The record-union., 1896-10-18
RIVERSIDE IS UP IN ARMS.
Her Citizens Want the Cummings Mur-
dererS Hanged.
An Indignation Meeting Insists That
the Governor Should Not
Interfere.

On Thursday last there was spirited
meeting of citizens of Riverside in that
southern city to protest against any
Communication of the sentences OF the
CUMMINGS brothers, now awaiting the
gallows in San Quentin Prison.
The meeting was composed OF the
leading citizens of the place, and some
very vigorous and pointed speecheS
were made William Mclean, one OF the
Jurors who found the verdict OF guilty,
severely scored w. NJ. Peck, the attor-
ney for the murderers. He said that
when Mr.. Peck had defended the GRIM
fnals before the court and been refused
a new trial by the Supreme Court that
It was the duty there of a good citizen,
whether a lawyer or not, to let the law
take its course. He said that Mr.. Peck
had told him in front of the Postofflce
after the jury had found the Cummings
boys guilty of murder in the first degree
that he did not expect the jury to find
differently Mr.. Mclean then reviewed
some of the testimony, in which 1t was
shown that some time before the shock
ing murder of Naramore, while In con-
versation, one of a crowd of five, OF
which the Cummings boys were two,
suggested that he would never pay old
man Naramore that SoO0-he would DO
him up first. Shortly after this the mat
ter of robbing him was proposed TO the
Mexican Lopez and the plans all laid
The Mexican and Caesar Cummings
disguised themselves the night that the
money was paid, and coming in with re-
volver and club in hand demanded that
Naramore throw up his hands and de-
liver over the money. He recognized
the voices of the men, and putting up
his hand said, Go away and quit your
fooling." His arm was quickly shat
tered by blow from club and he was
felled to the floor by another blow upon
the head, his hands pinioned behind
him and a gag put in his mouth and left
TO die John Cummings, to carry out
the appearance of robbery, was tied
loosely and placed by his side, and the
murderers and robbers left for a few
hours.
The old man called to John for Gods
sake to give him some water as he was
dying. John, though so loosely bound
that he could have gotten his hands
loose, never tried to relieve the old man.
When the other two returned they in a
low voice asked if the old man was
dead, and were assured that he was.
and coming in, one of the Cummings
Toys kicked the remains with a fiend-
ishness unparalleled.
After relating this. Mr.. Mclean, ad-
dressing Mr.. Peck, asked him If he
thought he was doing his duty as q
good citizen by doing as he did in trying
to keep these men from the gallows,
but received no answer.
DR.. Todd, another member Of the
jury, protested against the interference
of the Governor.
Chairman Frost said that if many
more murders were committed in that
county and the murderers allowed to
go free there would be indignation
meetings which would act as well as
talk. There would be no chance for in
reference of attorneys or Governors.
Mr.. Frost's remarks were loudly ap-
plauded.
The following resolutions were then
adopted by a rising vote. Mr.. Peck
alone voted In the negative:
Whereas, 1t has been currently re-
ported that Governor Budd intends to
commute the sentences of John w. and
Caesar Cummings to life Imprisonment,
and thereby relieve them of the ex-
treine penalty of the law fixed by two
juries after fair and impartial trial;
and whereas, we believe that we rep
resent the almost unanimous sentiment
of the people of this county when we
say that in the interest of law and order
and good government we are firmly
convinced that the sentence as fixed by
twenty-four of our fellow-citzens and
pronounced by the court should be car
ried out; and whereas, in our opinion
the murder Of t. c. Naramore by the
Cummings brothers for atrocious bru-
tality ard heartlessness is almost un-
raralleled in the annals of crime, and
that the communication of their sentence
by the Governor would have demoral-
tzing effect upon the peace and good or
der Of society and would create feeling
of insecurity on the part of our people
and a contempt for the law: therefore
be it
Resolved, That as citizens of River
side County, and in behalf of the almost
unanimous wishes of the people of our
county, we, in a mass convention here