The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-12

my mind that the threatened abuse wa
all he would ever get-and now he ha6
gone without that.
Then reminded the Governor very gen
! thy that at this rate Azoff would be hanged
before we finished our interview, and be
said to me with a very lawyer-like look or
| his face, Remember, madam. I had
nothing whatever to do with the arrest
! trial, conviction or sentence of this man,
ami don't intend to have anything to do
with the hanging. There are five of those
men over at San Quentin who will hang
the first week in June. Go over and tell
Warden Hale that l said you were to inter
view every one of them if you want to, and
when you come back let me know what
you think of them, but remember that I'M
less [ change my mind, and l have no idea
of doing so, the law must take its course
with the whole five of them"
And l tell you right now that all this
talk about the Governor being kind-hearted
and opposed to capital punishment should
be no lnducement to anybody to commit
murder, Just because they think he will be
one he would let them pay the penalty if
they do.
Well, the next day I went to San Quen-
tin and it is the loveliest place ever saw
in my life, and if the Warden will only
promise not to turn the key ON me, l will
go there and stay the balance of my life
and l believe the turning of that same key
is about the greatest objection that any of
the Warden's guests have to this popular,
all-the-year-round resort across the bay.
The hotel accommodations are ample, the
scenery is incompatible. Low, sun-kissed
grass grows on hills nesting close down to
beautiful bay, where great steamers loom
up in the distance, and tiny, white winged
craft rest in the sheltered hooks ike
weary seagulls asleep. Even the
matron, with face calm and sweet as q
sister of charity, loves to tell how the
golden sunlight rests upon the eastern
hills. and, when the sunlight has faded
into gray, how the western hills throw
long, shapely shadows across the placid
bay. And, oh, the wealth and world of
beautiful, many-hued, fragrant flowers
that cover the terraced hills and well-kept
yards. The Warden loves flowers, and
everybody about him seems to have caught
the spirit
Black and white goods, in broad stripes,
is the prevailing mode of dress worn by
most of the guests at the Hotel de Hale
not, perhaps, SO much for its beauty as for
the durability of the cloth.
When | looked about me at the army of
men in stripes, and knew that the Gov
ernor could pardon every one of them if he
wanted to, began to realize what an aw-
fully responsible thing it was to be Gov
ernor. Now, if were in his place l should
pardon all of them, and get impeached or
hanged ..lyself, no doubt. But there isn't
the least bit of danger that Governor Budd
will do anything of the kind. Yet, four
out OF the five men who are to be hanged
the first week in June are innocent-at
least, they say so--and declare they can
prove 1t If given fair chance.
Anthony Azoff, sentenced to be hanged
on June for the murder of Len Harris, is,
believe, an innocent man. Some of the
detectives set a trap to catch AZoff. In
stead they caught their own man, Len
Harris, and now have themselves and their
miserable dupe to blame for it. Azoff had
no money and that generally means no
friends. Had Azoff's attorney put him on
the stand to testify in his own behalf he
would to-day be free man. Sprague has
disappeared and could not be found to-day
if wanted.
Amilio Garcia, q years old, will be
hanged on the 9Th of June. He is a Span
lard who speaks no word of English and
talks through an interpreter. He and his
two partners, also Spaniards, went to the
house OF an Italian in Cotton, San Ber-
nardlno County to get $500 that they needed
very much in their business. They tied
the old Italian up, but not finding the
money they united him again and went
away. Afterward Juan Ferra, one of the
partners, went back and killed the old
man. And then the two, Juan Ferra and
Juan Lie, swore that Amilio Garcia did the
killing. Juan Lie got away, Juan Ferra
got thirty years at Folsom and Amilio
Garcia got ticket to the other side This
is Garcia's story. and he ought to know as
he was there.
Fremont Smith is 4S years old; he has an
engagement for the 9TH of June, one that
he is not at all anxious to keep. Smith
defies any man in the world to bring a
word OF evidence proving him guilty OF the