Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-16
IT WAS BRUTAL MURDER.

The wife of Antonio Mendoza, of San
Francisco, proved unfaithful to her mar
rage VOWS and abandoned life OF
virtue. She finally left her husband with
the expressed determination not to live
with him again. He had several times
forgiven her and taken her back. On
Sunday last he traced her out and visited
her, and the couple dined together. That
night they occupied the same room, and
the next morning breakfasted together.
He then asked her once more to return to
his home, and she refusing he shot her to
death. When apprehended he was wait
ing for the appearance of man of whom
he was Jealous, and as the officers entered
the room the murderer attempted to take
his own life. 1t will be contended that he
was unsettled of reason, and that he should
therefore go free of conviction. 1t is prob
able that the plea will prevail, and that
faint-hearted jury will acquit him on the
ground of mental unsettlement at the time
of the killing. 1t is admitted that he is
perfectly sane now; that he coolly pre-
neditated his act, and that he had set all
his affairs in order for the purpose.
The killing was brutal murder, and the
offender ought to suffer the penalty of the
law prescribed for that crime. No sickly
sentimentality, no maudlin doctrine of
Served her right" ought to interfere to
save him. Society cannot afford in this
day of enlightenment to commit to men
the right to Judge and execute their wives.
Mendoza's wife practiced no deceit upon
3,is.a 3-sa.s- f-.-i-l, t~i-l him, that she nre-
ferred the society of others, and she
openly and fearlessly left him. What may
have 0een his conduct towards her may
never be known, for her voice has been
stilled by violent death. But it is pub
lished that she had complained of brutal
treatment by him, and that she charged
that he had first been unfaithful to
the marriage VOWS. But, taking the
story of Mendoza at its best, his act was
deliberate murder. He assumed the Office
of Judge and jury, and supplemented it
with that of executioner. He took hui
man life, and with all the generalization
that constitutes the essential feature of
unlawful homicide. He will probably go
clear, but it will be bad precedent, since
it will set up as the new rule of privilege
that men may kill wives they judge to be
unfaithful, and be justified by their fellows.
Garry the doctrine of such justification to
its legitimate end we establish the old and
barbarous rule of absolute power by the
husband over the person and the life of his
wife.
Mendoza went coolly to his work of
murder; he declares with equal equanim-
ity that he intended precisely what he
accomplished; he should, therefore, be
given the full penalty of the law, which
he must have contemplated when he in
tended to do murder. But we doubt very
much his statements of mental disquietude
over the waywardness of the woman-it
was more likely chagrin and jealous rage
that disturbed him, since he condoned her
ohenses, and the very night preceding the
murder accepted her embraces. BY that
act he put himself without the pale of
sympathy outraged hubands usually re-
ceive. His leve of virtue in his wife did
not extend to the loathing that the de-
ceived husband who is honest in his respect
for the purity of his wife feels when she
casts him off By bis conformation he put
himself upon her level, in sense, and he
should be abhorred Of men for rising from
the arms of the woman he professed to
adore only to murder her.