The morning call., 1894-02-04
DOOMED TO DIE
Patrick ]. Collins Hears
His Sentence.
The Wife Murderer Makes Vigorous
Protest Against Injustice and
RaiiroadiSm.

Judge Belcher passed his first death
sentence since his accession to the Superior
bench yesterday morning. when he SEN
fenced Patrick j. Collins to be hanged al
San Quentin On Friday, April Is, for the
murder of his wife, Sarah
The circumstance attending the CON-
mission of the crime we're of fiendsh
nature. Collins had once or twice pre-
viously threatened to kill his wife and had
used violence to her, Two or three days
before the day on which the crime was
committed. October 9, 1898, Collins had
absented himself from home, and it was
not known where he was until between s
and 9 O'Clock that morning, when cries
were heard proceeding from the kinder
garten on Fourth street where Mrs Col
Inns was working. There the unhappy
woman was found crawling downstairs on
her hands and knees and bathed in blood,
no less than thirty-two knife wounds
being found on her person. She had
barely time to say, Pat Collins did II. ."
when she became unconscious and shortly
afterward expired. Collins. was arreS ed.
tried and found guilty of murder in the
first degree.
Quite a number of people assembled to
see the wretched criminal receive his SEN
tence. Attorneys George Colwell and Paul
I. hdTid1, WHO ulu dIl lDbN COuiu IOT
Collins at his trial, were there. while eX-
Judge Robert Ferral, special counsel for
the prosecution, occupied a seat by the
side OF Assistant District Attorney PeiX-
otto. AS soon as Judge Belcher asked
Collins IL he had anything to say on his
own behalf, Attorney Colwell rose and
proceeded to point out certain errors TO
the court as the basis of motion for a
new trial
Colwell had three points of discussion.
In the first place he objected 10 the court
eXcusiDg Juror because he did not be-
lieve in The insanity plea. The second
point consisted of alleged errors of the
court during the progress OF the trial,
while third grievance lay in the fact th at
the court had refused a continuance of the
trial on the ground that q witness was
absent. COlwell spoke for some time. and
at the conclusion of bis argument At
tOrney Harlan made a supplementary ad-
dress on the prisoners behalf.
Judge Belcher listened patiently, and
when counsel had finished, without calling
upon the District Attorney to reply, he
denied the motion for. new trial. What
had the prisoner to say?
Collins stood up, cleared his throat and
burst into torrent of rugged eloQuence.
mingled with invective. Balore God and
man, his Honor and his own heart and
conscience he stood there an Docent N a u,
'rajIrOaded to the gallows." Kelly, the
prlnclpal Witness IOT the prosecution, ne
characterized as A perjuied villain: in
fact, the prosecution had had all its own
way.
Public opinion" be said, has killed
me-public opinion and some Of the news
papers. The jury entered On the case with
the verdict already sealed up in their
hearts, and that verdict was contrary to
evidence. their conscience, their God and
their country.
"They gave me no chance for my life.
But day will come when we'll all meet
before that Supreme Being, in a place
where there's no filing OF demurrers and
no motions for new trials. There and
then we shall find the man who murdered
my wife. j never raised my hand aRains t
her, that I'll swear. Such a. act would be
against my heart and conscience. | am
innocent, but some of the newspapers have
brought me TO this"
At this point Judge Belcher signified
that he had heard enough, and without
comment proceeded TO pass sentence of
death. Collins stood quietly listening to
the awesOme words.
Thank you, sir" he said. when all was
over. Then as the handouts were put
upon his wrists he said to those around
him, II know no more of this murder for
which I'm sentenced to be hanged than a
child unborn" He was led away almost
at once.
Attorneys Colwell ami Harlan are going
to make a final effort to induce the Su-
preme Court to Interfere. and for that pur-
pose have procured temporary stay of
pXecntiOn