The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-07-07
ST. CLAIR'S DOOM.
To Be Hanged by the
Neck in October.
Sentence of Death Pronounced by
Judge MCkenna-lntervie With
the Condemned Murderer.

Have you anything to say why sentence
of death should not be passed upon you?"
He might as well have asked the pris-
oner, who stood with his hands reposing
on his hips. whether he had anything to
say on the question whether he preferred
pan roast or an Eastern fry. so far as the
solemnity of his words seemed to affect
the little man with their black hair and
piercing eyes.
he had, however. speech and he spoke
His words found an utterance as soft as
those which came like sympathetic
whisper from the bench when Judge Nc
Kenna asked the momentous question:
II did not kill Mate Fitzgerald" he said,
II am innocent of his murder. But there
are those who could tell all about it if they
choose"
The Judge never once took his com as
sionate eyes from the convicted man. A
hush fell over the crowd in the courtroom.
The pause was one of three or four seconds.
please rise"
The admon ton came from the bench,
and as he spoke, Judge McKenna arose
from his chair. District Judge Morrow,
who sat beside him, also stood up. A low
murmur swept across the big courtroom
and the throng Of lawyers. court officers
and spectators arose as one man. The
sentence of death was then delivered by
Judge McKenna, and as he spoke the
words that consigned a fellOw-mortal to
the grave there was tremor in his kindly
voice that betrayed the pain it gave him to
discharge his duty. He said:
The sentence OF the law is that you be taken
hence by the Marshal of this district, and con-
fined in close custody In the prison OF his city
and county until Friday, the 9th day OF October
IN Han nv ba TTnifo Tod Or 90
Marshal to some suitable place IN the district
and between the hours of l and in the after
noon OF that day be hanged by the neck until
you are dead, and may the Lord have mercy
upon your soul. The Marshal will execute this
sentence. Let judgment be entered accord.
iDgly.
st. Clair never once took his hands from
his hips. He made no sign that he suf-
fered anguish. His face was pale, but
that was not remarkable. for he had been
bleached in jail on shore, and before that
for weeks in chains on shipboard.
AS the Judges dropped into their chairs
the people also sank back into their
benches. A Deputy Marshal snapped a
pair of handouts on the prisoners wrists
and led him out of the courtroom.
Before the sentence was pronounced
Attorney Smith, who represeD ted st. Clair,
asked that his client be discharged on the
ground that the jury had failed to state in
their verdict the crime of which they lad
found the prisoner guilty.
After the sentence he gave notice of his
Intention to appeal from the judgment to
the United States Supreme Court.
ST. Clair was convicted in the United
States Circuit Court Of the murder
of Mate Fitzgerald on the bark Hes
per in January last on the high seas
while on a voyage from Sydney, Aus
tralia, to Honolulu. The murder was of a
peculiarly atrocious character, and was
believed to be the outcome OF conspiracy
among the crew to murder the captain and
all the officers and then seize the vessel
and sail her to some island in the Pacific,
where she was to be abandoned. One
dark night Fitzgerald, the mate. was dis
covered to be missing. Upon proceeding
on deck blo0dstains were found and also
hatchet,and club covered with blood and
hair. ST. Clair was charged with being
the ringleader and with having struck the
fatal blow. The mates body was never
found. His assassins had tossed it into
the sea. Two other members of the crew
besides st. Clair were indicted for the
murder. Their names are Herman Sparf
and Hans Hansen. Both are in the County
Jail " aiting trial.
st. Clair was visited in the County Jail
last evening by CALL reporter. No
death watch had been set on him. He was
in cell 80, near the office. His cell mate
derer. Chief Jaler Fitzpatrick was, how
ever, making arrangements to transfer st.
Clair to the adjoining CELL
In answer to the reporters questions,
81. Clair stated that he came to New York
with his parents when he was 8 years old.
He had followed the sea all his life. He
appeared quite cheerful. aud expressed the
hope that he would yet get clear. He had
never written to his parents in regard to
his troubles, and if he was to be hanged he
was determined that they should never
know his fate. He insisted that he had no
hand in the killing of Mate Fitzgerald.
The question as to where the death SEN
tence will be carried into effect is one that
Will have to be decided by United States
Marshal Long or his successor. Prisoners
condemned to death by State courts are re-
CURED TO be executed at San Quentin. The
Marshal will have the option of hanging
- al'ir either in the County Jail or 10
the State prison