Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-03-28
A Just Complaint.

Writing as We do now-and our re-
marks cannot possibly affect McDowell's
fate, o. he IL to be hung at 10 o'clock
this morning-we confess that we can.
not soc that there was any earthly cause
for the interference, In arresting his sen
fsnce, by certain respectable citizens Of
Los Angslss. II McDowells fate were
still swinging In the balance, we should
still be very reserved in uttering word
- to controversy In which the people
Of San Bsrnardino have been worry much
excited. Long before anything we can
say can reach the Governor. Mcdowell
will either have been hung, OR certain
Influences will have Inserted themselves
which will make his hanging practically
impossible. Mcdowell committed his
crime In San Bernardino county. He
was tried In San Bernardino county.
He was to have been or has bees
hung in San Bernardino county.
Under such circumstances We fail to see
why, with presumably fair trial,
any citizens Of Los Angeles were called
upon to interfere in his case. The poo
pie Of San Bsrnardino resent this interfer.
sncs In emphatic terms, as the following
extract from the Times Of that city, un.
der date Of the 25th instant, shows:
The unwarranted interference Of the
Los Angeles officers in the Mcdowell
case Il causing considerable unfavorable
comment among the people, and the
question is naturally asked: whether the
Aets Of the courts Of our county are to be
subject to the approval Of Los Angeles.
II 70, then we had better be an nexed as
: precinct to Los Angeles, and be al.
lowed q voice In her choice Of officers.
Mcdowell had ~ fair trial as ever man
had. he was defended by the best legal
talent In our county and @. 8. Parks;
Jury Of twelve - fair. minded men as
could be found In any community sat for
flvs days listening to evidence both for
and against him; every point Of law that
could be raised or distorted in his favor
was used. Yet, in spite Of all, SO over
Whslming and damnabls was the evi-
Asnes Of his guilt, that nothing but
verdict Of murder In the first degree
could b. rendered by the jury withouta
violation, Of THAR oaths. There was not
. shndo& of doubt a. 10 his guilt.
Vet Deputy Sheriff Gard, Of Los An
sGslss. backed by Stephen White and
others, assumes to know more Of the
ease than the Judge and jury who tried
it. They insult our Court our people
and our county by virtually accusing us
Of IN attempt to hang an innocent man.
They have heard nothing of the evil
dence, except the story told Gard by
Mcdowell, yet upon this they presume
b assert that tho murderer has not had
. fair trial and that we are about to mete
out TO him unmerited punishment. A
greater piece Of insulting presumption
We never heard Of. II he believed Nc.
Dowcll innocent, as he now claims, why
did Gard arrest him and claim the reward
OF $500 offered for hims Would Gard
sell the life Of an innocent man for $500!
Or, having secured the reward, does he
expect larger one by defeating the
ouds Of Justice! Or Is 1t, as has been
also asserted, that McDowells friends
have political influence, can control
lew votes, and hence he has license to
= butcher defenceless girls and will be pro;
tscted by those who should rather assist
In bringing him to justice?
Whatever the reason, this interfer.
ence Of Gard and his associates is an out.
rage upon our people and disgrace 10
Los Angeles, which we presume thcy
represent, and where, as here, their
efforts would probably be used to pro.
tsct instead Of to punish criminals.
Now that this oblation to justice is
either consummated or averted, we
must say that there is much justice in
the comments Of our San Bernardino
contemporary. Either San Bernardino
county Is competent to administer her
own criniual affairs or she ought to be
annexed to LA Angeles county. That
d the logical proposition. Either one
thing or the other is true of this pro.
position, as Of others. In the language
Of mine ancient Pistol, "Under which
King, Besonian; speak or die."