, 1888-08-19
RUSTLING MUST STOP.
All Glasses of Property TO Receive
Adequate Protection.
Governor Moonlight Declines to
N Grant a Pardon,
And Gives Some S, tantiaI Rea-
sons for His -UtiOn.

Below is given the text of Governor
Moonlight's decision declining to grant a
pardon in the case Of a woman convicted
of stealing and killing one head of stock
in Fremont county. 1t has unfortunately
lately become a too general belief that
range cattle, unlike any other property,
might be stolen with impunity. Even
though the party concerned in this case is
a woman the general opinion of those
cognizant OF the fact will coincide with
the views advanced by the governor. The
document will also carry with it a pointed
intimation to the ~rustlers that hereafter
public opinion will cordially indorse brisk
prosecutions to the end that no citizen
may suffer the loss of any of his property
without legal redress. The governors
letter is as follows:
AUG. Is. lSSS,-Jh. d. A. Preston,
attorney Jor Mrs. Anna Peterson, Ian
der, Ugo.-DEAR SIR: | have carefully
read, as forwarded by you, the record of
the indictment, trial and judgment of the
court, in the case of the application for
pardon of Mrs. Anna Peterson. 1t seems
Mrs. Anna Peterson and her husband
Louis Peterson were indicted for stealing
one head of neat cattle in June, 1887.
The husband upon trial, was acquitted,
and the wife found guilty. The indict-
ment and trial we're had at the July term
of the district court. within and for Ere
mont county, Judge Samuel II. Corn pre-
siding. Motion was at once made for a
new trial, and upon a hearing, TIE same
was denied. This applicant represented
at all the stages by her attorney was then
sentenced to six months Imprisonment in
the penitentiary, and TO pay a fine of
three hundred dollars with the costs of
trial.
The jury in finding Mrs. Peterson
guilty, recommended mercy" Section
4l40 of the revised statutes of Noymine,
under which the prisoner was indicted,
tried and sentenced, fixes the maximum
OF punishment Mt ten years confinement
and a fine of five thousand dollars, leaving
to the discretion and judgment of the
court a lesser sentence in both respects.
In passing sentence upon Mrs. Anna
Peterson the Judge must have taken into
consideration the recommendation Of the
jury for mercy as the term of impris
onment is only six months and the fine
5000 with costs of trial.
The application for pardon makes no
claim of any irregularlty or unfairness in
the trial, and the Judge, with all the facts
fresh in his mind, refused = new trial at
the same term of court, thus affirming the
finding of the Jury, and passed a light SEN
tence compared with the possibilities of
the law. Section 4140 is clearly directed
against the crime of stock stealing on the
ranges, and while this section leaves ample
room, and almost invites a severity of
sentence for the stealing of one animal of
but small value in dollars and cents, yet
in this case Justice was tempered with
mercy
Property Of great value ranges on the
plains and is an industry of vital import
ance to Wyoming; its protection from
"rustlers' is essential to permancy and
success, as well as in the interest of good
government. The man or woman who
would kill, steal or destroy one head of
this property because roaming at large
with no watchful eye of owner or herder
to detect the crime at the time of commits
sion, should not complain if detected at
any time and punished with the leniency
of sentence attaching to this application
for pardon.
In upholding the law the executive
cannot allow the sympathy which natur-
ally surrounds the case Of a woman and a
mother found guilty OF the crime of steal
ing stock on the range, to stand between
him and n lawful, lust and merciful pun
ishment of the %offense.
1t is to be hoped that this will be a
warning to others, and a proof Of the de-
sire of the executive to aid and assist in
every way within his province, in giving
protection and security to property. Very
respectfully, THOMAS MooNLI hit,
Governor.
The TerrItnriaI Roard.