Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-24
R, V. Bray Wins Freedom
After Serving Five Months
for Physical Attack on
u. S, Tax Agent
BY ERNEST ROGERS

Out OF the gray, grin slle''o" W
the federal penitentiary wv ednesday'
f. V. Bray, mayor of Beaufort, 5. C.'
stepued into the fading winter after
noon to hurry home, where his fell
low townsmen awaited him Thurs
day to accord him welcome Wor'
thy of the towns chief executive.
For five gray months the South
Carolina mayor had toiled at the
penitentiary while his townsmen
kept their faith in him sustained and
patiently held the reins of office
ready for his hands when he arrived.
His sentence of a year and day
imposed by a federal court in South
Carolina was cut to a little more
than five months by communication
from President Coolidge.
Mr.. Bray found the road to free.
dom was by no means easy. During
the last days of the administration
of President Harding, an appeal for
Communication was carried through it's
various channels to the highest eX
ecutive in the land. The appeal went
from congressman and senators to
the late president himself but Mr..
Harding said he couldn't see his way
clear to interfere with the law. How.
ever, when a similar appeal reached
President Coolidge, he deemed it wise
to release the South Carolina mayor
and signed the papers terminating
the sentence.
Jurors Regret Conviction
Mr. PI-au save ha in biS ms
session letters from each of the
twelve jurors who convicted him, ex-
pressing regret that they had to inn
pose the penalty but declaring the
judge, in his charge, was so specific
concerning the law that they could
not do otherwise.
From the shadows Of the "city of
silent men" the chief executive Of
Beaufort came out as a citizen more
firmly entrenched in loyalty to his
country and the flag which floats
over the prison. No animus: no bit.
terness; just the firm determination
Of good citizen to perform With
diligence the duties of the office to
winch his home people elected him.
His physical appearance was not
impaired by his confinement and he
says it is with a renewal of vigor
that he will sit at the mayors desk
/ IN Beaufort and direct the city's af.
talrs for the remaining three years
of his term.
| convicted OF making a physical at
tack on federal inheritance tax col.
Iector who, he says, doubted his We
raclty in certain returns on property.
| Mr. Bray accepted his sentence bnt
co!d ms townsmen if they would have
, Ialth IN him he would come back.
Home Fires Kept Burning
The citizens kept the faith. fire..
| quent letters from Beaufort kent
MS solitude from becoming unbear-
able; and now he is returning to
Keep his pledge.
Back to the wife and children"
MI BRAY said shortly after his re-
tease. THAT has been the big thing
We missed since I've been away.
have never looked forward to a
moment like L do the reunion with
| my wife and two children. Not q
DAY has passed that L have not
heard from my wife. Not dav has
passed that / have not written to
her. And now I'm going back
! back"
AS he spoke he took from an in.
ner pocket letter postmarked
Beaufort, S. c., and said he re-
ceived the missive as he was leav.
ing the penitentiary.
lie was elected mayor while under
conviction and appealing the case.
Citizens Of Beaufort had chosen him
as their chief executive, they said,
and they could run things until he
came back.
During his five months confine-
ment Mr.. Bray was chosen to ride
the mail truck between the peni.
| tertiary and Atlanta. He made the
trip every day with the exception
Of three days he was too i'll to at
tend to his duties.
"There are some fine men in the
| prison." he declared. "Some of my
| buddies at the federal institution
have every refinement and there are
many I am genuinely glad to have
met. or course, there are some Of
the lowest crooks in the country
| there"
|