the same questions had been raised in
1913 when requisition was granted anu
proceeded to show that the inception
of the eXtradltlon law passed by Con-
gress in 1892 was because Pennsylva-
MIA could not get a criminal from a
Southern State. He said the early
acts showed the law based on a sense
OF mutual protection between the
states and asserted that ii was realiZ-
ed then that States had a legal and
moral right TO ask return of persons
accused OF crime, saying that IT was
the duty of the Governor to honor
such requests.
In 1889 James A. Beaver, then Gov
ernor, honored the requisition of South
Carolina for one Plough, accused OF
murder in Edgetield county. He had
hed to Pittsburgh where he lived four
years after the crime. Mr.. Dicker-
son said that the Pennsylvania Cover
nor had required troops to meet the
man. At any rate Mr.. Zimmerman
said Plough was tried and acquitted
in the very county where Brown is
wanted. They raised the same noise
then as to-day" said he.
The Southern. View
The lawyer said that South Caro-
linians did not care any more about
this case than any other, but were
concerned in administration of law
and if Brown was not given any
his State had taken steps to get him
as a violator or the law and the re-
sponsibility would not be hers.
Il admit there has been some law
lessness in South Carolina" said he.
Has there been any in Pennsylva-
mia ," Then he said that he was thir-
ty-four years old and had lived his
life in South Carolina. but never knew
of anyone being taken from the hands
of the law and burned at the stake or
covered with fagots and roasted to
death. This reference to the Coates
Vile lynching, which he later men,
toned by name in giving a list of
northern affairs, he said was to show
that people did not always behave
perfectly in dealing with men accused
of crime. IF ii were not for the
racket this fugitive himself has kick
ed up not six people outside of the
officers of the law would recall what
had happened in. 1906" said he. In
closing he said: This man is in no
danger-eXcept from the electric chair
or the penitentiary."
Mr.. PEBBLES briefly closed the argu-
ment with reference to precedentS.