The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-02-23

Comptroller Mccall yesterday paid
over $4,000 to the credit of general
revenue.
From Tuesdays Daily
The governor yesterday morning par.
doned Rosa Schmidt, poor German girl
convicted of forgery IN San Antonio and
sentenced to the penitentiary for two
years. Judge Noonon, before whom she was
tried, District Attorney Psschal Sheriff
Nat Lewis, District Clerk George R
Dashiell and the jury recommended the
| pardon.
The governor yesterday received several
letters from prominent citizens of San
Antonio calling attention to the brutal
and uncalled for act of one W. W. Winters
an officer whose duty it is to carry prison
ers to the peniteniary. He caused the
poor girl TO be chained by the neck to a
burly negro convict, and in that condition
she was marched from the county jail to
the depot, distance of three-quarters of
a mile. One of the letters to the governor
says: such cruel and unusual spectacle
i IN Christian community shocked the
| feeling of every one who saw it, and the
community at large are outraged in the
thought that any one entrusted with carry
lag out the operation of the law in
any of Its details should practice such an
act of brutalism towards one of the oppo.
site SEX" The writer of the above voices
the sentiments of every true man, and
the sooner the smiable Mr.. Winters is in
continently retired, to the walks of private
life the better and that will be very soon,
as the following letter from the governor
indicates;
"YOu have my thanks for calling atten
tion to the brutal treatment of the your @
woman, Rosa Schmidt. agree with you
that the action of the official who repre-
sents the contractor for carrying convicts
to the penltentlary was unfeeling and un-
warranted, and deserves the reprobation of
all good citizsn When the application
for pardon was first presented to me l
made cursory investigation of the case,
and could but suppose that weightier
reasons embraced in the ex parte
statement of the petition ex-
listed to warrant the conviction
OF this young woman, and here decline
to interfere, intending, however should
future development warrant, to take the
case up again.
1.-THE truth is, the applications for mar
dons reaching me by mail, together with
personal appeals in the executive office
each day, would be quite enough to en-
gross my entire time did l not feel boupd
to subordinate this character of business
to that of more general concern. In this
way 1t may seem that meritorious cases
like this one are at times neglected
feel that we need the more prom pt con-
vlction and certain punishment of all
offenders and the abandonment of that
mistaken zeal of philanthropy which
steps IN so often between the outraged
laws and their violators; and all friends of
social order and domestic happiness
unite in the demand that the law should
De permitted to take its course and
sternly execute its penalties after the
great expense of arrest, detention and
conviction, regardless of mere sentiment
or feeling OF eensibility.
But in this case no good can be sinh.
served by further punishment, and I have
directed pardon to be made out and for.
warded
u shall cal the attention of the com
tractor to the conduct of his represen p
i've, and insist upon prompt DISMISSAL
Inc governor is in receipt of a report