Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1875-03-27
WHAT WILL sAN YRANcIsCo DO
ABOUT Irt

We yesterday called attention to the
laiss. legal sufSoca,ion which has come
10 light. We say 10 suifocaiiOn."
but are no. sure about u legal part Of
II. Az We aid yesterday. the victim
was stupidity drunk. mot . condemned
criminal and certainly entitled to Be
treated like q human being. Instead OF
this, no was iumureds - . cell under
ground. with . wet stone floor. NO ven
tilation and kept there until he was
suffocated BY n~oxious vapors and foul
air. San Francisco and California are
becoming noted for abuse Of Judicial
functions. II IL . little moro than Q
year ago that an smigrsnt arriving from
the East was set upon by . gang Of
young thieves and robbed OF some
money and valuables. One or two Of
the gang were arrested and bailsd. The
unfortunate witness. friendless. without
money. was summarily thrust into
prison and kept locked up for over seven
months because no could not obtain
security for his appearance at the trial
70 testify against his robbers. AL this
time he had in the East q family do
pendent upon his labor for support.
Philosopher Pickett, for d technical OF.
Tense. has been for many months i'm
INJURED in Jail by order Of the Supreme
Court OF California. and must so remain
until The expiration Of his sentence. or
until IL shall please the court to release
him. And now comes this last brutal
and fatal Outrage. resulting in the death
Of q man innocent Of all ofiense against
tho Law save that Of being stupehed
by liquor. Certainly this Is not q feio-
ny, nor does IL warrant capital punish
mont. The execution OF vasquez by
legal ~suffocation was merciful whom
compared with that OF this poor unfor-
tunats. vasqusz was treated like a hu-
man being. we'll fed, we'll clothed. and
executed in the presence OF q ''eloud Of
Witnesses" Tho poor victim we refer
to was pushed into q rai-hols and left to
die uncarsd for. The following. from
tho San Francisco Chronids Of yesterday.
shows that some interest Ii taken in
this latest outrage. What will San
Francisco do about III
The dark cell" 10 . damp. bare. an
lighted. unventilated dungeon. Its
length Il eight feet two inches. its width
Ave feet three inches. It's ak or seven
feet below the level Of Kearny street.
The floor Ii paved with dagstones. II
contains no bed. no chair. bench or seat,
or furniture Of any kind. The only
window for the admission Of light or
air Ii q small aperture three inches by
four. opening upon = corridor. itself
dark and ill.vsntilated. But Mt the
timo when the prisoner was put into the
coll this aperture was stopped up and
remained 80 when he was found dead.
In this hole. unit for the abode Of YER
min, the unfortunate creature had been
locked up for seven hours, compelled To
either remain standing or else to lie
upon te damp stone floor which. In
places. was covered with water. Having
exhausted the ssven hundred odd cubic
feet Of air which tho cell can contain.
the probability is that the hapless wretch
psrishsd for lack Of air.
u N possible. however. that another
cause Of death will 30 found and sub
stantiAtsd by medical authority. o. In
usual in similar casos. An autopsy will
show that there was something wrong
about tho victims heart. or his brain,
his lungs, his liver " his lights, and
that no died Of rupture OF the aorta,"
cerebral apoplcIy. congestion OF the
brain. the bursting OF . blood vessel. or
some Of tho hundred and one forms OF
heart disease. This has been the old,
familiar story. and VI have not the
slightest doubt that 10 Is destined to be
repeated In this
Meantime We will venture 10 ask by
what Law the penal discipline Of the
ozark cell" Il authorized? What off,
cial parsonage IL responsible for its eI.
istencei In whom Is vested the fearful
discretionary power TO consign persons
arrested and convicted Of no crime TO
this fatal dungeon. q power greater than
that conhded 10 any judicial or execu-
tive officer OF the State. since IL involves
. condemnation 10 death without con-
viction Of any crime. and without even
tho fornality Of an accusation