The record-union., 1893-12-23
SENTENCED FOR SIXTEEN YEARS.
Jewell FIint's Punishment for Killing
Eta Walker.
Grove L. Johnson's Plea for Mercy on
the Prisoners Behalf-Judge
Johnson's Remarks.

room yesterday forenoon. The prisoner
was accompanied by his parents and
brother. beside his attorney, S. Luke
Howe. Grove L. Johnson was also pres
ent but not as the prisoners attorney.
Mrs. Walker, mother of the murdered
girl, and the latter's two sisters, occupied
seats within the bar.
No unusual or exciting event occurred,
except that Mr.. Johnson exhibited much
feeling during his plea for the young
man. The latter maintained quiet and
unruffled demeanor throughout.
The court being called to order and the
presence of the prisoner announced,
Flint was directed to stand up.
The Court-You have been informed
against by the District Attorney of the
County of Sacramento, of the crime OF
murder, TO which you have interpOsed
plea of guilty of murder of the second
degree. Have you any legal reason why
the sentence of the court should not De
pronunced against you?
REMARKS OF GROVE L. JOHNSON.
Grove L. Johnson, addressing the
court, said: At the request Of the family
of the defendant | desire, not as an attOr
ney, but as 0DticUS cuT'iCe, and as citizen,
q taxpayer, a friend and acquaintance of
the defendant and Of the family. to say
few words in reference to this matter.
Inasmuch as the District attorney has ac-
cepted, in open court, after an eXamlna-
ton by your Honor, Of a plea OF guilty
of murder Of the second degree, this case
then presents itself robbed of all the
malice, of all the wickedness, and of all
the depravity that would characterize the
crime known as murder OF the first de-
gree. While I have nothing to say in eX-
Of hn 9n L
your Honor, in passing sentence upon
this young man, to take into considera-
ton the fact that the District Attorney,
for reasons of course satisfactory to him
rs the law officer Of the county, has been
willing to, and has accepted a plea of
guilty of murder of the second degree,
thus showing faith and a belief on the
part of the District Attorney that this
crime did not amount to, and that jury
would not convict this young man II he
were brought to trial, of the higher and
more atrocious crime Of murder Of the
first degree.
The object of a sentence upon a de-
fendant is not merely to punish that de-
fendant; it is to aid in reforming him; il
is to also serve as an example 10 others.
This youg man, barely of age, just enter
ing upon life, has met with this most
fearful and unfortunate accident, If l
may use the term, because from an eX
animation of the testimony in this case
your Honor must come to the conclusion
that if it had not been for the fearful and
wicked effects OF strong drink, be, him.
self in his natural senses and as Jewell
Flint would not have been guilty of the
crime with which he now stands self
convicted before your Honor And while,
of course, morally, drunkenness is no
excuse, and, ofcourse, the law wisely says
1t is no excuse for crime, yet, at the same
time, the law also says that the court and
the jury have a right to take that into ac-
count in deciding upon the question of
intent, and deciding whether or not the
crime is a wicked crime. committed by
one with a wicked and abandoned heart,
or whether it is simply the outcome of
temporary alteration OF intellect caused
by an over-indulgence-self-imposed it
may be-in Intoxicating liquors.
This young man comes of a good
family. His father, his mother, his
sisters and his brother are all reputable
citizens. They are all interested with
his other relatives in his welfare. They
firmly believe, as do large number of
people who have known him from in
fancy, that this is not an error of the heart;
that this is not the act of the real Jewell
Flint, but that it is the act of Jewell
Flint crazed by Intoxicating liquors to
that extent that his reason did not assert
its sway In looking to the future they
that if q sentence not too excessive is i'm
posed upon him, that he will be given
the opportunity to redeem his name, to
redeem his life, and to prove when he
does come from within the cold walls OF
the prison, that he has within him the
making of man-of a man to be
credit to his family, to his relatives, to
his friends, to himself, his country and
bis God.
In sentencing this young man believe
that 1 speak in the interest Of society
when | say that a severe sentence is not
required for the sake Of acting as a warn
ing to others. The mere fact that he,
young man, with such bright prospects
in life, has thus stricken down his own
life at the outset of his career; the fact
that he, so young, has become a criminal;
the fact that he is now for years to be de-
prived Of the society of loving parents
and kind friends, to be incarcerated in a
dungeon-that fact of itself will serve as
warning TO others. SO far as the punish
ment that he himself can receive, he has
been punished. He realizes his situation,
he realizes his error, he realizes his fault,
and his sincere and daily prayer to his
God-his sincere prayer TO your honor
now is that he may be given an oppOr-
tunity in the reasonable near future to
start life over again, of wiping out the
effects of his crime by a service of the
sentence imposed upon him, and after
that with all his power striving once more
to make for himself an honored name in
this world.
While we have every sympathy for the
relatives of the deceased, while we recOg-
nize their sorrow, their trouble and their
tribulations, yet, also we take into ac-
count, and ask you so to do, if your
honor can, the sorrow and the trouble
and the tribulationS of the parents of this
young man, who see their hrst-born re-
moved from them to a living grave and
an endless death. His punishment is
great; their punishment is great; their
SORROWS are great. We ask your honor
to take these matters into account, and in
rendering your judgment to impose such
a sentence as will not only punish him,
but will enable him to rehabilitate HIM
self in the eyes of the world before death
ends his labors on earth. To be mercIful
is the highest and greatest prerogatlYe OF
Judge We ask at your hands at this
time that mercy which you would show
to others outside of the court. We ask
you to remember that although you are a
Judge you are q man. We ask you TO re-
member that although you are Judge,
clothed to-day with the power of the
State, and given the right to incarcerate
this young man for any length of time in
prison-we ask you TO remember also
that you are father. We ask you te take
these matters into account in rendering a
Judgment in this case. We ask you to be
mercitul.
Luke Howe, Flints counsel. said:
"There is but little that I can add to the
remarks of our friend, bat I desire, as
the attorney for the defendant and as his
friend. to ask the court TO be as merciful
as possible in the sentence which you
are about TO impose
THE SENTENCE.
The COURTROOM careful examination
of the evidence in this case, 1 have no