The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-18
Hoped That He Would Be Par.
doned by the Governor of
the State.
INDIFFERENT TO RELIGION.
History of the Crime for Which the
Tuiare County Murderer Was
Executed.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, July 17.-With-
out one sign of contrition, without one
perceptible tremor of the nerves, John E.
Howard, the brutal and cowardly slayer of
Martin de Lavina, who met his death by
shot in the head as he turned away after
an apparently friendly interview with his
murderer, walked from his cell in the Fol-
som prison corridor to the galIows in that
institution this morning and fulfilled the
Biblical law that declares that he who
sheds mans blood by man shall his blood
be she'd" While Howard was standing on
the trap he cast his eyes over the assem-
blage present and said:
well, boys, the hide goes with the tall
low"
Life was extinct in exactly thirteen min.
utes after the drop fell. To the last How
ard protested that the killing was in self
defense, in the face of the fact that the
murdered man was shot from the rear.
Shortly after his arrival at the prison
Howard expressed sorrow for the killing
and showed a desire for religious consola-
ton, but after the Governor declined to
interfere in his favor he became defiant.
Last night and this morning he manifested
indifference to the presence of the prison
chaplain and dropped all pretense of re-
ligious conviction.
W. H. Pierce, cousin. was the only
relative of Howard who witnessed the
execution. He took the body TO Pleasant
Grove, Suffer County, for interment.
John E. Howard, who was hanged to-
day. killed an inoffensive Italian named
Martin de Larina in Tulare in June, 1894.
Howard at the time was Deputy Town
Marshal He asserted that he killed the
Italian in seIf-defense.
Since he had been in Folsom and since
the murder, and because of his numerous
threats to escape, the Tulare County
officials placed an Oregon boot on him,
which he wore for nine months. The close
confinement and the weight of the boot
made physical wreck of him. He was
reduced in weight from $50 pounds to
barely ITO pounds. Since he has been in
Folsom he had regained his health and
been rather cheerful prisoner.
Last night he turned to one of the death
watch and asked him if he was a good
hand in putting up job.
Eyes" said the man.
''Then," said Howard, az want you to
aid me in substituting a man for me to-
morrow, and so fool Warden AuIl.
think that would be splendid joke on
him."
Yesterday Howard said: az have no
statement to make. If 1 did make one no
one would believe me, W. j. Carlisle, the
City Marshal of Tulare, under whom I
served, will be here in the morning. He
knows all the facts, and l refer you to
him. Be sure and see him. This trouble
L am in grew out of primary election.
Carlisle will tell you all about it. What
can 1 say, except that 1 am innocent2 I
have good record. John Morrison, who
visited me to-day. said was a good man.
I worked for him at one time. 1 never
was discharged from an employment but
once in my life"
Howard had no religion. He refused all
consolation of q religious kind.
Up to the last minute the condemned
man hoped that Governor Budd would
pardon him.
Warden Aull says Howard assumed the
air of hoodlum in carrying on as he did.
The Warden has been told by prominent
citizen Of Tulare that the murder of the
Italian was not Towards first crime; that
he killed a man some years ago in Yolo
County. The Warden has been unable,
however, to verify this.