The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-02-21
A Terrible Charge.

'hinS to say why the sentence or oeatn mould not be passed upon youl
 The prisoner arose to his feet, and in low, firm, but distinct voice, said:
 'I havel Your honor, you have
 .ked me a question, and now ask, IS the last favor on earth, that you will
 ,ot interrupt my answer until am through.
 "l stand here before this bar, con
 icted of the wilful murder of my wife. truthful witnesses nave testified to
 he fact that l was loafer, drunk ,rd and wretch; that 1 returned from
 ne of my prolonged debauches and fred that fatal shot that killed the wife had sworn to love, cherish and
 rotect. While I have no remem-
 rance of committing the fearful cow
 rdly and inhuman deed, have no .'isbt to complain or to condemn the
 'erdict of the twelve good men who
 rave acted as jury in this case, for
 heir verdict is in accordance with the 'vidence."
 "Rut may it please the court, wish to show that I am not alone responsi- lie for the murder of my wife.
 'l repeat, your honor, that am ,ot the only one guilty of the murder
 fmy wife. The judge on this bench,
 ne jury in the box, the lawyers with a this bar, and most of the witnesses, including the pastor of the old church,
 re also guilty before the Almighty
 iod, and will have to appear with men
 efore His Judgment Throne, where ye shall all be righteously judged. Ii twenty men oonspire together for he murder of one person, the law J)wer of this land will arrest the wenty, and each will be tried, con
 icted and executed for whole mur- ter and not one twentieth of the ,rime.
 "I have leen made a drunkard by law. If it had not been for the legal zed saloons of my town, never would lave become a drunkard; my wife would not have been murdered; l would not have been here now, ready io be hurled into eternity. Had it not 'een for the human traps set out with he consent of the government, l would have been a sober m m, an in
 ustrious workman, a tender father md loving husband. But today my ome is destroyed, my wife murdered, ny little children-God bless and care or them east out on the mercy of old, cruel world, while l am to be murdered by the strong arm of the tate.
 'God knows l tried to reform, but IS long as the open saloon was in my athway, my weak, diseased will.pow- r was no match against the fearful, 'onsuning. agonizing appetite for li- luor. At last l sought the protection, are and sympathy of the church of Jesus Christ, but at the communion table I received from the hand of the pastor who sits there, and who has testified against me in this case, the cup that contained the very same al- coholic serpent that is found in every bar room in the land. It proved too much for my weak humanity, and out # that holy place l rushed to the last iebauch that ended with the murder of my wife.
 "l began my downward career at 5he saloon bar -legalized and protect , by the commonwealth, which has received annually a part of the blood money from tue poor, deluded victims After the state had mide me drunk ,rd and a murderer, l am taken before mother bar-ths bar of justice @ by he same power of law that legalized ihs first bar, and now the law power will conduct me to the place of exe- iution and hasten my soul into eter. ,ity. shall appear before another b,r-thc judgment Bar of God, and 5here you, who have legalized the traffic, will have to appear with me. Think you that the judge will hold me the poor, weak, helpless victim of your tratfic-alone responsible for the murder of my wifel Nay, I in my lrunken frenzied, irresponsible condi- ton, have murdered one, but you have deliberately and wilfully murdered your thousands, and the murder mills Ire in full operation today at your