The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-28
THE STATE CAPITAL
GLEANINGS IRON
THE STATE Department RS.
Some Official Facts and Figures Found
by Stateman Reporters Dished W
With Bit of Gossip That
Will Interest You.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE.

Governor CulDerSOn yesterday COM
huted the sentence of q. Z. Hunt to
imprisonment for life for the following
Reasons: tgs
N First-The defendant was born and
faised in Wilson county in this state. The
testimony shows that when quite young he
WAS thrown from q horse and seriously
iniured about the head, and after this
Injury his character and conduct were
greatly changed In. 1886 he was tried
for larceny in the county court of Will
son county, the jury finding that he had
been insane for many years, and that
lit was necessary that he should be placed
under restraint. A Judgment was ac-
+ cordingly entered in this court declaring
a him insane, and he was confined in the
state lunatic asylum at Austin from July
A 10, 1886, to September "a, 1886, when he
was discharged as restored. The rec
ord does not sufficiently show what his
conduct was subsequent to his discharge
from the lunatic asylum up to short time
preceding the hohicide, but his relatives
in Wilson county and some other per-
sons there state that his mind was still
affected, particularly at intervals. He
was married on the 4th day of December,
$780, and after his marriage it appears
he conducted farm in Wilson county be-
longing to his father for some time. In
the fall of 1893 he left the farm in Will
son county, leaving part of his crop, un-
gathered and part penned up, without
giving notice to any of his family or othef
persons of his intention to do so, and went
to Walnut Springs in Bosque county
where his wife's family reside. Mem
hers of his family in Wilson county ties,
tilted that he did not know what naa
become of him from the time he left WI
son county until they had notice, OF MS is
, homicide. It seems that after ne lefI
{Walnut Springs in search of work ana
~ fterwards returned for his wife ana car
rled her to Grayson county, Wiener ne
was engaged as teamster in the gra!-
ing of railroad few miles IRON pe III
son. AS showing his conduct toWarus
his wife her mother, Mrs. Fry testine9
as follows: During the time Hunt anu
wife lived at my house no trouble DC
cured between them. She thought gTeat
deal of him and he of her. The feeilIS
between them was good. L never hearu
a cross word between them Whlis tae S NV, 70
ed with me. They seemed alleG.loi aa );
toward each other while IN my n tod hr
4 This testimony was 1uily looosad who
an unmarried sister of the deCease 1'no m
rasidad with her mother. Whlle ehgaSefu
in work near Denison, he ana MS MI
nnd child occupied q tent, when peslut ts
h ZINC surrounded by many otner lelt1
Similarly occupied by persons ehsu a7',-
IN the same work, was situated III d t toati-
Ions neighborhood. There Is no That that
mony which shows or tenes u sn i,;s wife
u The relationship between mn If anu Walnut
WaS On the 2Sth day OF Novelleepbe;i hi
In1 10 wrote n letter to the sister ol ne
1922 hofore mentioned, stating thaC d lil1
VIZ VIZ ,,,oS verv near death, ana ne ui
WY boi;eve she would recover. H ~.
aoe tbis If APPEARS that the sistef ,e,
ao.rorhed and wrote him, asking iHi and
tS;nn about the condition Oh ms hor a sec
on December 4. 1898, ne NY NJ he had
ond leV'el ,ror;ng until then In IN
deiayeut hot he might give, her i Iis
oruer 1vhich was to the effect .lLE he
sWer' VA d;ed that day, and wouiu I'd Nd
w VIE n" On the following Afternoon am in
iDurieI could be in Bosque couney in
that ne +hroe weeks. About = o c5oeN b h.,
wv Nv afternoon of December t3' i ro;iway
4 onSdoavored to have one OIL INC vr,orking
- Moves near where ne u WIZ Railing
4 that he might go to fore ,rIoyed n team
4 IN thi o. The neighborhood to carry +atn
steI ~ next morning, so as " T I
n to Denii1o which left Denison 1ot ro,'
the tram a. 7.3O a. m. This teamStheii LII,
worm morning, carried MN anu 80 ,,,o
the ht IN nnnison. for which hum s"No
cnllu 40 10 font he had occupied, pu' ond
MN ti1 Tho train he desired to tahe ot Im
ms thora later in the day on t anb he
4 tna;r stating to several peopied thence
ros Going to Fort worm any county,
w Walnut Springs III boS Somo Of his
he aiu Ca ~ n,i,v in Walnut Springs, carr
vic i,;s child, and stopped at their NUS Jus
lng u ms th on Subsequent day, when ne was
until the suoee4 telegram from Denison,
arTe area i, Walnut Springs he s!aIeu t,,n "
WINE thor and sister of his Wlle una'
me IND no died on Dec. without a SUE hn !
sue n Sto ting at one time that she h" Of
~ Of meningitis and at aholnei +oo
normonia. About ociocR o nn,bor
plmorning of the 14th day oil 81 DeC drnssnd
1909. the dead body OF ms VIZ obort 1OC
Z. IN her night clothes, was l3un ro +be tent
lads from the place where lhf fononf
yaLuSS Son n, nitched. inside of a wire ienceG
n n1a oe ed close by a well Travelled roa iT
u ne1;; n fnll view of passerss by. her shu n,
hnd baan crushed in front by blows owe I'VE
ad near her right eye and ear ahe
h ahu was traced from the Dody ~
Otuou nile iwhere the tent had peel
toha5pbich had been used by thein ~
p had and beneath the straw was a lars,
nooI Of blood. While there IS no uiL LII
testimony or an eye witness 70 .ne IF, n
ing. it is certain tnaI ne MINI tho ton
an ne' axe that was found near 'he ed dem II
a aa morning covered with blood, ana ~ II
ali nrobability the act was commat, rs
While she was asleep. There app peat,
+ Mae no doubt that he was gul ny
of the homicide. On the subject Oh n ~;
sanity the court of appeals declare IN tn agi
o on "That there is very, c4gent o ev,
S Sp1n,or Of insanity" Judge T. ]. Brown Brown
Low associate justice of the suprem'
= court, who tried the case as dlst tho
i ivIqe. has stated to me in writing tina
There was, in my Judgment suthcl h;I,
evidence to sustain a verdict tndlng mn ~
insane to that degree to render MN II
rasnonsible." In the same statement III
also saws: "I believe that Hunt Is
man of very weak mind, very 10!
grade of intelligence and moral sensi
pnTI;rd-This is not an application TO
nardon and if granted will not reduce tn
murder in the first degree, and WI l
s;mnIy change the punishment from deaf
s e Imprisonment in the penitentiary TO
lie Under our code murder in the mrs
degree is punishable by death or &C con
finement in the penitentiary f Sind lie III u