San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-28
BAYOU CITY BREEZES.
BRIGHT, OHATTY NEWS LETTER,
FRESH AND CRISP.
Underwood Receives His Death Sentence
Ooolly-The Charter Amendment
WraDgle-Oompetent Jurymen.
Special Wire to Sunday Light.

bttA lNO sSuSdJiOldl topics Ill 1tOuS-
ton this week and both have been i'll
tenSely exciting in their different
ways. The first was the verdict in
the Underwood case and the other
the Perryman-Overton shooting scrape
at Liberty.
The termination of the Underwood
trial was n surprise to all. as while
every citizen is thoroughly in sympa-
thy with the verdict of guilty with
the death penalty attached. no one for
Il moment supposed that the jury
would 90 to the limit of the law. 1t is
probably the first case on record in
this state, where the death penalty has
been assessed for robbery by force of
arms. There is no sympathy felt here
for Underwood, as, since his acquittal
on the charge of numbering RObuck,
he has openly laughed and boosted in
the Jail about the murder, describing
the whole scene and making fun of
the dying mans agOnieS. There is no
room for doubt but that it was more
the RObuck murder that hung him
than the Sachs robbery. Every one
recognizes that he is n desperate and
no one knows the number of his
crimes. though he is believed TO have
been concerned in several unsolved
mysteries. He is only about ~ years
of age. but has nerves of iron. When
the jury brought in the verdict he
simply laughed in their faces. while
his partner in crime, Otto Burger,
who only got 10 years in the pcnitCn-
tiary, looked much cut up. Underwood
said TO Jailer Henderson, "Lo. they're
going to break my neck. Amt that n
HI of Il joke"
The news of the shooting of Archie
c. OvcrtOn by Sam X. Perryman ut
Liberty reached here early Thursday
morning, and was at once the absorb,
ing topic on the streets. Newspaper
men had Il hard time of it answering
questions which We're fired ut them
as they walked the town.
Harris county has apparently
found Il hanging jury at last. Until
this term of the Crimanal court there
has not been death sentence imposed
since Walter Shaw was condemned
for murder in the early part of 1893.
This jury, however, have imposed no
less than three death sentences so far.
The culpritS are: Alex Terrell, the
rapist; Lewis Williams. convicted of
the murder of Captain Baker. and
Underwood.
MatrimOny is still on the boom and
ii is hard to keep track of the aspi-
ants for connubial bliss. On Wednes-
day night Justice Fetze united no less
than four couples. He is getting so
expert. that. although the victims of
the matrimonial fever lived in four diff
ferent sections of the city, he finished
them all off in one hour and n half.
The death of Judge James A. Ba-
ker on Tuesday night cast a gloom
over the city. 1t was known that the
deceased must succumb to his mala-
dy, but this knowledge hardly served
to lessen the shock when the diStin-
guished jurist's death was made
known Judge Baker was n highly es-
teemed citizen and the leader of the
Houston bar.
The question of the amendments to
the city charter Is in muddled con-
dition. The mayor and city council
have prepared their proposed amend
ments and forwarded them TO Aus
tin, but the Business League WedneS-
day presented their scheme to the
council. They were not receiv-
ed with open arms and were practical
ly told by Mayor Rice, whose salary
they proposed to cut down by nearly
half, that they did not know what
they were talking about. He advised
them to leave such matters to the Off
Gals, who knew by contact and eX-
perience with such matters, and were
more apt TO find remedy for charter
shortcomings than private and mex
perienced citizens" 1t is not likely
that the council will reopen the con-
sideratiOn of the amendments. but the
Business League will take their pro-
posed remedies to Austin and make
a bitter fight for them.
The social event of the week was
the annual masquerade ball of the
Turn Verein Thursday night. 1t was
magnificent pageant of bright and
beautiful costumes and was grand
success. A departure was made this
year in that only members of the So
ciety were admitted, and this added
much to the enjoyment of the maSque.
IltTtIOlOIt uIg Olt Coulu uuy IiNhNNS,
and the crowd was so dense and so
mixed that ladies' were afraid to
dance. This year this was obviated
and the Turn Nerein boys are delight
ed with their achievements.
The Emmett Rifles ball Oh Monday
will be the last festivity before Lent
draws its Sombre shades around the
social world, but it promises to be Il
beautiful affair.
Though the weather was a tritle cold
at the beginning of the week Houston
is now enjoying beautiful spring days.
Dave Hunter, the saloon man,whOse
domestic troubles We're told in last
Sundays Light, went to Jail this
morning. the victim Of his own cum
ming. Some time ago the grand jury
indicted Hunter for not paying his Oc-
cupation tax. Hunter went to Crimi-
nal District Clerk Ellis with n long
face and n check for the amount and
Ellis got the Indictment nOlle pressed
for him. Ellis omitted. however. to
get possession of the check first and