Letter from P. G. Edmonds Jr. to Mississippi Lieutenant Governor A. K. Davis; December 4, 1875

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Letter from P. G. Edmonds Jr. to Mississippi Lieutenant Governor A. K. Davis; December 4, 1875

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Davis, A. K. (Alexander Kelso), -1884 Edmonds, P. G., Jr.Hayes, Charles Jenkins, Curtis Jenkins, Henry McCrea, Walter Packer, A. G.Rhodes, Travis Thomas, Ben R.

Events

Crime Crime--Assault and battery Crime--Intent to Kill Crime--Murder Crime--Shooting Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Clemency Criminal Procedure--Convicted Criminal Procedure--Imprisonment Criminal Procedure--Pardon Criminal Procedure--Release Criminal Procedure--Sentencing Criminal Procedure--Trial

Organizations

Mississippi--Executive Department Mississippi--State Penitentiary (Jackson)Political Parties Political Parties--Democratic Party (U.S.)Political Parties--Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )

Occupations

Judges Law Enforcement Lawyers Prison Guard Prison Wardens Secretaries

Places

Alabama--Marengo County Alabama--Sumter County. York Mississippi--Hinds County. Jackson Mississippi--Lowndes County. Columbus

Social Identifiers

African Americans Enslavers Impoverished People Imprisoned People's Families Imprisoned people

Vital Statistics

Death Disease and illness

Page 1

York Sta., Alabama,
Dec. 4, 1875.

His Excellency Govn'r Davis;—
Jackson Miss.,

During the last Summer, I wrote your excellency in regard to the pardon of Curtis Jenkins convicted of and sentenced to the Penitentiary for five years. And acting on your suggestion, I went to Columbus, and got up a petition signed by the leading members, or men of the Republican party, of that town, and had it sent to the acting Gove^r^nor. I have never heard a word from the Petition.

Curtis would never have been com-

Page 2

-mitted had he been able to have employed counsel, at the time, and all evidence, if examined (which I did do) will tend to show that he was innocent. His poor old mother has nearly grieved herself to death, on that account—

With respect,
I am,
Yrs respectfully &c

P. G. Edmonds, Jr.

Page 3

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI,
Alabama ~~County,~~

From P. G. Edmonds, jr.
Address York Station.
Dated December 4, 1875.
Received ^,, 7, ^,,
Answered [gap]

SUBJECT:

Wants to know action, if any, in the case of petition for pardon of Curtis Jenkins.

What is this case—

(Inclosures [gap])

ADELBERT AMES,
Governor.

TRAVIS RHODES,
Private Secretary.

Page 4

York, Ala.,
June 16, '75.

His Excellency
Lieut. Gov'n'r of Miss.,
Jackson, Miss.,

Sir:—

In the Penitentiary there is a young man, of Color named Curtis Jenkins, in whose behalf, I would respectfully solicit your assistance, provided your excellency would condescend to notice the petition of a private individual, who is actuated in these advances solely by benevolent designs, without the prospect of reward, and really with designs to get, for innocence, justice.

The mother of this boy (Henry Jenkins) is an aged and infirm old lady, without the consolatlion of knowing that her son is not disgraced by having served a term in the Penitentiary. She is a woman of remarkable gratitude and feeling and since hearing of her son's untimely

Page 5

and unjust imprisonment she has begun to pine, and seems to much humiliated and care worn that one can scarcely hope for much time here below, for her.

The circumstances are these:—This boy was with a man when another person was shot, and was arrested because circumstantial evidence pointed to him as the accessory or accomplice, when really, he was only with the real criminal—to the personal knowledge of responsible persons—and had no knowledge of that any person had any design against the life or property of any one.

I will forward you a certificate from the gentlemen who raised this boy that he was a harmless, inoffensive, and good boy—totally ~~unfit~~ incapable of conniving at, ~~even, shooting any person.~~ much the less, of shooting any person.

A petition for his release from imprisonment will also be forwarded you by his neighbors and the gentleman for whom he was working—

The honorable Ben. R. Thomas of Marengo County, who is my

Page 6

personal friend, will assure you and any other authorities that my statements are truthful. The Honorable Charles Hayes will also cerify, if necessary that my statements are true. This boy is innocent, I feel convinced, because of my personal knowledge of his mother's character, his character and his raising.

The young man now serving a term of ten years imprisonment in the Mississippi penitentiary is, to my personal knowledge, a good young man, and deserves the clemency of the most harsh ^(which I belive you are not)^—which I believe will be granted him as soon as the petitions are heard. This boy is a republican and has always been. He is loyal to your Excellency, and to the Government of Mississippi, generally. And to show that he is the good young man that I endeavor to represent him, the persons who will sign the certificate that he is incapable of committing crime are all Democrats—the men who raised and owned him, before the war.

Page 7

In my own heart I feel this young man's innocence, and would reccommend your excellency to use your influence toward procuring justice for established innocence. I will not press your excellency farther concerning the matter. I will await the forwarding to your excellency the certificate of the white men who raised this young man and who know him to be the good young man that I say he is—and also the petition signed by his neighbors and acquaintances both Democrat & Republican—besides the letter from the Hon Ben. R. Thomas, who was Republican member from Marengo County before the late Democrat victory in this state.

In the mean-while, if your Excellency would design, I would be so presumptious enough to hope for an answer, im-mediately.

Permit me to subscribe myself
Yrs. respectfully, & obediently

P. G. Edmonds, Jr.,
York Station, Alabama.

Page 8

York, Ala.,
A. & C. R. R.,
July 1st, '75.

His Excellency L. Gov. Davis:—

Your Excellency's favor to hand. The very course your excellency advises is the one I would most wish to obviate. The condemnation of Curtis Jenkins was totally upon cir-cumstantial evidence. He could not obtain his witnesses, or else he could most assuredly have proved an alibi. The Judge and solicitor, your excellency knows would not be apt to approve of a petition for the prisoner's release when it can clearly be established that time was not allowed to procure the desired witnesses, living away from scene of trial. I would not approach your excelency without splendid reccommendation and in due time, I will receive and forward on this particular the reccommendation of gentlemen holding high positions. I will do as your excellency advises, unless you will write to the contrary. Charles Hay's M. C. is my endorser.

Yrs. most respectfully,

P G Edmonds

Page 9

"Curtis Jenkins."

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Alabama County.

From P. G. Edmonds Jr
Address York Sta. Ala.
Dated June 16 1875
Received ^,, 17 ^,,
Answered [gap]

SUBJECT:

Petition for Pardon—Acces-sory to Murder.

Respty ref'd to Supt. of the Penitentiary for in-formation if the within named person is in con-finement—the name not appearing on last An-nual Report.

A. K. DAVIS,
Lt.=Gov. Acting Gov'r.

A. G. PACKER,
Private Secretary.

Page 10

Supt Office
Miss State Penitentiary
Jackson June 17^th 1875

Gov A. K. Davis

Dear Sir

Curtis Jenkins was sentenced to this place from Lowndes County May 13^th_" 1875 for the period of ten years charged with Assault and Battery with intent to kill. As to his char-acter I know nothing as he was sent out to work on the farms soon after he was admitted here.

Respectfully

Walter M^cCrea
Sg^t_" of the Guard & Acting Supt.

Page 11

Curtis Jenkins

EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI.
Alabama York County.

From P. G. Edmonds, Jr
Address York Sta.
Dated July 1^st,, 1875
Received ^,, 3^d ^,,
Answered [gap]

SUBJECT:

In relation to pardon of above named Jenkins.
[gap]

A. K. DAVIS,
Lt.=Gov. Acting Gov'r.

A. G. PACKER,
Private Secretary.