The San Francisco call., 1896-10-13
MONSTER PETITION
FOR 5. D. WORDEN
Mighty Effort to Secure a
Communication of His
Sentence.
Labor Unions of the State Secure
Over 10000 Names in a
Week.
ALL woRDEN's JURORS SIGNED
Attorney Bush Declares That the
Condemned Man Is Being "Rail.
roaded" to Death.

'fWorden is innocent and he must not
hang" This is the verdict rendered by
the Labor Council of San Francisco, which
seems to be seconded by all the labor
nnions throughout the State.
For Just one week petition to Governor
Budd asking that the executive clemency
be granted to the extent of committing
the death penalty to life Imprisonment
has been in circulation throughout the
State from the snow-capped Shasta
Mountain to the Mohave Desert. Yet
even now the list of signers has swelleo TO
10000 names, and more petition blanks
are to be struck off at once. The first
number was 2500.
The matter was first taken up the 7th
of last August, when special committee
was appointed to see what steps should be
taken for commutation of Worden's sem
tence in the persons of W. Macarthur, T.
F. Burns. c. E. Hawkes., W. c. Alderman,
Edward Rosenberg.
Decisive steps were not taken by the La
Dor Council till the arrival of Worden' S
brother, w. D. WordeI, missionary to
Japan. The latter has now been here
about month. Attorney E. R. Bush of
Woodland was then consulted and advised
that steps to the end in view be taken as
soon as practicable. Since the sending
out of the petitions orders for more blanks
have been pouring IN upon the Labor
Council at a rapid rate which makes it
necessary now TO strike off many more.
The wording OF the petition is very terse
and simple, and reads as follows:
In the matter of the application for COM
mutation OF sentence of S. d. Worden
from capital punishment to life imprison-
ment.
To his Excellency, Hon. ]. II. Budd,
Governor of the State of California:
We, the undersigned, respectfully petit
tion that the sentence of death now pro-
nounced against S. D. Worden be COM
muted TO Imprisonment for life.
Conformity with the sending out of the
petition blanks to the various labor unions
of the State the following letter of ex-
pIanation was also forwarded:
SAN FRANCISCO LABOR CoUNc1L,l
1859 Mission Street,
SAN FRANCISCO, October z, 1896. }
Fetl0IC-IOorkers, Greeting: The San Francisco
Labor Council asks your cooperation in the
circulation of the petition to Governor Budd
for comm utation OF the eentence upon S. D.
Worden from capital punishment to life i'm
prisonment. The Labor Council during the
last three months has carefully examinedthe
records of the Worden case, has conferred with
men who took an active part in the A. R. U.
strike at Sacramento and has onsLlted several
leading attorneys.
We find that S. D. Worden, charged jointly
with FIVE other railroad men with the murder
OF 5. A. Clark, engineer OF the train wrecked
near Sacramento on July IL, 1894, had not
received q fair trial. Afidavits prove that
Worden during his trial was mentally de-
ranged and that his attorney pleaded for more
time. which, however, was denied him, as also
were the petitions for new trial after sem
tence of death had been passed. Had Worden
been in a normal mental state he could not
have been convicted, for his co-defendants
Appleman and Hatch, afterward tried on the
same charge, easily proved their innocence
and were dnly acquitted.
Worden will be executed on December 1S
unless the Governor grants a commutation of
sentence.
Believing, as we do, that worden is inno-
cent and should be liberated but also know
ing the influences at work to prevent full
justice being done, the Labor Council is con-
fning its efforts at present to securing COM
mutation of the sentence.
Every lover of justice and humanity no mat.
ter what his station in life, should sign this
petition and prevent foul stain upon the
people of the State.
We have mailed you under separate cover q
number OF petitions which we urge you to dis
tribute among the members of your union
with the request to have them filed out by
their friends and acquaintances. When filed
out the petitions, signed In your locality
should be returned to you. Should you re-
quire additional petition blanks 1 will upon
notification forward same to you.
The petitions are Intended to close on the
18th of November, upon which date you will
please return them to me.
GdTnSSb anu O11iBcub euOTG Is necessary TO
save Worden, and the San Francisco Labor
Council urges you to give your assistance in
this grave matter, for should Worden be
executed corporate wealth will have estab-
lished a precedent which it will only too
readily use against the workingman whenever
its nefarious ends therefore be served
Trusting in'your cooperation, am, yours for
justice and humanity, ED RosENBERG.
Recording and Corresponding Secretary.
Attorney Bush is now drawing up full
legal petition to be presented % the Gov
ernor at the same time the monster petit
ton of the labor unions is presented.
Among the points it will contain are the
following:
First, full statement is made of the
murder and the trial of Worden for the
same, the decision OF the Superior Court
of Yolo County, the appeal to the Supre me
Court and its decision upholding that of
the lower court. and the fact that Worden
has been in solitary confinement since
that time.
Secondly, that nearly all the evidence
against Worden i'm mpicated also the other
defendants to the same extent. showing
that he could not have been the sole
perpetrator.
Thirdly, that none of the other de-
PENDANTS trials were had until final sen.
tence was passed on Worden and he was
relegated to solitary confinement, leaving
no opportunity for counsel to make use of
ihe testimony introduced at the others
trials.
Fourthly, that the evidence introduced