The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1916-07-30
ORDER SIGNED
. FREES MODERN
JEAN VAL JEAN
Finally Fulfills Promise to
Child to Turn Daddy"
Loose.
CRIME COMMITTED IN 1897
Famous Case Arouses Much
Sentiment = Escaping After
Murder, Stripping Served for
10 Years as Chief of Police
In Virginia.
CRIME COMMITTED in 1897

ATLANTA, July 20. 9.-Govomor Har-
ris today signed an order granting a
full pardon to Thomas Edgar Strip
ling
rh" order of Governor Harris com
. ~ g the sentence of Thomas Edgar
Just been signed, is one Of the most
interesting documents ever issued
from the executive office, and the
| case itself is probably the most uni
que in the criminal history of the
country
The governor opens the order with
a review of the early facts of the case,
which case has attracted attention
all over the United States. Stripping,
| often referred to as a modern Jean Val
Jean, killed w. j. Cornett in Harris
county on September 4, 1897, and was
| jointly indicted on q murder charge
with his brother-in .kw j. r. Huff.
They were tried together and jointly
convicted, and each was sentenced to
serve for life in the penitentiary Both
appealed for new trials, took their
cases to the state supreme court, and
while the appeals were pending in
that court, Stripping made his es-
cape.
Going to Danville, Va, Stripping Sc
cured a position on the police forca
and lived there fourteen years under
an assumed name. rising from rank
to rank until finally he was promited to
| the position Of chief of police. Being
discovered by a chance visitor from
Georgia, Stripping was brought back
to Georgia on a requisition issued
by the then governor and was sent TO
the state prison farm at Milledgeville
to serve out his life sentence.
Before beginning his sentence,
Stripping applied to the prison com
mission for a pardon, and the same
was unanimously recommended by the
members then composing that body,
to-wit: The late Clement A. EyanE,
Wiley Williams and r. e. DAWSON.
the latter of whom is still member
# the commission and now its chair
tion of the commission was transmit
ted to the then governor and by him
was turned down.
In July, 1915 Stripping renewed his
application for a pardon; and the pris-
on commission were divided on the
question. f. l.. Rainey and T. f..
Patterson recommended that the ap-
plication be denied, while r. e. David
son reaffirmed his former position in
For of granting a pardon
The case made by the record is a
very strong one" the governor says.
Few stronger cases have been pre-
sented to the governor during his
term, when the character Of the crime
is considered. All the surviving mem
bers Of the jury ten in number. rec
0mmended clemency. Petitions have
been received from two-thirds Of the
Yeople Of Harris county, urging a par
don. A number of the relatives of the
deceased join in he petition. One
hundred and two members of the
house of representatives, out of one
huhulcu anu clSHJy'lllHt, nave pet1-
ioned for the release of Stripping, and
hirtysix out of fortyfour members
4 the senate These facts alone 90
'ar towards emitting the case to fay
)rable consideration"
ere the governor mentions the in
.ent at the state farm. when he
promised Striplings little daughter to
turn her daddy" loose. He says:
AT the time when the promise was
made to the little girl, [ Had read the
public prints concerning the case and
had talked to number Of people
familiar with the record. The prom
ise was mae under a strong pathetic
appeal from the little girl. 1t Is true
The governor has a heart susceptible
1f pity and tenderness, and the little
one's appeal touched him deeply
lere was not dissenting suggestion