Will Not Hang The Friday Before Christmas – Will be Given Another Chance Before the Court.

Gov. Heyward yesterday granted a second respite to Aaron Williams, the negro who was to have been hanged on the 4th of November and who was granted a respite until the 23d of this month in order that the attorneys for the condemned man might move for a new trial. As published in The State a few days ago, Mr. B. B. Clark of Camden has asked Gov. Heyward for another respite, carrying the negro’s case over until court can meet again in Kershaw county.

The reason for this is stated in an affidavit submitted to the governor, in which Mr. Clarke states that the firm of Clarke & Von Tresckow had written to Solicitor Thurmon on the 21st of November and had received no answer. Thereupon Mr. Clarke went to Edgefield and urged the solicitor to open a court of general sessions in Camden for one day in order that the case might be heard. “This he refused to do,” the affidavit states. The object was to have a court of general sessions for a day at the conclusion of the special term of the civil court.

Accompanying the affidavit of Mr. Clarke was the following petition: “We, the undersigned citizens of Kershaw county, do respectfully petition your excellency to respite Aaron Williams, sentenced to be hanged on the 23d day of December, until the next term of court of general sessions for Kershaw county, to be held at Camden, S. C., on the second Monday in April, 1905, in order that such steps may be taken as will result in justice being done. We ask for this respite because of the evidence which has been discovered since the former trial, said evidence tending to show that Aaron Williams was not guilty of the crime with which he was charged.”

This signed by Messrs. Clarke & Von Tresckow, W. D. Trantham, Senator Hay, T. J. Kirkland, C. C. Moore, L. T. Mills and G. H. Baum of the Camden bar, by Rev. W. W. Mills and Rev. W. B. Gordon, Presbyterian and Episcopal ministers, Sheriff Trantham, Joel Hough, clerk of the court, and a score or more of other representative men.