The Clifton clarion., 1885-05-20
TucsoS Tailings is of the opinion

TucsoS Tailings is of the opinion
 that the Territorial Board of Par
 dons, which recently convened in
 Prescott, was too liberal in dis l.
 pensing mercy and turning loose
 from the Territorial Prison con-
 victs. At least that journal takes
 the ground that either the Board
 has been too lenient or the sen-
 tences were unjust and excessive.
 In looking over the list of those
 pardoned we find two from Gra-
 ham county-Edward O'Hora and
 Pablo Garcia, both of whom were
 former residents of Clifton. The first named, early in September,
 1883, during the local reign of
 terror" when nearly every crea-
 ture that wore pants packed a
 six-shooter, got into saloon row,
 and before it was ended both
 himself and John F Farrell, his boon
 companion, were shot by an off
 cer. District Court convened
 shortly afterward, and O'Hora
 was tried upon two indictments,
 assault and battery and assault with intent to commit murder. Judge Sheldon sentenced him to one year in the county jail on the first charge, and to ten years in the Territorial Prison on tho second, his term at Yuma to begin on the expiration of his sentence in the county jail. The sentence was generally deemed excessive, and last fall when a petition was circulated asking for his pardon, we believe it was signed by all the members who could be found of both the Grand and Trial juries of the Court which con victed him. What we could learn of O'Hora at the time of. his trial, was generally in his favor, and it is hoped that his experience dur ing tho past year and half will have had a beneficial effect upon him, and that in the future he will shun evil companions and lead in all respects the life of an upright man.
 In regard to Garcia, while his offense was deserving of punish ment, it was the universal opinion of those in attendance at the term of Court in which he received his sentence that Judge Sheldon should have temperediustice with mercy, especially as the jury which brought in a verdict of guilty in his case made a recom- mendation of mercy in his behalf to the Court. But instead of him mercy the Judge gave him a life sentence-the full extent of the law-and rebuked the jury for their tender hearted ness. Garcia, who is a Mexican, lived at the Queen mine, and some time during the year 1852 killed a countryman, named Nickolas Ari- menta, under circumstances which are considered in many portions of the United States as justifable. On returning to his house he found Arimenta, who bore a bad character, prowling about it and learned from his wife that she had been repeatedly in- suited by him. In a moment of excitement Garcia picked up some pieces of rock, and after felling beat him upon the head so severely that he died. If Garcia had recelved lighter sentence doubtless no effort would have been made to secure his libera- tion, but on account of its severity, a number of our best citizens in- terested themselves in his behalf with the aforementioned result. If the cases of the others who were granted pardons by the board are as deserving as are those of the two prisoners from Graham, We can truthfully say that the board simply did its duty by setting them free.
 ONE day the Prescott papers &hok w., G,,.lol