Gov. McKinney's Pardon
January 6, 1894
Summary
Gov. McKinney pardons a white man who murdered a black man and never served a sentence.
Transcription
Hon. Philip W. McKinney is now an ex Governor. One of his last official acts was to grant a pardon to a white man who had murdered a Negro, and had been sentenced by a white jury to two years in the Virginia penitentiary.
That the murder was unprovoked was plainly evident by the verdict. If the color of the parties had been reversed a hanging would have been decreed.
But here is the newspaper account of the affair. Let the people read and judge for themselves:
“The Governor yesterday granted a pardon to W.C. Davis of Norfolk, who was recently sentenced by the Corporation Court of that city to serve two years in the penitentiary for the voluntary manslaughter.
In granting the pardon Governor McKinney says: ‘The testimony against the man is of a very doubtful character, the principal witness being an ex-convict from the Virginia penitentiary. The prisoner asserts his innocence and that the killing was done in self-defence. I am inclined to believe that the act was committed while he was being pursued by a number of Negroes, and it is believed he was under the influence of liquor at the time. His pardon seems to meet with the favor of the Judge who presided at his trial and of the jury who convicted him. These are the facts. I am further induced to pardon him in sheer pity for the good woman whom he is shortly to marry. I trust that the clemency extended to him by the Executive will induce him to be a sober man for the rest of his life, and that he will be a good and faithful husband to the woman who has done so much to secure his release from prison.
The woman referred to above is Mrs. Johnson, of Norfolk. She secured the signatures of the judge and jurors and of 40 other citizens to the petition for Davis’ pardon, and came here in person to present the paper.
Davis had only been in the penitentiary 18 days. It is said that he was attacked by a gang of Negroes and shot the man in self defence. He is about 22 years old and the woman he is to marry is a widow of about the same age. They were to have been married some time ago, but he go into this trouble. The couple went away together yesterday, and it is understood will be married at once”
But we forbear further comment. Ex-Gov. McKinney’s official public life is at an end and the above case is a fitting winding up to his pardoning record.
That the murder was unprovoked was plainly evident by the verdict. If the color of the parties had been reversed a hanging would have been decreed.
But here is the newspaper account of the affair. Let the people read and judge for themselves:
“The Governor yesterday granted a pardon to W.C. Davis of Norfolk, who was recently sentenced by the Corporation Court of that city to serve two years in the penitentiary for the voluntary manslaughter.
In granting the pardon Governor McKinney says: ‘The testimony against the man is of a very doubtful character, the principal witness being an ex-convict from the Virginia penitentiary. The prisoner asserts his innocence and that the killing was done in self-defence. I am inclined to believe that the act was committed while he was being pursued by a number of Negroes, and it is believed he was under the influence of liquor at the time. His pardon seems to meet with the favor of the Judge who presided at his trial and of the jury who convicted him. These are the facts. I am further induced to pardon him in sheer pity for the good woman whom he is shortly to marry. I trust that the clemency extended to him by the Executive will induce him to be a sober man for the rest of his life, and that he will be a good and faithful husband to the woman who has done so much to secure his release from prison.
The woman referred to above is Mrs. Johnson, of Norfolk. She secured the signatures of the judge and jurors and of 40 other citizens to the petition for Davis’ pardon, and came here in person to present the paper.
Davis had only been in the penitentiary 18 days. It is said that he was attacked by a gang of Negroes and shot the man in self defence. He is about 22 years old and the woman he is to marry is a widow of about the same age. They were to have been married some time ago, but he go into this trouble. The couple went away together yesterday, and it is understood will be married at once”
But we forbear further comment. Ex-Gov. McKinney’s official public life is at an end and the above case is a fitting winding up to his pardoning record.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Carlos Serrano
Citation
“Gov. McKinney's Pardon,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed April 24, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/69.