The weekly Columbian. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne Co., Cal.) 1856-1???, 1856-11-15
Poor Kate.

| 1t is too often the case that our Criminal Laws
are found to be arbitrary and Unequal in the ad
ministration of Justice. Law is no respector of
persons-shows no partially. and arrays itself
alike against all classes small or great, rich or
poor. helpless or powerful; and yet there is
such thing as equity; and discriminating
| judgement in our estimation, should ever be
exercised in mercy, towards those helpless ones
who in an unfortunate hour, may have commit
! ted crimes against which their own nature re-
| coils with horror and contrtion. Mercy Is an
attribute of Heaven, and surely could have been
| extended to Poor Kate" without infringement
upon the majesty Of the Law Here is an in
| stance at hand which we clip from New York
i paper we give it to readers, and ask them
| candidly, if Poor Kate should suffer >
| \ young female of the name of Kate Virginia
Poole. is confined for life in the States PIis-
on of New Hampshire. on the charge of ,nfand-
eide. She is a native Of Scotland, and has no re-
| latives but one in this country. Her case is a
| sad one. and more deserving of pity than OF the
laws stern penalty, if the following statement
from the New Hampshire Statesman be correct.
Says writer of that paper
Her downfall was effected under circumstan-
ces of atrocity that cry most loudly for ven
geance on its guilty author. Her arms, neck,
and person are scared with wounds received in
defending herself from her diabolical aggressor.
and her ruin was only accomplished when she
was drugged to insensibility With the inno-
cent evidence Of her fall in her arms, she was
excluded from the house of the only relative
she had in America, and. bearing it away with
her. she sought in manufacturing city, shelter
for herself and babe, while she could with the
labor of her hands find honorable support.
This was anything but the course which would
have been pursued by one conscious Of guilt
In city Of stran gers-a mother. but not wife
what could be expected? All doors were
closed against her. She could give away her
child, but a mothers heart revolted against it.
Product of shame though it was, and born to
infamy though it nigh be, she clung to it as all
that was dear to her extremity. Finding eve
TT avenue to employ closed to her in one city
she fed to another. 1t was night when she left
Heart -broken-only bound TO life by the ties
which bound her as mother-she would. I'M
der other circumstances, have sought the vel
come refuge OF suicide. With these feelings
called into most narrowing exercise by the
lonlness and misery of her situation-lookng
on the babe that slumbered on her breast with
the brand of infamy born on its brow-is it q
wonder that mind thus tortured was swept be-
yOnd the bounds of consciousness ?"
I'm this condition of mind while travelling
alone on the railroad, she lifted her child ana
threw it out of the car. On being subsequent
ly questioned about the affair." she answered =
II do not recollect anything distinctly after
/ entered the cars. The lights. the crowd, and
the motion of the cars, seemed to confuse me.
do not think | should have remembered any
thing, if the weight of the child, which sum
bered on my lap, had not reminded me of its ex
istence and my own situation. At last cloud
seemed to thicken about me, and every thing
seemed to look white that met my eyes. The
child itself seemed like feather, and appeared
to float away from me unconsciously. 1t die
not seem to fall but to rise, and l thought
could see it for some moments afterwardsv'
On being asked the question, .'Do you thinl
you had for your child the ordinary feelings ant
natural love of mother ?" She looked her in
terrogator full in the face, with eyes gushin,
with tears at the question, said, 'Sir acoul,
gladly haze laid DOM my own life for it could
have given it away while in full consciousness
of my condition, but resolved to work mysel
into the grave before my child should hav,
been separated from me. Do you think sir
would part with that without which life would
have been an intoerable burden?" Then sh,
added, with deeper emotion. "Thank Heaven, i
was asleep the last remember of it, and thinl
it never awoke to upbraid me with a single
: cryv'
To our mind, there never was clearer cas-
of mental hallucination, at the time the alledg
ed crime of infanticide was committed, thai
this and yet the minister of the law have doom
). ed the unfortunate Kate to a felon's cell, whil
i her despoiler-the diabolical author of all he
f wrongs and misfortunes, is suffered to 60 '.un
!; whipt of Justice!'' Her conviction, under sucl
/ circumstances, is libel upon the State which
h sanctions such perversion of justice as well a
Q blot upon humanity. The House of Refuge O.
friendly Asylum should have received the vic
tim, not the Penitentiary