Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-03-13
wu1sKY NO EXCUSE.

Governor brown haS ioSeN''J
40 nardon wiie.murderer who pleaded
as an excuse that he was drunk when
he committed the crime. We are giad'
for the sake of justice and humanity TO
know that the Governor has taken such
a stand, and hope that judges and luries
will also make less allowance for the
uitiful plea Of drunken insanity Ihe
facts in the case are as follows; Inc
name of the prisoner is Chas. M. Stewart
and he lived in Davidson county. In
1869 he went home drunk, and killed ms
wife the mother of their several chill
dren in cold blood. The proof showed
that he first drank cup OF coffee, ana
then without a word, drew his pistol and
shot his wife through the head, as she
sat warming her feet at the stove. Al
though claiming now to have no recol-
lection of the circumstance, ne had
mind enough then to drop his pistol and
run away. He was arrested, however,
and had trial and..several rehearings'
and was finally sentenced to ten years
imprisonment in the penitenhary. In
his petition Tor pardon he says; II have
No recollection Of being in the presence
of INV wife; that did, without the least
nrovocation, shoot and kill her there
can be no doubt. But as God is my
nudge. it was the act of the body and not
of sound mind and discretion. All OF
that terrible tragedy is as blank piece
Of naper before me. loved my wife
and do now revere her memory. Once
/ was prosperous. but adversely came
and made me victim to Intoxicating
drink. In a fit Of mania-apotu or
delirium tremens, slew her. feel that
NV time here on earth is OF but short
duration" and goes on to state and
prove by certificates that ne is in bad
health and has behaved himself since a
rr;soner. The assertion that he loved
his wife is quite cool and refreshing, and
we onlv wonder that he does not hasten
and shuttle off this mortal coil in the
hope of joining her in another world.
Rnt such men are usually more
anxious to find another wife in tie flesh
than to seek one gone before to the spirit
land. Knowing that there are no mar
riages beyond, they improve each shin
ing hour on earth. This man was one
of those model husbands" when sober,
and brutal wretches when drunk, but
showed a marked preference for the lat
ter state, and gave full sway to his de-
uraved tastes. And now when punish
ment comes he puts up the pitifui
plea that whisky was to blame,
not himself, when it is clear that
he had entered into voluntary partner
ship with whisky, and relinquished self
control in its favor from day to day. Of
course nothing that we may say affects
the prisoRer's chances or character, nor
is he individually of any consequence
to the public, except as far as ne repre-
sents class Of men who often figure in
the calendar Of crime and plead with
some effect their own gross and willtul
faults in extenuatioD, and ask to be
turned loose to commit the SAME crimes
against society. They are too numer-
GUS; they whip their wives, beat their
children, break the furniture, and DO
many violent things without committing
murder. 1t is only occasionally that
one rises to this supreme hight OF mental
and moral obtuseness to slay the wife ne
has sworn to protect. Governor Brow n
reviews all the facts in this particular
case which was last heard in the Su-
ureme Court, and very properly declines
to exercise his executive clemency in
behalf of the prisoner.