Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-10-08
FAnTa.

J AANN
Davis Communication case, and the
apparent irregularity through
which a red handed murderer was
soon to gain his freedom and laugh
at justice, we we're confident that
an explanation would be forth
coming from Governor Thornton
which would exonerate him from
culpable intent TO defeat the OPP
erations Of law or cast odium upon
his official escutcheon as the chief
executive Of this Territory. The
people demanded an explanation
and they should not have been
disappointed. The law had been
transgressed and subverted and
they had the right to demand an
expression from those who became
the instruments in overturnirg
il.
The SOUTHWEST SENTINEL, in
common with the rest Of Governor
Thornton's friends, believed tibet
some mitigating condition would
develop in the matter; that a pc
tition of some sort, asking for the
communication of the sentence of
Davis, would come TO light; that
a committee of Grant County cit
liens had secretly prayed the
Governors clemency; that he had
been furnished evidence, (al-
though fslse) TO the effect that
Davis had been more sinned
against than SHINING; hat he had
discussed the merits of the case
with his friends and associates
and upon their united advice had
allowed his high sense of justice
to DO tempered with forgiveness;
but mol Investigation has ban
ished all these hopes. He has
made no public statement; he has
offered no extenuating explsns-
ton; he is silent. However, he
has talked with friends about the
case, and it appears that the great
motive power in this deplornble
transaction is found in the per-
suasive words of Attorney Crist,
for upon being asked why he did
it his only answer vas "Crist
asked me to-"
The indignation of the people
of this section has been intensified
by the audacity and impudence of
the New Mexican in commenting
upon the case. That paper has
not only been untruthful and
misleading in its statements but
it has assumed a degree of arro-
gance calculated to bring down
the wrath even Of its warmest
friends.
CoLRichard Hudson, member of
the board of penitentiary commits
sioners, returned from Santa Fe
last Friday and upon being inter
rogated in regard to the Davis
matter, by a representative of this
paper, gave the following facts:
Reporter. Well, colonel, you
have been up to Santa Fe, and ]
see by the daily papers that you
have been investigating the Davis
Communication matter.
Hudson. Yes sir. Being a res
ident of this Courtyard living in
the community in which the muir.
der of Hugh Fox WAS COMMITTEES
by Davis, L considered it my duty
TO investigate the matter. Aeon
mittee was appointed by the pres
ident of the board of penitenti-
airy commissioners, of which, am
a member, to investigate the af-
fairs of the institution, and in the
due course of business 1 intro
duced the Davis pardon matter.
r. What about the two checks
for S125 dollars each charged tC
the account of Convict Davis and
payable to District Attorney
Crist?
II. The committee called ID
Superintendent Bergman and had
him produce the book of accounts
designated as the prisoners bank
book, and we found from this
record that on March IL, 1894, an
order was given by Convict Davis
to Supt Bergman for 1925, and
upon cross examination of Supt
Bergman he testified that he
gave a check for that amount
(S125) 10 J. H. Crist, district at.
torney of Santa Fe, in proof Of
which he produced the stubs Of
his check book which gave the
date and amount, corresponding To