The Nevada journal., 1854-08-04
George w. Hall.

During the past week petition has
been in circulation praying the Governor
to pardon George ". Hall, who is now
lying in our county Jail, awaiting the &c &c
ton of the Supreme Court. In August
last this Hall was arrested for the murder
of a Chinaman. In September, he was
tried and found guilty of the murder; but
his friends insisted that his trial was not
satisfactory, and he then insisted, and still
insists that he is innocent of the CRIME -
We do not intend to decide, or even give
an opinion ON his probable innocence or
guilt. But his detention in our county
Jail has been protracted to such an extent
that sympathy in his behalf, in this COM
munity, has, we fear, almost lost sight of
the matter of fact; and as the case has
been delayed so far beyond a reasonable
or even excusable time, we now have rea-
son to apprehend wilful if not intentional
neglect on the part of the Supreme Court,
and many are led to the belief that this
neglect will be continued for an indefinite
time. We are not, in the abstract, favor
able to lynch law; but on the contrary
think It better TO suffer great many evils
from regularly constituted authofiitt;;ccss,
than to put the execution of laws, or the
punishment of crimes into the hands of an
excited populace,
But when these authorities are found
wholly inadequate to the duties devolving
upon them whether their inadequacy
arises from weakness or from bad motives
and when their duties are neglected and
the limits of their legitimate authority dis
regarded, so very often, we cannot hell but
think it sometimes is the part of mercy, for
the populace to refuse to give criminal
up to those authorities. There are ex-
ceptions to the rule of weakness or cor
Tuption that prevails so extensively among
our judicial officers but these exceptions,
from the predominance of incompetent
superiors, become mere cats-paws in their
hands; who, after having commenced the
performance of ary duty, are arrested in
their labors by an order purporting to come
from higher authority, and which they are
bound to obey-tnus rendering the SER
vices Of what few honest men VIC have,
entirely useless in any important case.
1t has been suggested to us. and we are
inclined to believe, that pardon from the
Governor could not issue, under existing
circumstances. He and his friends con-
tend that he is not guilty, and they have
formally declared that innocence, Which,
in the eyes of the law at least, makes it
matter of uncertainty, whether he is guilty
or not. If he be innocent, he has right,
by legal investigation, to prove that inno-
cencc. But should the Governor pardon
him, and thus place legal investigation
out OF his power, he must go forth into the
world with the indelible stain Of murder
upon him; and the fingered scorn will be
pointed at him-aad the unimpeached
records of Nevada county will justify them
in. saying she is a murderer" convicted Of
his crime, but through the influence of
sympathising friends, who operated upon
the mind OF weak Governor, was torn
from the officers Of the law, and cast out
upon the community, without any cxcul
patton, or suffering any penalty of the
law
This, then, instead Of charity, would
fastening upon him disgrace of which
1t would be utterly impossible for him evcl
TO escape so that if he be innocent, a:
alledged, a pardon now, would be to him
the most utter ruin, beside setting pre-
cedent of executive pardon that could moi
help but result in the worst consequences
But another view of this matter should
have some influence in fastening the action
of the Supreme Court. The trial of KaI
cost this county something near $4,000
and ever since that time, now about eleven
months, he has been regular expense o
nearly SlOO per month. And for wha
purpose Not that the prisoner asks this
time to enable him to get witnesses, or to
prepare for trial-not that it is necessary
thus to kill time, for him to recover from