The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-08-06

r D MELLEN c. N. HARRIS, Sr.
LETTER AND ANOTHER PARDON CASE.
Unfortunately for the State Of Mississippi, a bad atmosphere
Turks around pardons being granted. Those OF keen percep'
ton see in the Pordan Board a barage, or sort Of stalking horse rs
be, extract the coin from those in the pententiary seeking par.
not perfectly legitimate to secure counsel to present pardons
pleas in a perfectly legitimate way. Furthermore, we can see
and vet these very things that are making a stink from one end
of the State to the other could happen.
The Constitution vests the power to grant pardons or suspen
sions of sentences wholly and absolutely in the hands of the
Governor. No board of any kind whatsoever can assume ina
that draws d usu1 pay y"A The Governor can take its recommendations
if he wants to or he can let it alone. The Board Of PaI S en-
the fellow who fired at what he hoped was a deer, so ne sale
he "shot to hit it if it was a deer and to miss it II 1t was a cali
Unuuestionably there is every outward evidence that the
Pardon Board has created a cabal of political attorneys or pho,n'
eys who have been flch aSg1 the m coin af from tn those m in the pen pen T hni
little show to reach his majesty, the Governor.
cent as e aHt5def e utter al eeh in the N ! Jackson Daily il " News e pS1 Which Ge q re- re
fers to the recommendation of the Pardon Board at its July
man County for life for killing a relative in his own home about
his, the relatives wife, Whether or not Stokes killed the man
seems enss w som saa one NOT on a tine Sinsids" : felt iss Stokes e father e s1'o out o. on ' getting g
out ut of prison srs But to the h Daily News editorial:
"On the list of pardons recommended to Governor Russell
by the State Board of Pardons at its sitting last week appears
the a of Ray Stokes.
"stokes was sent up from Quitman county to serve a life term
Shortly after Gov Russell entered office a letter was written
ny Oc VI Ho HCuHdC PChSOHoA anu PoAhSoA iiShuo =" WIN ASo'
tves of Stokes saying that a pardon could be secured for Stokes,
and rendering his services in the matter. Incidentally, he men
toned that it would costa about $4,000 to restore the prisoner
to liberty s.
"what happened since that time must, for the present remain
a matter of conjecture, but the facts speak for themselves.
despite the fact that he committed a cold-blooded and COW
ardly crime Stokes is nw OF his way to liberty after serving X
a short time in the penitentiary. He reached the State prison
May 25th, 1s17-about three years ago.
Governor Russell will of course approve the recommendation :
made by the State Board of Pardons. His friends entered into
a contract to deliver the goods and it is up to him to SEE to it
that his friend doesn't slip a cog as WI the case in the Godsby
scandal" H+ ~ =
Now a letter.
During the administration of Gov. Bilbo the following let
ter was written to a white. life term prisoner on the Rankin
State farm and received there in due course of mail. We omit
the name of the person to whom it was addressed as well as
other marks of Identification because it could serve no good
Their reason that there are but few who, if they were so unfortu-
nate as to have close relative in prison, would not give freely
lodged against a prisoner for earnestly desiring to be released
and while it may be a very questionable act to buy" a pardon,
yet if pardons are being peddled, we must expect to find pur-
chasers. The reader will observe that the letter below bears
the attest of S. Grantham, the then sergeant on Rankin farm
and his assistant, j. N. Stubblefeld:
"Your letter to hand a few days ago; sent you some bacon
with your mail last Thursday. Will mail you the razor blades
this week. Would have written sooner but have been waiting
for a letter from -- but it wa lost in the mail as usual
He phoned m lie today that he wrote me last Wednesday,, but /
did not get the letter. Made a trade with those parties alright
but it will cost m e like holy smoke. - said they would
get busy o n the petition this week, will not be able to get over
to SET you as they intend to start on it this week and rush it
thru before any opposition developed, and another reason on
account the expense and time lost on trip The parties are
satisfied that they a put it thru if they can get up the pc
tition, which they say that they can do, money is the only thing
will turn the trick.
"Cotton is doing fairly well considering the lack of rain, but
the early corn crop is q complete failure.
Will let you know how we get along with it
Sunday eve."
"The above is a true and exact copy Of . letter. which came to
Rankin State Farm Monday, July 10th, 1917, in an envelope