The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1920-02-21
TWICE FACED THE
HANGMAN'S MOOSE
Afterwards Served Two Years
in Pen-NOw About to Re-
ceive $4,000 for Service.

Jackson, Miss.,-A memorable ira
gedy enacted in South Mississippi
more than quarter of a century
ago, following a celebrated battle in
the courts involving the question of
whether a man can be twice hung
for the same crime, was recalled in
the legislature this morning when
Yeager of Lamar introduced a bill
carrying an appropriation of $4,000
to Will Purvis, of Lamar county, as
compensation for twice facing the
gallows for a crime of which he was
not guilty.
In 1898 Will Buckly, young far
mer, of Marion county, was shot and
killed from ambush while returning
home from Columbia, where he had
been called with his brother, to tes-
tify concerning a whitecapping Incl
dent at his home, a negro having
been severely whipped by white-cap-
pers.
BUCKLEY DID NOT TESTIFY.
AS matter of fact, the two Buck
ley boys did not testify before the
grand jury, but the whitecappers
were evidently under the impression
that they had. A few days later Will
Purvis, a young farmer Of that nei-
ghborhood, was arrested for the as
sassination of Buckley, tried, con-
Victed, and sentenced to death.
After spirited legal fight the death
sentence was affirmed by the Supre-
me court. Purvis was placed on the
gallows, the moose placed around his
neck, and the trap sprung. AS the
body of Purvis dropped through the
moose slipped and he fell to the
ground.
The sheriff was about to attempt
his CHASTITY job all over again when
attorneys for PurviS intervened with
the contention that a man cannot, un-
der the constitution, be twice pun
ished for the same offense. The sher-
IN postponed the hanging in order to
get legal advice, and then followed
a memorial battle in the courts. The
Supreme court. ruled against Purvis,
re-afhrmed the death sentence, and
fixed new date for the execution.
STATEWIDE ATTENTION
By this time the case had attain
ed statewide celebrity and was made
a lively political issue. The guber-
material campaign was in progress,
and the late A. J. McLaurin, after
words governor and United States
Senator, made campaign pledge
that If elected Governor he would
commute the sentence to life impris-
onment, and afterwards pardon Pur-
Wis. In the meantime the friends of
PurV1s had stormed the Jail and car
rled him away to a place of hiding
in the woods.
McLaurin was elected and in 1896
carried out his pledge, Purvis served
about two years in the penitentiary
and was pardoned. He is now a small
farmer in Lamar county, and his con-
duct according to his neighbors, has
been above reproach. r.
DYING CONFESSION MADE
About three years ago a Marion
county farmer named Joe Beard,
while on his death bed, made a dy-
ing confession to the effect that Will
Buckley was assassinated by another
man and that Purvis had nothing
whatever to do with the affair.
According to the confession, Beard
and his accomplice secreted them
selves by the roadside when the
Buckleys were returning home, in
tending to kill both of them. The
accomplice is said to have fired the
shot that killed Buckley, and then
threatened to kill Beard because the
latter had failed to fire and kill the
other brother.
COUSIN OF SLAIN MAN FAVORS 1T
One Of the members of the legis-
lature is B. B. Buckley, representa-
tive from Jefferson Davis county, a
cousin Of Will Buckley, victim of
the tragedy. Mr.. Buckley believes
the confession of Beard and he is ac-
lively supporting the Yeager bill.
Two years ago, when the Beard
confession was fresh in the public
mind, Mr.. Yeager tried to secure the
passage of a bill giving Will Purvis
$4,000 as compensation for services
rendered the state while serving in
the penitentiary for crime of which
he was not guilty. The measure re-
ceived 81 affirmative votes in the
House, much more than a majority,
but Speaker Conner ruled that mas
much as 1t was in the nature of a do
nation a majority or two-thirds was
necessary, and the bill failed. This
time Mr.. Yeager has so framed the
measure as to make it compensation
for services rendered, and therefore a
direct appropriation.