The Detroit times., 1915-08-11
Georgia Governor Is
Touched By Appeal
of Child
SENDS LITER HOME
TO HIS FAMILY
w as Suffering for
Crime Committed
Long Years Ago
BY HONOR TANNING.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. Aug. H.
Prison doors that three years age
closed for life on Thomas Edgar
Stripping have just been flung oper
by the tiny fingers OF a little girl
The touch. OF baby fingers put In
motion state machinery that neither
political pull nor Official influence
could move: the tears-and the
smiles of little girl Of six changed
an inferno OF despair 70 heaven
OF hope. lifted the shadow of fear
from a hunted, haunted man. who
had lived for Is years In terror OF
the laws vengeance.
Stripping. the "lifer." whose story
so closely parallels the story oil
Hugo's Jean Vatican" will soon
take his place again among free
men and he'll owe his freedom to
his little daughter. Bessie Lucille
who in.erceded with Gov. Nat E.
Harris for her fathers liberty.
Bessie Lucille. the convict's
daughter. has heard more about
prisons than she has about dolls
and little girls playthings since her
father was arrested three years ago
and sent back to prison for crime
committed many years before Bes-
sic Lucille was born. Like a good
little girl she waited-just as daddy
told her to-for him 10 come back
and play bear" or tell her stories
She was very lonesome for her
daddy. One day her mother took
her to visit him in the state prison.
II was the day that Georgia's new
governor was inspecting the peni.
Tertiary.
The governor was engaged In
talking to committee OF officials
in the prison lobby when a sad-eyed
woman and shabby little girl
passed by. No one noticed the
little girl slip away from her moth
er and run up TO the big. broad
shouldered governor. put her little
fingers In his. lift a smiling face
and eyes filed with tears up to him
and lisp: Please. Mr. Governor.
let my daddy come home with me;
wants him"
who are you. child7" asked the
governor.
I'm Just Bessie Stripping. my
daddy's In prison. and want him
TO come home with me"
A tense moment passed The
war veteran who governs Georgia
Is kind-hearted-Bess eyes plead
ed tenderly. The governor thought
deeply for a few seconds. Then
came the determined answer: Run
along lassie. I'll send your daddy
home soon"
Stripling's pardon VIII be official.
" confirmed in about two weeks.
The Georgia prisoner whose case
has attracted attention the country
over, was sentenced 10 prison Is
years ago. charged with the killing
OF Bill Cornett. The crime was
committed to satisfy the "unwritten
law
Stripping left a wife and two chill.
dren behind him 10 live on charity
or die without II. Their restitution
made him desperate. After year
In prison he escaped With his fam.
lily he located at Danville, Va. and
under the name OF Morris soon be-
came one Of the most respected citi-
zens In the community. For sew
eral years he was Danville's chief
Of police. But murder will out"
After Is years OF liberty and right
living Morris" was recognized as
fugitive and returned to prison to
serve out his life sentence.
The savings OF Is years were
spent on lawyers fees. His family
was again destitute. Influential
friends sought his release, but the
law demanded vengeance. Justice
demanded it, pound OF flesh"
Stripling's case had been given up
az hopeless when his baby daughter
twined her fingers into the fingers
OF Ceorgia's governor and asked him
10 send daddy home"
There were two children In the
Stripping family when "Bill" Cor
nett was murdered. When he was
sent back to prison three years ago
Stripping left IL children behind
His family Ia now In dire poverty.
his own health II broken. but the
spirit OF. Georgia's Jean Vatican Is
brave and unflinching.
give me another chance" he
asks, and I'll square myself with
the world-I'll be worthy OF the de-