The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-04-29
Established 1891.
CHANGES DEATH SENTENCES.
Governor Saves Two Men From Elec-
trocution.-IIife terms Instead.

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Columbia, April Ex-Governor
Manning has commuted the sentences
Of James Gowan from electrocution
to life Imprisonment in the State
penitentiary at hard labor. Gowan,
who is a negro, killed his brother
in-law some months ago, and at the
March term of court was tried, found
guilty and sentenced to be electrocut-
ed on the 30th day of April, 1915.
The unusual circumstances connected
with the granting of this plea for
committing Of sentence was the very
fair and candid statement made by
Geo. T. Motlow, an attorney, of
Greenville, who acted as counsel for
the defence by appointment of the
court, Judge Devore. Mr.. MotloY is
candid to say that he went into the
case on two hours notice without be-
ing prepared, through an over-zeal-
business to obey what he thought was
the wishes Of the court, and, more
over, that this was the first time that
he had ever attempted to speek in
the court Of common pleas and gen.
eral sessions before jury, and that
he was so excited and his. nerves
were so overwrought on account Of
the excitement caused by this being
his first jury trial in this court in
which he ever undertook to speak
to jury or to examine witness be-
fore jury, that he broke down and
that on this account he feels that the
defendant has not received the pre-
sentation that he was entitled to re-
ceive in a trial for his life. The Pc
tition that the sentence be commuted
was signed by nearly all the members
of the Greenville bar who heard the
case, by all members Of the jury. and
Judge Devore wrote that in his opin-
ion the ends of justice would be met
by committing the sentence. Solicitor
Bonham concurred. The board Of
pardons examined into this case
thoroughly and recommended that
the sentence be commuted from
electrocution to life imprisonment at
hard labor.
Second Case.
Another sentence that Governor
Manning has commuted from electro
cution to life Imprisonment is that
Of Will Goggans. Goggans was con-
victed at the March term Of court,
1913, in Newberry county, for the
killing of Spurgeon Johnson in the
previous October. He has been re-
spited from time to time ny Ex-Gov-
ernor Blease, and the last time by
Governor Manning to give the board
of pardons a chance to thoroughly
examine into this, case. The jurors
who tried Goggans were petitioners
that the sentence be commuted, set
ting forth that since the trial con-
siderable doubt had arisen in their
minds as to the guilt of the con-
demned and that they had come to the
conclusion that it would be unfair
to themselves as jurors and unjust
to Goggans were the sentence not
commuted so that if time shall prove
his innocence he will not then, be be-
yond the help Of man."
In passing on this case the board
of pardons said: "All twelve of the
jurors asked that this negro's SEN
tence be. commuted from electrocu-
ton to life Imprisonment. In addi-
ton the judge hearing the case joins
in this request. While We do not
consider it the province of the board
of pardons to retry cases we have
gone into the records of this case very
carefully because the life of human.
being is at stake. The case against
Goggans is, in our opinion, extremely
weak and we unhesitatingly recon-
mend to your excellency that the
sentence be commuted from electro
cution to life Imprisonment"
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