Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-21
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A Murderous Rape Fiend ASKING LOT
Pardon-The Facts of the Case.

"A murderOus Rape rlehu <,e -
Pardon-The Facts of the Case.
There are cases when the pardoning
power of the Chief Executive is used, and
the ends of justice not defeated thereby.
To err is human, and sometimes COURTS
and juries make mistakes and IN rare
cases the innocent are made to suffer Tor
the crimes of others. Again, occasionally
the sentences are severe in proportion to
the enormity of the crime committed.
People too willingly sign their names
TO petitions for pardons, often Lending their
signatures when they are ignorant of the
facts in the case, and occasionally the most
ACCOMPLISHED villain is aided by the sigma
lures of leading citizens, obtained some
times by friends, at others by political in
huences, but oftener by paid attorneys. No
matter how great the crime; no matter
how fragrant the violation of the law, or
the extent to which society has been out
ragged, there is no convict but what can
through some of these channels find
champion, who will present his case in as
favorable light as possible, often by
A MISREPRESENTATION OF FACTS,
And criminals are set free when but
short portion of their just sentence has
been served. There is a case before the
State Board of Prison Directors at this
time, that has caused considerable COM
ment, and the outcome of which Will be
watched with deep interest. Although the
crime was committed over three years ago,
in the wicked city, of San Francisco, it is
still fresh in the minds of the people OF the
entire State. Briefly stated the case was as
follows:
Mrs. Wagner, an aged lady of feeble
health was employed as domestic in the
family of an Oakland capitalist. She was
a widow lady, and her little children were
in the Mount st. Joseph Orphan Asylum,
San Francisco. One afternoon she went
over to San Francisco to visit her children.
Returning she took the South San Fran
cisco cars to Fourth and Townsend streets
On arriving there after dark she asked some
parties standing in front of a saloon to di-
rect her to a car that would take her to the
Oakland ferry. One of the men offered to
show her the car, but took her in the
wrong direction and attempted to outrage
her
ON A SAND LOT NEAR BY.
Her screams caused him to desist and
fearing arrest, he fed. She then made her
way to a saloon near the sand lot, and
asked for an officer to assist her in getting
to the Oakland Ferry, being excited, bewil-
dered and exhausted. The saloon propri-
etor sent out two young men to assist the
poor woman in getting on the proper street
car line. They also took her in the wrong
direction, and were joined by the first
party. The. woman was thrown into
sand lot and most brutally outraged by all
three villains. She died shortly afterwards
from the effects of the treatment received.
The three men were arrested. One of them
escaped because he could not be identified.
The other two were sentenced as follows:
" Fat Jack Kiley. fifty years in San Quen-
tin, and Charles H. Josselyn forty years in
the same prison. The Judge, in passing
the severe sentences stated from the bench
that the two men, instead of being impris-
oned, ought to be executed, and in this ex-
preston he voiced the sentiment of every
one who was acquainted with the facts in
the case. The men have been
IN PRISON JUST THREE YEARS
And two months, and now there is long
petition asking for the pardon of Josselyn,
upon the grounds that the woman was
drunk. A brother of the deceased woman,
Thomas Skerrett, of San Francisco, called
to see Governor Stoneman yesterday re-
garding the matter. and will do all in his
power to defeat the issuing of the pardon.
He has affidavits from the Sisters who have
charge of the Orphan Asylum, and which
she had left some ten minutes before the
outrage was committed, which completely
explodes the assertion that Mrs. Wagner
was intoxicated in the least. Also, sworn
from those with whom she re-
sided, regarding her temperate habits, frail
body and feeble health. Also from ply
sicians, who testify that the injuries re-
ceived were the immediate cause of her
death.
After listening to Mr.. Skerrett, the Gov
ernor informed him that If the matter had
been brought before the Commissioners it
had not as yet reached him. He did not
think they would for a moment consider
such an application, and intimated if it
came before him it would be summarily
disposed of.