Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-13
PRISON DIRECTORS.
Meeting OF the Board ut San Quentin
PardonS Asked For

Pardons Asked For.
The Board of State Prison Directors met
Al San Quentin Saturday present Direct
ors Devlin, Hendricks, Sonntag and Viii
kins; absent, Director Boggs, The bills of
the prison for the month of Mach were
read by the Secretary, and audited and or
dered paid. They were divided among the
departments as follows. Purchases for the
Commissary Department by contract.
$8,695 IS; purchases i'll open market for
the Commissary Department, SS77 80; eX-
penses of the Manufacturing Department.
$40, 2S3 %; total, $l9,S56 q.
\ petition for the pardon of Cassell A.
Reynolds. who shot and killed NJ e. Pol
lard III Los Angeles il 1852 and was sen
fenced To ten years imprisonment, was
presented by Judge Bowers OF Marin
county lie read atiidaTits from the half
brother of Pollard and others who knew
the deceased in life in which it was stated
that Pollard was q man who always carried
Il pistol, and bad openly boosted that lie
had been on intimate terms with a number
of Reynolds family. The aiiidavits were
accompanied by j paper signed by over 500
of the people of Los Angeles county. ask
ing for Reynolds pardon. The Judge
made a strong plea in the prisoners be-
half, and stated that in his opinion, The
Boardi would do no more than right in
recommending Reynolds TO the clemeucy
of the Governor, This Is the second time
Reynolds case has come up for consider
alton. The last time the recommendation
for pardon was refused. and it was only BY
special request of the Governor that the
case was allowed to come mp Yesterday A
strong plea in favor of the prisoner was
that his two young children were not in
proper hands, and thar Reynolds should he
ll,,vr. 4 20. faH.,r. 4l.s
Next was the case of All Foo, q China
man now employed as q cook in the War
den's house. and who was sentenced TO ten
years for the killing of another Chinaman
III 1879 in san Francisco. James Pare
pleaded for the Chinaman saving thar
there were many eXtenUating points In
Zoos favor His trial had been ilnproper-
~ conducted. AtlidaviJs were read from
the then Prosecuting Attorney 10 the effect
that All Foo had been uniustly dealt with.
and that the killing had been in selfde-
fence. Foo had been attacked by high
binders, and To save his own life had
stabbed one As in the case of REYNOLDS
the petition was taken under consider
alton.
Director wilkins also presented the case
of James O'Ncill. now serving sentence
for robbing 4 saloon-keeper named Peters,
in San Francisco, in 1878. The only evil
dence against o Neil at the trial was Peters
sworn testimony that O'Nciil was the man.
The late Judge Free!Ou sentenced him for
life. After the trial testimony was adj
ducedto show that O'Neiil had in reality
been visiting the house Of a sick friend at
the time Peters had sworn that Q Neil had
me! him on California street near Dupont
Other testimony went % prove that Peters
on that night was in a helpless state Of
drunkenness, whereas he had sworn that
lac was sober: II was further added that il
o Neills case was considered fIvorably 81
pardon must be granted quickly, as he was
suffering from disease and only an opera
ton performed by an expert surgeon could
save his lie.
At the afternoon session Director Som
tas took the leading par. IN a discussion as
to The 0esi means OF reducing the expenses
OF the prison \ resolution was introduced
ana carried recommending The appointment
OF committee of three jocOnSider the mat
ter, and investigate each department of the
prison IN order 10 see fthere was any pos
sible way by which the policy of economy
could be carried out Directors Hendricks
Sonntag and Wilkins were then APPOINTED
as such committee.
Plans which had been drawn pp for an
addition to the female prisoners denarf-
ments, which are at present cramped. were
presented Tor the Board approval Def
mite action was postponed.
Another resolution was adopted which
provided that all guards appointed hereafter
in the prisons at San Quentin and Folsom
must not be under p years of age and not
over 50. They must be five feet seven
inches in height, at least. not less than
thirty-six inches around the chest. must be
in a good healthy condition physically,
sight and hearing unimpaired and must
be strictly temperate in habits. it was also
resolved that in future the guards must
wear uniforms of blue cloth IS an in
stance of how well the system of credits
was working III the prison, and how good
the discipline is, the Board was informed
by Warden Shirley that although there are
/ 200 prisoners now confined there, there is
not one of them undergoing punishment
for disobedient conduct.
The Board then adjourned TO meet in the
evening in executive session.
Eugene City, Or, is 10 have large pub