Tensas Gazette

Convicted For Another's Crime.

One of the most remarkable stories of justice mis-directed has just come to light at Frankfort, Ky., through the pardon by Gov. Bradley, of Samuel Davis, of Lawrence county, who was given a life-sentence for the murder, in 1893, of a young woman named Vina Pack, who had many admirers. Among these were George Pearl and Samuel Davis. One night, in the spring of 1893, Pearl called to see Miss Pack, but was told that she had a previous engagement with Davis. On hearing this he left, it is said, in no very pleasant frame of mind. Instead of going home, however, he walked a little distance from the house and waited to see Davis arrive. Some little time after this Miss Pack, becoming anxious at the non-arrival of Davis, walked out on the porch of the house in anticipation of meeting her lover. While standing gazing anxiously down the road she was shot through the breast, and sank dying to the floor, and after a few hours of agony died the same night. The first person to arrive after the shooting was Davis, and he was found bending over the body of the dying girl by several of her relatives. He was accused of murder, arrested and placed in jail. He had two trials. About one year ago Pearl died, and on his deathbed made the startling confession to his wife, in the presence of a neighbor, Mrs. Sparks, that Davis was innocent, and that he had killed Vina Pack. He said that on leaving the house after having failed to see the girl he had hidden near by for the purpose of killing Davis, whom he supposed would appear in a few minutes. Davis was convicted by the testimony of two of Pearl's friends, who falsely swore that the girl had, before dying, acknowledged that she had been shot by Davis, and the chain of circumstantial evidence being very strong, there was little trouble in convicting him.