The San Francisco call., 1897-05-31
Governor Budd Receives
the Railway Union
Committee.
Shown an Alleged Confession
Written by One Charles
O'Brlen.
The Executive Produces Letters In
Which Worden Did Not Deny
His Guilt.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, May 3O.-A COM
mittee of eight mem bers of the American
Railway Union, accompanied by George
w. Monteith as counsel, appeared before
Governor Budd to-day and made final
appeal in the case of Salter D. Worden,
the trainwrecker condemned to be hanged
on June at the Folsom State prison.
The argument advanced by Monteith
hinged on an alleged conspiracy on the
part OF the Southern Pacific Company to
have some desperate deed committed in
order to offset, in public opinion, the
splendid conduct shown by the strikers in
preserving order and in protecting the
property of the railroad company during
the strike of 1894. He produced, as new
evidence in Worden's favor. letter from
a man known as Charles O'Brien, who. in
company with man named Barrett, had
applied for assistance to the American
Railway Union on the ground that he had
been the person who had removed the
rail that resulted in the wrecking Of the
train and the killing of Engineer Clark
and four United States soldiers. The let
ter is as follows:
CITY, July IL, 1894.
President Of the A. r. IT,, Sacramento - SIR:
When you get this am far away, friend of
mine mailed this l am the man wich made
the tres tel weack. got hundred dollars Tor
the work. One man who hired me wGs heavy
dick men, one was a man wich had soldiers
coat under his oyercoat. They said they could
hired plenty OF men for 13 dollars month TO
play soldiers, SO few to be killed would make
no difference they were cheap. l write you
this that you or any of the boys are not guilty.
1he men send me away and told Inc 10 say
nothing, but If am a a---I will not see
others suffer for what ] have done. was sick
and no work, hungry and dit not no VIII
was doing and the men told me it was all
right. Forgive me. Your friend, not fiend.
CHARLES O'BRIEN.
As corroborative evidence several OF the
members of the committee testified that
they were approached by this man
O'Brien with the same plea. and later it
was shown that O'Brien and Bennett were
in the employ of the railroad company as
spies or private detectives.
In his argument Monteith strongly ar
ralgned Attorney Strong of Woodland,
who conducted the Worden case, and in
timated that Strong was in the employ of
the railroad company and had totally
failed to give Worden a chance for his
life Worden. during his incarceration IN
the Woodland Jail, was kept stupid on
liquor, and the many confessions OBJ
tanned from him were, he said, due to the
strong drink he had taken. Wo-den had
maze no confession since whisky had been
kept away from him.
Yes, he has, in way" interrupted Gov
ernor Budd. when Worden supposed
he was on the threshold OF eternity, when
he supposed that he lay on his deathbed,
he wrote letters to his aged mother, his
children, his brother and brother-in-law,
in which he expressed unbounded regret
for the disgrace he had brought upon
them, warned his little ones not to follow
his footsteps, and made no formal declara-
ton of innocence.
Il knew nothing of these letters" said
Monteith.
II have them, and will show them to
vou," said the Governor, "but / do not
care to give them for publication. In
them he says he is fully assured that all
hope has fled; that he knew the Governor
would not interfere. Why, even his
brother and brother-in-law did not ask for
q com m utation on the grounds of w orien's 8
innocence, but on the grounds OF mental
irrespoDsibility."
At the end of his address the Governor
listened to the declaration of several per-
sons. Tne general tone of the Governors s
remarks leads to the belief that the execu-
tive has made up his mind on tue subject,
and that WoIden must hang.