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

of the room, and every one of those three
hundred men were trying to get nea
enough to ask him for something. TIL,
Governor looked tired, and if my errand
had been of a personal nature should
have spared him one interview at least bu
/ wanted to save a human life, and thai
gave me courage.
One gentleman who appeared to be with
in about three hours of the coveted inter
view said to me: eff you want to see the
Governor | can give you a pointer; &C
round to the side door, near where he is
sitting, and the gentleman there will lei
you pass"
l took the pointer" and thanked him,
and those men, gentlemen every one OF
them, made room for me, and | stood be-
fore the Governor. The self-sacrifice OF
those men is worthy of special mention.
For months they had been waiting to
"have a talk" with the Governor on mat
tiers of great importance to themselves,
and to step smilingly back and give place
to a woman proved them heroes. They
had never met me before. 1t was tribute
to my sex, and when l thanked them the
word seemed so shallow and incapable OF
expressing my appreciation that l felt
ashamed of it.
The Governor smiled and held out his
hand.
what can / do for you, madam"
didn't want to keep those men waiting, Sc
I began in the middle of my story.
81 want to go to San Quentin, Cover
nor"
He never waited for me to finish the SEN
tence, but said: 81 am very sorry, indeed,
but l don't believe there is any vacancy
there at present, but come back this after
noon and l will see what can be done for
you"
l thanked him and went out and the
crowd closed in around him once more.
Poor man. Everybody was asking for
something, and no doubt the vision of a
female guard In boomers, with gun over
her shoulder, fitted through his mind
when he heard my request to go to San
Quentin.
1 went back at o'clock. There were
only about fifty men left out of the 300 who
were there in the morning and they looked
awfully limp, but hopeful.
The clerk said the Governor was at the
telephone and l might step into the little
room and wait.
| did SO and was surprised to find myself
in the same room where the Governor was
shouting state secrets through the
"'phone." 1t was wrong to listen, but if
went away l might miss seeing him, and
the thought of that man over at San
Quentin swinging around at the end of a
rope made me stay.
When the Governor came out and saw
me there strange look came over his face.
"How long have You been here?" he
asked.
Ever since you began talking an
swered him; "but 1 promise never to say
one word of what I've heard :" And I
have kept my promise, but it is beginning
to affect my sleep.
We went up to the Governors rooms.
They are on the top floor, and he changes
them every day, but SO many people oc-
cupy them that he can scarcely find stand
ing-room.
When he had told Bill, who is the big
man in charge up there, to put them all in
the bathroom, he gave me a chair and
asked what he could do for me.
| said. IF you please, Governor, don't
like to see Azoff hanged"
Certainly not, madam; that would be
most dreadful thing. Why, wouldn't
sec Azoff or any other man hanged for any
thing"
Come in, come into three or four
raps on both doors.
'Oh, Mr.. Smith, | am pleased to see you.
Just step in the other room a few mo-
ments.
But. said Mr.. Smith, 81 wanted to tell
you that it won't do to appoint that man
Jones to- that place. There's only one such
case on record
81 don't care a cent what's on record.
He will have the place. just the same.
Good-day, sir" And the Governor turned
to me once more.
you were speaking about Azoff-come
in,p to young man who gave him card
and a letter. He read the card and a
strange, hard look came into his face.
"Tell that man no." Then he read the
letter to himself and breathed hard a lit
. tie. Then he read it to me and groaned
some more. 1t read:
Governor Budd-DEAR SIR: 1t has been some