Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-08-02
sTRIpLING AT LAST FREE MAN
Governor Harris, of Georgia, Grants
Full Pardon to Noted Convict.

Atlanta, July 29.-Thomas Edgar
Stripping. who served as chief OF 30
lice of Danville, Va, for almost ( Of
the ID years that he was an escaped
convict, was granted full pardon by
Governor Nat e. Harris ut 6 o'clock
tonight.
Since the first day that "Chief r.
r. Norris" of Danville, was brought
back to Georgia to resume his life
sentence as Stripping, influential at
tempts were made through three
State administrations to have him
pardoned. All these failed, how
ever, until Governor Harris went to
Milledgeville in July, 1918, to in
spect the State prison farm.
Little Girls Plea.
While there one OF Stripling's eight
children, n girl Of six, ran to him in
the prison grounds and bashfully
pleaded to "please let my papa out
because he Is sick and we all need
him SO bad" The incident touched
the aged Governor and he promised
''to send your father back to you
some time during his term
After completing an exhaustive re-
view Of the case, Governor Harris to-
night dispatched a letter to little
Bessie STRIPPING and completed the
case in it's last sentence with: After
all it Is the Offering from the Gov
ernor's heart to the love and inno-
cence Of little child"
Stripping, on September 4, 1897.
shot and killed w. J. Cornett, his
neighbor, in Harris county, Georgia.
He fired through window Of Cor
nett's house. He surrendered at Co.
lumbus, Ga, a few days afterward
and eventually was found guilty and
sentenced to life Imprisonment.
Insulted Wife.
Stripping testified at the trial and
it was corroborated that Cornett had
insulted both his wife and married
sister; that Cornett had threatened
to kill him, and that when passing
Cornett's house the night Of the kill
Ing he could not restrain himself
from shooting when he saw Cornett
passing a window with light in his
hand. He claimed self-defense, as he
said he believed lit was either Cor
netts life or mine some time"
He escaped from the Harris county
jail when his case was awaiting the
outcome of an appeal. He remained
hidden about two months at the
home of his uncle in Harris county,
and then made his way to North Car
olina, where his wife joined him in
1899. Under the name Of r. e. Nor
ris he did different kinds Of work in
several towns for number of years.
Finally he was employed by the
Southern Railway as a special agent.
That work took him to Danville,
where he had been about one year
when he obtained a place on the po-
lice force. Nine months later the es-
capped convict was elected chief Of
police.
Two Men Who Knew Him.
STRIPPING has stated since his re-
turn to Georgia that there were two
men in Danville who knew his life
story, but they remained silent FL
nally man we'll known in Harris
county saw him. Soon afterwards re-
ports of Stripling's whereabouts were
heard. These reports seemed to G.
NJ. Smith, a private detective, to war;
rant investigation. He obtained re-
quisition papers from Governor
Brown and went to Danville Smith
established the Identification beyond
a doubt.
On March 4, 1911, the Danville
council was to elect chief Of police
and 1t Is said Stripping was practical
ly assured Of reelection, notwith-
standing some opposition had arisen
because he had killed young white
man who had resisted arrest, had
killed negro who was attempting to
rob his home and shot another me-
gro while resisting arrest. He was
exonerated Of blame in each case.
On the afternoon Of March 3, how
ever, Smith presented the requisition
papers to Danville authorities. Strip
ling was confronted with the fact and
admitted his identity.
Stripping requested the mayor and
members of council who at that time
were unaware of his plight. to meet
that night, as he had an important
statement to make. Before the body
that probably would have elected him
chief Of police for another term the
next night he stood handcuffed, but
in his uniform, and told the story of
the shooting Of "Bill" Cornett, of his
escape and movements during the
nearly IA years Of freedom He still
wore his uniform when placed in Jail
in Georgia.
His family moved to Milledgeville
soon after he was sent to prison and
has resided near the prison farm
since. Stripping Is now represented
as being thoroughly broken physi-
cally.
Old Job Offered STRIPPING.
Macon, Ca, July 31.-Thos. Edgar
STRIPPING, who for nearly four Of the
IA years he was an escaped convict
from Georgia served as chief Of DO
lice at Danville, Va, under the name