Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-11-28
A DETECTIVES APPEAL.
j. IL. Hume Asks the Governor to Con
mute Drager's Sentence.

j. Il. Hume Asks the Governor to Com
mute Drager's Sentence.
e. B. Hume, Wells, Fargo e. Co.'s special
officer, has sent the following communica-
ton 10 Governor Waterman Mr. Hume
is misinformed in regard 10 Drager being
the first of the murderous THO to confess
the crime. He was. on the other hand,
present at the killing. Even after Olsen
and Myers had confessed in his pres
ence, he persisted in denying that he
had ever been on the Lowell ranch
at all Olsen was the first 10 confess
TO the stealing of the horses, and
asserted that Myers killed Lowell When
Myers was arrested he. too, confessed that
be did the killing, but afterwards said that
Olsen and Drager asss ed him. Following
is Mr.. Hume's letter in full:
SAN Francisco November 26. 1883.
To His Ercelency Governor X. W. Waterman.
Sacramento. Cdl.-DEAR SIR: / note among the
dispatches in to-day's paper, one from Placer
vile, containing the information that your Ex-
cellency has declined to interfere in the action
of the Court in the case of John Olsen and
William Drager, sentenced to death for the mur-
der of Lowell in El Dorado county.
One phase of this case interests me very
intelligently, albeit crudely, am constrained
to address you, that you may if you deem my
ideas worthy of consideration, again give your
attention to this case before 1t shall be too late
Personally the matter does not interest me in
the least, for have never seen the condemned
men nor any of their friends. and upon general
principles the crime is one which deserves the
full penalty Of the law, but the practice Of ac-
cording mercy to the man who first confesses
and expresses a willingness to aid in bringing
to justice his confederstes in crime, is one from
dpnQrfrrrp Qvor Ia ,adn r
have had thirty years experience in dealing
with the criminal classes, and can safely say
that the custom of granting immunity from the
full penalty of the law to the first of a number
of offenders who shall confess and testify
against his co-conspirators does more to prevent
crime and deter criminals than all the shrieyal-
the civilized world. If it were not for the fear
that some one of their number would be thus
induced to betray them, men could band to-
gether in such numbers for the purpose Of
crime and depreciation that the police and other
Office of the law would be powerless to con-
troll them, and when this means OF securing con-
LESSONS can no longer be used when we. whose
business Is the prosecution and suppression of
this bad element can no longer deal with them
upon this basis. our most effective weapon will
have been wiested from us. This tear that some
one of their number will be induced to turn
traitor for the sake of clearing himself is the
strongest restraining influence of which we
have any knowledge.
II, on the other hand. we cannot safely prom
|
lieving he will receive mercy. how can we reach
man whose confession is necessary? As an
example of this take the case OF Troy Dye.
hanged ct Sacramento after having oIifessed
under promise thst his life would be saved
In my opinion his execution was the most
shameful thing which can be produced in the
Court annals on this coast, and officers of the
law have not yet recovered fiom the disastrous
results of the failure of the District Attorney and
other officials TO keep the promise made to the
man to secure his confession. Not that hanging
was not inst punishment but having received
his confession without which they could have
acco plished little) under promise of ciemeney
that promise should have been sacre6ly kept
although the whole State clamored for his blood
As an exemplifcation of the result of this ex-
ecution, let me call to your mind the case OF the
assassination of Policeman Scott month later.
meager array of testimony served to implieaie
five men in the preparation Of the CRIME. but
conviction OF any ore of them would be impos-
sible unless one of the number could be induced
70 confess. What inducement could be offered? |?
None. What could be gained by confession? I?
| Immunity from punishment? Had Troy Dyes
confession been ofany service to him? Had he
not, by his own confession, literally hanged
himself2 1t was only after the officers had
made most specific and liberal terms. involving
! light sentences for ali, that confession was OBJ
/ tained and a conviction made possible. How
differently could these men have been ap-
J preached had Troy Dyes life been saved
Other cases could be cited. but it is needless to
amplify in this direction. In the El Dorado
case, Drager, believe is the man who first CON