Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1893 — NEW TRIAL FOR REV. PETTIT. [ARTICLE]

NEW TRIAL FOR REV. PETTIT.

The Supreme Court Granta the PetitionDeath of Pettit. A new trial was granted to Rov. William Pettit, who was sent to the prison north on tho charge of murder, by the Supreme Court, Thursday. Warden French has been directed to give him into tho custody of the sheriff of Montgomery county. The decision was by Judge Hackney, who has spent several weeks in going over the records. The decision of the lower court was reversod on the basis that it erred in refusing to continue the case on account of the absence of witnesses. In tho lower court Pettit endeavored to introduce testimony which he said would show his innocence. The court refused to admit the testimony which the Supreme Court held "was proper. The appeal to tho Supreme Court was taken as soon as Pettit had entered the northern prison. Since he began to serve his sentence he has been at work in one of the factories, but prison confinement did not agree with him, and he contracted hasty consumption. The decision camo too late for Pettit, as a telegram was received at the Governor’s office at about the same time the opinion was sent down to tho clerk’s office, that Pettit had died in tho prison hospital, Thursday morning.