The record-union., 1896-11-21
C.P. HUNTINGTON'S LETTER.
He Writes to Governor Budd In Favor Of
Worden.
Hopes He Will Find It Consistent With
Society's Safety to Commute
His Sentence.

The following letter was received yes
terday by Governor Budd from =. r.
Huntington in relation to the petltaon
that the death sentence passed on Sal
ter d. Worden, to be carried out on tne
10Th OF next month, for Wrecklng the
first train sent out from this city during
LIE strike and killing Engineer Clarke
and three soldiers of the regular army,
be commuted to life Imprisonment:
No. % Broad street, New York, Nov.
u, 1896.
Hon. James n. Budd, Governor OF the
State of California, Executive Mansion,
Sacramento, Cal-Sir: This morning
Frank Z. Wilcox of Syracuse, In this
State, called on me in behalt OF MS
brother-in-law, Salter d. Worden, the
man convicted of train-wrecking near
Sacramento and murder, upon whom
the sentence of death is to be carried
out on the 18th proximo. He asks me
to write to you and join in the petition
fer communication of Worden's sentence
to IMPRISONMENT for life on the ground
of the alleged insanity and moral ire
sronsibility of the condemned man. Mr..
tions from the prominent citizens of
Syracuse-many of whom are well
known to me as being amongst the best
citizens of that city-in support OF his
appeal
feel very sorry for the family of the
convicted man, and especially SO for
those who must for all of their lives
suffer the unavoidable stigma of his
crime and his fate, whether the latter be
a disgraceful death or an almost equally
uisgraceful life sentence, and, If the pc
titions and allegations state the actual
fact with respect to the mental ire
sponsibility of the criminal, of course
Governor Budd will need no further
ground upon which to base his clemency
in this unfortunate case. / know moth
ing myself as to Worden's insanity, but,
as 1 wrote to a friend In California on
this subject some time ago, l have no
personal feeling in the matter. Assum-
ing the man to have been in the posses
sion of his right mind and responsible
fer his actions at the time the deed was
committed by him, the only question in
my mind is the safety of society-with
whom, in fact, the real question lies.
The legal taking of one mans life be-
cause he has illegally killed another
does not help the dead, but the intention
and effect of it is to restrain others from
committing a similar crime, the doing
of which they see such a terrible PEN
atty. This is the only reason why I
would have any man punished. I have
never known any individual who was
entirely good, nor found one who was
thoroughly bad. Men most generally
are controlled by their environments
and the circumstances which surround
them, and 1 believe that by kind and
thoughtful treatment and extending a
helping hand to those who are morally
decrepit almost any man can be
brought on to a higher level and made
to realize the enormity Of what he may
have done, SO as to be no longer danger
Gus to the community at large l should
favor, on the whole, the exercise of this
clemency to Worden, believing that If
there is any real question of doubt as
to his condition of mind and mental ca
pacity at the time of the commission Of
the crime, he should by all means be
given the benefit of that doubt: and If
this claim is not sufficiently established,
] hope that the Governor, in his wisdom
and through his knowledge Of the facts
and of the temper of his people, will
find it consistent with proper regard
for the safety of society to grant the
executive clemency asked for. Very
truly, c. P. HUNTINGTON.
In addition to this letter, Senator Ste
phen NJ White has forwarded to the
Governor letter from President Cleve-
land to him while in Washington.
Following is President Cleveland S
letter:
Executive Mansion, Washington,
D. c., Feb. 8, 1895.
My Dear Senator: When I saw you
a few days ago I spoke of the case of
young Worden, sentenced to be hanged
III California for train wrecking, caus-
ing death.
You said you would communicate
with the Governor on the subject and
suggest a communication, If consistent
with executive duty. / have just found
on my table a letter from the distressed
mother. which I inclose with another
accompanying it when it reached Mrs.
Cleveland.
/ remember this poor mother as a
happy wife many years ago, and as the
past is tenderly recalled to me by her
letter, my sympathy is very much
aroused.
I see one Of the letters mentions the
date fixed for the execution as the 18th,
but inasmuch as the writer seems un-
certain, and this Is Friday, the day of
the week usually selected, 1 am afraid
this may be the day.
If there IS any justification for mer-
ciful interference, 1t might be excused
for the sake of an aged and broken
hearted mother. Yours very truly,
GROVER CLEVELAND.
Hon. stephen NJ. White, United States
Senate.