Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-13
SUPERIOR COURT ITEMS.
Raten's Execution Fixed for FeDru'r9
2:th-Other Sentences Pronounced

Raten,s Execution Fixed for February
2sth-Other Sentences Pronounced.
Yesterday in Department One OF the ou-
perior Court the cases of Thomas II. Rey-
nolds and D. NJ. Burns were continued, for
arguments on the demurrers, until 10 \. NJ
tomorrow
Richard Ellston, who burglarized the
railroad station at Elk Grove last October,
expected evidently to get off with a light
sentence, more especially as the railroad
company had made request tnat the
charge be reduced to petit larceny, put the
Court, on the ground that the defendant
had, in robbing the station. robbed the
Station-agent, who was responsible Tor the
money in his hands, and this agent had be-
friended Ellston previously, gave the prs
oner two years in the State Prison at Oh
som for his ingratitude.
w. II. Murphy, who robbed the Sale at
the fremont Hotel a short time ago, taxing
iewelry and valuable papers to large
amount, was sent 10 Folsom for 1our-yeaf
term.
Harry Lowe, who burglarized the MILL
merry establishment of the Misses Brothers,
was given a term of ten years. The SEN
tence was made unusually severe because
of the fact that Judge Van Fleet, when a
member of the Board Of State Prison Di-
rectors, assisted i'll getting Lowe pardoned
from the State Prison at San quentin on MS
promising to 90 East, where his aged mother
was living, and begin life over again III
correct manner. The Court intlmated that
if the prosecution had attached the " prior
conviction" clause to the complaint against
him the sentence would have been much
heavier.
Luke Pierce, arrested for completely with
Lowe in the above-mentioned burglary, and
held to answer in the Police Court was, on
motion of District Attorney Buckley, dis
charged, the latter stating that he had only
been held as witness against Lowe, and
that he was innocent of the burglary,
When the case of Jack McKenna, charged
with an attempt to commit rape, was
called, City Attorney Anderson stated that
the case should be dismissed, as the testi-
mony was insufficient to convict. He said
that the main object in holding Mckenna
to answer on the charge was because OF his
connection with other cases, which made
it advisable that he should be kept where
he could be found. The District Attorney
stated that letter had been received here
from the father of the girl, conveying the
information that she was living with an
Fleet expressed desire to know more of
the facts of the case before he would dis
charge the defendant, and the matter went
over until 10 \. NJ to-day.
Simon Raten, who shot and killed James
Lansing April Il, 1882, was called up to
have the day for his execution fixed, the
appeals made in his interest to the Su-
prelne Court of this State and the United
States Supreme Cort having resulted in
the judgment of the lower Court being sus-
tanned. The prisoners close confinement
has made him look pale and thin. In re
Spouse to the question Of the Court whether
he had anything to say why sentence should
not be pronounced, he entered upon q long
speech in broken English, delivered in such
a manner that but little of it could be I'M
derstood. In substance it was that he had
not been given fair trial that his attorney
had not properly defended him, etc.-much
the same as the burden of his remarks in
Court heretofore The Court was finally
compelled to order him to cease talking,
and then proceeded to fix the day of eXecu-
ton, naming Friday, February 9th, be-
tween the hours of s a. NJ. and P. NJ