Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-06-29
THE CASE OF ADA HUMES.
4 Physical and Mental Wreck--Pardoned
Mt Last--Oficiat Correspondence
on the Subject.

much attention from the time of her trial
for the killing of Jack Brown at Silver
City in 1889. Even at the time much
sympathy was expressed for her, and it
was felt by many that she was far more
sinned against than SHINING. Brown was
man whose character was universally
despised. The jury, however, in the
stern administration Of the law, found
her guilty and imposed an Imprisonment
of three years as her punishment.
Scarcely had she arrived at the penten-
tiary when enemies of those in charge
there began to circulate preposterous
stories of her treatment, followed by others
more scandalous. Strong petitions for
her pardon came from Silver City and the
various towns of the SOUTH and the Judge
who presided at the trial expressed his
feeling that she never should have been
convicted, but under the peculiar crcum-
stances OF the case, the governor refused
to interfere.
At length, bodily sickness and mental
distress began to tell upon her, and she
failed rapidly until the sad story of her
condition is told in the certificates which
appear below from DR.. Longwill, the
physician in charge; DR.. Symington, his
predecessor in that Office, and Dr. Sloan,
recently county physician and county
commissioner, and in that of Col. Chavez,
the superintendent. Then her husband,
forgiving everything in the past, came
from Colorado to ask for her pardon in
order that he might take her to their little
girl and bring her back to health. Arch
bishop Salpointe and many leading citi-
zens joined in the appeal for cemency !;
and to-day the governor, especially in
view of her physical and mental condi-
ton, has signed the pardon which opens
her prison doors and gives her chance
for life and health. Her husband, who
has been in Santa Fe anxiousiy awaiting
this event for over a month, will imme-
diatey take her to Colorado.
The following are the letters of the
physicians and the superintendent, omit
ting some minor details for the sake Of
brevity:
Hon. L. Bradford Prince, Governor, etc:
SANTA FE, N. M, May 81, 1S9l,-Sir:
Owing to the mental and physical health
of Ada Humes, convict in the peniten-
tiary, considered it to be my duty to
call in consultation DR.. John Symington.
This woman is nymphomaniac and has
developed N the past month suicidal
mania and requires constant care and
restraint. She is physical and mental
wreck, and if she is not released from the
penitentiary by executive clemency she
will very soon be a ravlng maniac with
no hope of ultimate recovery. There
are in the institution no means for the
semhlance OF proper treatment in cases
of her kind and in the name of humanity
| most respectfully and urgently recon-
mend her pardon at once.
This is a cause that demands immediate
action or | should not trouble you. You
are well aware this is only the second
with the course of justice during my con-
nection with this institution. Very re-.
specially your obedient servant.
r. II LoNGwILL, M. D.,
Penitentiary Physician.
To his excellency, L. Bradford Prince, Santa Fe,
\. VI.
SANTA FE, N. NJ, May 81, 1S91.-Slr
At the request of DR.. r. Ii. Longwill,
physician OF the New Mexico pententiary
| met with him in consultation in the
,aoo Of female convict No. 324. The
woman is suffering from severe nervous
irritation amounting at times to condi.
ton of hysteria, epilepsy and catalepsy
The tendency of such phenomena is total
destruction of the mental faculties and
the production of insanity in one or other
of its many forms. Her physical condl.
ton is poor; emaciation quite marked,
and these nervous attacks are increasing
in frequency and force. | therefor con-
cur with DR.. Longwil in the opinion that
her reason and health are both seriously
impaired by her confinement and the
melancholy incident thereto, and that q
successful termination of her present all
ments can only be accomplished by a re-
moval from the surroundings that induce
these morbid fancles, and system of
treatment be inaugurated which is now
impossible under existing circumstances,
and only practicable through course Of
| hospital treatment. Yours very respect
fully, JOHN SYMNeToN, M. D.
To His Excellency, L. B. Prince Governor of
| New Mexico:
SANTA FE, n. NJ, June 90, 1S91.--Sir
After a very careful examination of Ada
Humes, who is now confined in the New
Mexico penitentiary, | recommend that
she be pardoned at once. The confine-
ment which she has undergone has
broken her health and continuation
Of it will render her hopelessly insane
She is sufferer from nymphomania and
has spells of frenzy occurring with more
| frequency and greater violence all the
time. We have enough insane people in
our territory without deliberately making
another. am very respectfully.
j. II. SLOAN, M. D.
The warden's letter on the subject is as
follows:
New MEXICO PENTENTIARY,
Santa Fe, N. NJ, June q, 1891.j
His cxcellency, L. Bradford Prince, Santa Fe N.
Sir: | have the honor to make the
following statement regarding female
convict under my charge in the New
Mexico penitentiary, and respectfully to
urge the exercise of executive clemency.
Ada Humes, designated in this institution
as No. 1874, was convicted October 8, 1889,
and sentenced to imprisonment for the
term of three years. On the 4th of April,
1891, assumed the responsibilities of
superintendent of this institution, and
from that time to the present she has
been under my immediate charge and
supervision. She is sick woman now,
more so than she was when l first saw
her; she is perceptibly failing very fast !;
she has been attacked with severe con.
Wilson's five different times since have
been here, and each new attack appears
to increase in severity and duration, last
ing in sort Of death-like syncope for
| moro thar On hour during which TINA