The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-28
ASSASSINS WHO ARE AWAITING
DEATH IN SAN QUENTIN
PRISON.
TRAITS OF THE CONDEMNED
MOST OF THEM Do Nor BELIEVE
THEY WILL EVER MOUNT
THE GALLoWs.

lucu Ol NOW LII DAN QuSullu
prlson-an unusual number in any jail
and all of them are booked for the great
beyond by way of the gallows and the
rope. With the exception of Patrick Col
Inns, the wife murderer, not one of them
admits the belief that he will be hanged.
Hope springs eternal in the breasts of the
condemned who stand on the threshold of
death, but have not been forced over the
fatal line. Those who are now in San
Quentin hope for reprieves, combinations,
new trials, pardons and all sorts of i'm
probable contingencies. Even Fremont
Smith, the Colusa murderer, who appears
to be the most hardened OF the lot, and as
sumes a careless and jaunty air, does not
at heart believe that death on the galloWs
will be his end
Patrick Collins is sullen and silent, and
appears the very embodiment of despair.
He was seen in his cell yesterday. where
he lay on his bunk wrapped in blankets
with prayer-book clasped in his hands.
He has taken to religion with fervor that
is almost Uncomfortable. If he speaks at
all it is on the subject of religion. When
asked how he felt yesterday he simply
answered by grunt of annoyance, and
his hanging is set for May g.
Plco Morasco, the murderer from Solano,
who is under sentence to be hanged April
II, is the extreme opposite of Collins. He
is as voluble in conversation as a sewing
circle at tea, and when he is once per-
mitted to open the narrative of his muir
derouS exploits he never stops until his
auditors leave him and pass beyond hear
ing distance. He is an Italian who is
painfully deficient in English and his
rapid harangues cannot be understood by
any one save an expert linguist who is
familiar with his dialect.
"Me no hang, nevah," he said yesterday.
81 killa da man because he wanta killa me-
My countrymen, Italians, getta me out
b andy"
A petition to the Governor praying for
communication is now being circulated by
number of influential Italians, who hope to
have Morasco's sentence changed from
death to life"
A most touching and pathetic case is
that of William Leary, from Monterey,
who was sentenced to be hanged on the
29th instant, but has been reprieved for
twelve days. The condemned man is IS
years old, palsied, white-haired and gray
bearded. Trouble and old age have so
afflicted his memory that he cannot now
remember the name of the man he killed.
When asked about his case and condition
yesterday he said in a tremulous tone:
Surely, sir, | do not think they will
hang me. / killed that man in defense of
my home and my family. His name-oh!
l can't Just remember it. But he deserved
to be killed
II am one of the earliest pioneers of Cal
ifornia, he continued. II landed at Sau-
salito from the Sandwich Islands in 1910.
| helped to build the first -four and saw
mill at Bodega, Sonoma County, and was
afterward one of General Kearny's trusted
men. Lookl Here is badge that General
Kearny pinned on my coat"
AS he spoke he pointed to a soiled and
much worn ribbon of uncertain color that
was fastened to the lapel of his coat
Leary is very quiet prisoner and gives
the prison officials no trouble. He spends
most of his waking hours over well-worn
prayer-book and in pious meditation If
this aged man, now in his second child
hood, is taken to the gallows it will be a
sad and shocking sight.
Fremont Smith, the CoIusa murderer.
and Amelio Garcia, the San Bernardino
assassin, occupy the same cell on Murder
ers' Row and are we'll mated. Both of
them appear to be utterly devoid of senti-
ment and sympathy and are indifferent to
their fate. Smith was accused of killing
two fishermen, who were known only as
Charlie and Dolph, and who had occupied
cabin together with Smith a short dis
lance from COluSa. Their dead bodies
were found in the Sacramento River.
Smith was arrested at CoIlinsville three
days later. He had with him a number of
articles of personal property, some of
which were known to have belonged to the
murdered fishermen. Smith was tried and
convicted and is now under sentence to be
hanged June 7.
II don't care - how soon they hang
me-" said Smith, with a careless laugh
yesterday. Il never did have good time
here in this world. Perhaps I'll get some
thing better in the other country where
I'm booked to go. But / amt hanged vet
not by good deal. About my case and
trial? Well, now, there amt no sort of
use in talking about that. There wasn't
any direct evidence against me. | was ar
rested because l had worked hard and had
got together too much personal property.
l had too many traps of all sort in my pos
session, that was all. The moral of that
is that a man shouldn't work too hard and
shouldn't save anything" he added, with
peal OF boisterous laughter, which sounded
as appropriate as strain of Jig music
played in morgue.
Amelio Garcia, Smiths cellmate, is the
wicked young Mexican who so brutalIv
murdered James Guilminot without provo
cation at San Bernardino on the Goth of
last October. A more fiendish crime has
never been heard of in California. The
victim was stabbed to death by deep knife
thrusts between the shoulder blades and
in the neck, after which his iuglar vein
was cut Garcia, his hands covered with
his victims lifeblood Immediately Joined
some of his boon companions and boosted
of his crime. Guilminot was feeble old
man who was thus brutally slain because
he possessed nothing which Garcia thought
worth stealing. He is under sentence to
be hanged June 5.
How do you like the prospect of being
hanged until you are dead?" Garcia was
asked.
II no care-Caramba What good
One man no die more as one time" he re-
piled, showing two rows of very white and
very sharp teeth.
That's my pardner? Bet your life he's
game like mep' exclaimed Smith, with
slap of his hand on Garcia's shoulder.
Anthony AZoff the slayer of Detective
Len Harris, is star boarder on Murderers
Row. He is under sentence to pay the
death penalty on May 7th next, but he does
not believe he will be hanged. He SAYS
that he has influential friends in this State
and in the East and hopes to be com
muted to life imprisonment. He is cheer
full and peaceable at all times and likes to
talk about everything except himself and