The morning call., 1895-01-11
A MURDERER AT LARGE.

MURDERER Al LARUE.
The case of Antoine Vital. the murderer,
is another illustration of the vagaries of
the administration OF justice. This man
is native of Asia Minor, and is of the
same breed as the Turks and Armenians
who are butchering each other in that part
of the world, or his early manhood moth
ing is known. He first looms into view in
the pretty town of Lompoc in Santa Bar
bara County, whsre he is wandering round
impeeunious with another vagabond named
Campbell. Both were converts TO the doc
trne that the world owed them q living,
and, having but 90 cents between them,
shey took counsel in a church into which
they had broken, and. after refreshing
sleep at the foot of the altar, sailed forth
at 8 o'clock in the morning to see what
they could deVour. The only building IN
which there was light at that hour was a
Chinaman's washhouse. They burst in,
knocked poor John over the head and
rif1ed his pockets.
Pursuing their invading march through
the rear of the building, they ran across
another Chinamsn asleep in q bunk.
While thay were going through him be
awoke and shouted for help. In the outer
room Vital had found a pistol; with this
he shot the Chinaman in the stomach TO
teach him not to make an cutlery. and
killed him on the spot. The people of the
beautiful county of Santa Barbara cherish
an old-fashioned prejudice against mur-
der. They caught Vital and his confed-
crate and laid them by the heels. Camp
bell, who was cowardly sneak, as we'll
as murderer, turned States evidence.
Vital acted like wild beast brought TO
bay. Such modern suporfuitles as courts
of justice are unknown in bis country.
He refused to engage lawyer, and, when
the court assigned him one. he refused to
talk to him, and threatened him with vio-
lence. The young attorney not unnatural
~ threw up his case; but Mr. Frank P.
Kelly took his place. watching carefully
lest his client did not stick a knife into
him while he was making his plea. With
CampbelPs evidence the jury did not take
long to find verdict of murder in the
first degree. and the bloody-minded assas-
sin was sentenced to be hanged.
But now new factor interviewed. It
was alleged that Vital, though born in the
Turkish dominlons, was an Italian by race
a number of people in this city
espoused his cause On the incredible ground
that white man ought not to be hanged
for the murder of mere Chimaman. This
plea was too much even for Governor
Markham, and then the point was raised
that Vital was insane, being aft cted with
emotional insanity. a jury was summoned
to decide the question and they found that
the man was sane and responsible. An
attempt which he made to break away
from q one-armed Sheriff was vicious
enough to demonstrate that if ne was mad
there was method in his madness. He
was sentenced to be hanged on October
II, 1894.
But his friends did not give up the strug-
gle. They got permission to have him ex-
amined by party of alIenist doctors
from Napa, and these wise men reported
that he was mad. They had probably been
so long at Napa that they believed all men
to be mad except themselves. On this re-
port Vital, instead OF being hanged as he
should have been, was consigned to the
asylum at Stockton. Here the authorities
treated him as furious maniac, locked
the building, and kept him in handouts.
But the madman was not so mad as to be
unable to work his way out. With the
weights attached to the window pulleys
he hammered the iron bars of the window
apart till be could pass his body through.
With the cords and the sheets of his bed
torn into strips he made rope. down
which he let himself TO the ground, a dis
lance Of fifty feet. Then he departed for
pastures new, without being detected by
the guards. Pretty we'll for an insane
man.
He will probably be caught. but 1t Is
odds that he may take life in resisting
capture. II he runs free il is merely a
question of time when he will commit
some new murder. In such natures the
homicidal instinct is irresistible. The
Napa alenists should congratulate them
selves on their achievement.