Letter to Governor Sayers Urging Tom Wright's sentence be commuted

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Letter to Governor Sayers Urging Tom Wright's sentence be commuted to life imprisonment.

Letter to Governor
Stephenville, Tex., Nov. 4, 1899
To his Excellency Gov. Joseph D. Sayers Austin, Texas

Dear Sir:
As members of the Erath County Bar, we beg to express Your Excellency the dispassionate opinion that the ends of jus-time will be met by a commutation of the sentence of Tom Wright, who is to be hanged on the 10th inst.

Neither of us has had any interest in or connection with the case whatever, but we are cognizant of all the facts, many of which we believe have never been presented to you. Many of us are solemnly impressed that the condemned man was very lamely represented as is intimated in the opinion of the Court of Criminal Appeals; we know that much prejudice, deep seated and wide spread, existed against the condemned at the time of this trial, and that he fought singlehanded a large and most influential class of our citizens.

We do not believe he ought to be hanged and never believed he would ,until Your Excellency overruled the recommendation of the board of pardons. We further believe most confidently that four-fifths of our citizens do not believe that he ought to be hanged, and if given necessary time they will petition Your Excellency. We assure Your Excellency that we have no personal sympathy in this matter, but we do most solemnly feel his sentence ought to be commuted to life imprisonment, and we most earnestly beg Your Excellency to grant a respite of a reasonable number of days to give us time to present to you our views.

Hoping for a favorable reply, we remain, with the highest respects, your obedient servants.

Signed;

W. T. Carlton
B. E. Cook
J. D. Berry
J. E. McCarty
J. T. Daniel
M. J. Thompson
C. Nugent
Jas. U. Vincent
J. B. Keith
J. W. Jarrott
J. M. Carter
J. W. Moss
Thos. B. King
William Pannill
J. E. Sanders
G. W. Hughet