Governor Will Not Commute Frank Henderson's October 10 Death Sentence, Sept. 18, 1921

Governor Acts in Pardon Cases. . . Nine Petitions Granted in Whole or Part and 14 Declined

By Jule B. Waren

Raleigh, Sept. 17—Of the pardon petitions argued before Governor Morrison during the past week, nine have been pardoned, paroled or the sentence reprieved for a period, and the remaining 14 have been declined. Some of those whose pardon has been declined will be looked into later and the pardon may be granted. Some are held up in order to allow the Governor to make a more complete investigation of the case before he reaches a final decision.

The pardon mill will cease to grind this week and the Governor will not hear pardons again until the second week of next month. This carries out his new schedule for hearing pardon petitions. He devotes a major part of his time for one week in every month to the petitions and then does not have to be worried with them during the remaining three weeks in the month. The papers, petitions and such other records as are necessary to secure a pardon may be filed at any time, of course, but the hearings on these pardons and petitions for executive clemency will not be heard at any other time than the second week of every month.

The only case of any special importance or interest and the only capital case presented to the Governor during the week was that in which commutation of the death sentence was sought for Frank Henderson of Madison County. The man was indicted for murder and a verdict of first degree murder was rendered against him in September of last year. He has been in the State Prison since that time, and is now sentenced to death by electrocution on October 10. The petition for the commutation was presented to the Governor following the failure of the appeal to stand up in Supreme Court. The Governor could find nothing in the case which made him believe the ends of justice would not be met if the man was allowed to die, and he has consequently declined to commute the sentence.

The majority of the other cases in which pardons were asked were road or penitentiary sentences of short terms, and in majority of these cases the Governor expressed the belief that the prisoners should serve a while longer before asking for the pardon. All who are paroled or pardoned are given their freedom on the usual good behavior condition, and failure to walk the straight and narrow path in the future will give the sheriff immediate right to arrest them, notify the Governor, and have them sent back to prison.

From the Charlotte News, Sunday, Sept. 18, 1921. In previous stories, this reporter’s last name was spelled Warren, but in this issue of the newspaper it was spelled Waren.

Henderson confessed to murdering his wife, stating that she had been unfaithful. https://ruralnchistory.blogspot.com/2020/08/frank-henderson-confesses-to-murdering.html