Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-05-29
Commission ENDORSES
PARDON FOR MRS. GODBEE
MiIIen Woman Who Killed Her
Husband May Be Given
Liberty

The prison commission Friday AFTER
noon filed a report with Governor Har-
ris recommending that he pardon Mrs.
Edna Godbee. the woman who created
a sensation four years ago when she
shot and killed her former husband.
Judge Walter S. Godbee. and his sec
cnd wife I'm the postoffice at Millen, Ga.
Mrs. Godbee has been at the state
prison farm near Mlledgeville since
nearly four years ago. when she was
sentsnced 10 life Imprisonment.
BY oversight the members of the COM
mission failed to sign the elementary
report and il was sent back TO the COM
mission from the governors Office Sat
urday morning for their signatures.
The commission gives as its reason
for the request for executive clemency
the fact that Mrs, Goddess health is
rapidly declining that she was insane
at the time of the killing: that the
relatives OF the deceased. every mem
Der or the trial jury, the trial judge
and the prosecuting attorney have
signed "a petition requesting that she
be pardoned.
Her petition for a pardon was hleu
December s, 1915.
| Following is the recommendation sent
to Governor Harris b. the prison com
mission:
THE prison commission, having un-
der consideration the application for
executive clemency in behalf of Edna
Godbee, who, at the September term
1918 of the superior court of jenkins
county. was convicted of murder, and
sentenced to life Imprisonment. beg
leave to report that they recommend
pardon for the following reasons:
Mrs. Godbee has served nearly four
wears and her pardon IS recommended
bv a very large number OF the people
of the record in the case dispositions
in the county in which the crime was
committed. including all of the rela-
tives OF the deceased, w. S. Godbee
Pardon is also recommended by every
member of the jury. the trial judge and
the counsel who were employed to pros
ecute the case. The health of the APP
plicant is now very much impaired.
in addition to the above there is
I filed before us and has become a part
of the record in the rase dispositions
/ of DR.. W. A. Ellison. who is an au-
| thoritv on nervous and mental diseases
testifying that in his opinion Mrs. God
/ bee was insane at the time she shot
/ the wife and husband, and this opinion
was based on a careful study of her
case. 1t is also shown that the pay
ment of a note given for lawyers fees
/ for Mrs. Godbee on her trial was re-
L sisted OH the lldl the AdNy6IS
/ failed to exercise that professional skill
| in her defense that they should have
in that they failed to plead insanity
at the time of the commission of the
| crime and on this issue a jury by their
verdict sustained the defendants i'm their
| contention that Mrs. Godbee was insane
and that her lawyers should have so
| pleaded on the trial of her case. Ia
view of the evidence OF the insanity
of Mrs Godbee at the time of the
| commission of the crime, the present
physical condition OF the applicant, the
| length of time already served and the
various recommendations from the court
/ officials. citizens of the community, as
well as jurors who tried the case, and
hundreds of people over the state who
believe that Mrs. Godbee should be
pardoned. we believe that the ends OF
justice will be served by her pardon
at this time. and we so recommend"
Governor Harris was asked for an ex-
preston OF opinion in regard to the
prison commissions recommendation.
but he declined Saturday morning TO
discuss the case until the papers were
laid before him. They were then in the
office of the prison commission where
they had been returned because of the
oversight of the commission in failing
10 sign the clemeEcy report.