The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-03-18
kid" THOMPSON IS DOOMED
THE ROSCOE TRAlN.RO8BER SPEEDING
N0RTnwARD TO SAN QUENTIN
Lady Lsw Students In the Township Court.
Insanity Commitments Increasina-A Cor
poratlon Formed to Engage In MuItifarious
Pursuits-New Suits

"Kid" Thompson is now speeding north.
ward to San Quentin under sentence of
death.
The knowledge that the daring train
robber was to be brought up for sentence
yesterday sufflced to pack department one
to the doors. several ladies being among
the number of the curiously inclined.
The proceedings were opened by Deputy
District Attorney McConas moving that
such steps be taken as would carry into
effect the Judgment of the court. He drew
attention 10 the fact that the remittitur
had arrived from the supreme court an
nouncing that the judgment of the court
had been sustained, and therefore it be-
came necessary to make new order to
carry out the Judgment.
Attorney w. A. Harris. of counsel for
the defense, objected to sentence being
passed, as an appeal was pending and no
Anal decision had been reached in the
case.
''If the court please" responded Deputy
District Attorney McComas, 1.-THE first ap-
peal was from the judgment and the judy
ment has been affirmed. The second
appeal is from an order denying a new
trial and does not stay sentence"
"If understand the matters rightly
remarked the court, 1.-THE appeal was taken
from the judgment that has now been
affirmed and l know of no proceeding
other than to go on. 1t is a very novel pro-
ceeding, gentlemen, but will place the
execution sufficiently far ahead for de-
cision to be heard from the supreme court
on the second appeal. l am satisfied, al
though there are few precedents, that an
appeal from an order denying q new trial.
as here shown, is not such as will operate
Is a stay of proceedings"
"But suppose the supreme court should
grant new trial." suggested Attorney
Goodrich of the defense.
IT Of thN Iii
The judgment has been affirmed and the
remttitur is here, though the condition
is anomalous"
Mr.. Harris filed certificate from the su-
preme court clerk, showing the tendency
of the second appeal and the steps taken
by counsel for defense.
Attorney ID. X. Trask, also of defending
counsel. then read formal motion asking
the court not to fix time on the ground:
First-That there is all appeal from the or
der denying new trial, now pending in
the supreme court, as appears from the
clerk of the said court; second-That this
court is without jurisdiction to make any
order while the said cause is pending in
the said supreme court on appeal.
The motion was promptly denied. the
court ordering the defendant to stand up.
Thompson came briskly forward and
looked serenely in the eyes of Judge
Smith. His face had bleached appear
and he viciously and necessarily chewed
gum during the time his doom was being
pronounced.
The death warrant, from which the court
read. was a voluminous typewriter docu-
ment, wherein it was recited, in eptomized
form, the history of the case. The actual
words which consigned the defendant to
the scatfold were as follows:
"This is to command you, the said sheriff
of said county of Los Angeles, as provided
in said judgment, to take the said w. H.
Thompson to the state prison of the state
of California, at San Quentin, within ten
days from this day, and deliver him into
prison of the state of California, at San
Quentin, and this is further to command
you the said warden of the state prison of
the state of California, at San Quentin, to
carry into effect the said judgment of said
court, on the 22d day of May, 1896, be-
o'clock pm. of said day, within the said
state prison at San Quentin, at which time
and place you shall then and there hang
the said W II. Thompson by the neck I'M
til he shall be dead"
While the words were being pronounced
the prisoners jaw kept convulsively chew
ing, as if in that way some vent might be
found for the hidden fires of bitter feeling
pent up within. Save for that the "Kid"
betrayed little emotion.
"Thats all, eh?" he queried, when the
somber words of the court had ceased. 1t
was not asked impertnently, but with a
scornful information to whic h he gave point
upon returning to his seat.
ed d-n it, thought they were going
to give me a chance to say something" he
remarked TO Deputy Sheriff Mcclure as he
sat down. "Well,' he added, "they may
break my neck, but they can't break my
heart"
RI. -z.... ...--., -J:-.- A.. -:t:y:l.
of his being granted new trial the kid
answered:
NAV; they'll hang me all right. The
supreme court is owned by the Southern
Pacific and Wells-Fargo, and while my at
torneys are all right and want me to think
I'll get a new trial, know they'll hang
me-"
As he uttered the words the prisoners
mind evidently reverted to the possibility
of Craig, the murderer, escaping the meshes
of the law while he would have to pay the
penalty of his crimes. Deadly antipathy
exists between the two men, and it was
with bitter anxiety in his voice that the
Kid" asked of the deputy sheriff:
do you really think his joblots (Craig)
will get his neck broke?"
Being answered in the affirmative, he
said:
''And I'm glad of it. There's not man
in the Jail I'd give away but his joblots."
When removed back to the Jail the "Kid''
was stripped and his description taken.
Shortly after o'clock number of people
lined the stone stairway leading from New
High street to the county Jail. A carriage
was in waiting and the prison door swung
open and allowed the "Kid" to make his
last exit, escorted by Sheriff Burr and Dep
uty Sheriff Guy Woodward. "Boys, it's
all up; guess this is my last carriage
ride" and the prisoner, recognizing some
of the spectators, held out his manacled
hands to give last handshake in bidding
eternal farewell.
A. S. Chappelear, formerly deputy sheriff
under. Martin Aguirre, but for several years
past one OF the officers at San Quentin,
forms one of tho "Kid's'' party with
prisoner he is escorting back TO San Quen-
tin for having broken his parole. Sufficient
lunch was taken along by the sheriff to
obviate the necessity for taking the pris-
Oner out of the cars while en- route. At
night they will be chained hand and foot to
the car seats, but during the day time only
tho handouts will be kept on.
1t is not generally known how nearly
kid" Thompson came to making his es-
cape from Jail some months ago.
Gray and Harris, two friends of his,
with whom he had served time in the Yuma
concocted scheme that was
bold and daring, and but for the lack of
some ready money might have succeeded.
One day Gray went to the sheriff's office
md, on the strength of deputy sheriff's
badge he wore, passed himself off as an
officer and obtained permit to see the |
kid" The scheme was then planned |
that Gray should come to the Jail very late |
At night with his pal, Harris, who would |