Arizona republican., 1899-12-08

day, the eighth day of December, A. D., 1899, unless otherwise ordered by com petent authority, and it having been presented to me that strong reasons exist why said execution should be de- layed,
 Now therefore, I, N. O. Murphy, governor of Arizona, by virtue of the power and authority in me vested, do hereby reprieve said George Smiley for the period of thirty days from the eighth day of December, A. D., 1899. "The attention of the executive au- thority of the territory has been called to this case from many sources. At the time of the trial the accused pleaded guilty and the judge upon whom the grave responsibility rested of trying the case and passing sentence, with great care and solemn notice person. ally conducted the submission of testi- mony in the interest Absolute and impartial justice and the upholding of law and order.
 ''Conviction was had and the guilty man was sentenced to death. The sher- if of Navajo county, whose duty it is to execute the condemned and bring about the just expiation of an awful crime, has seen fit to publicly adver- tise and issue cards of invitation to the execution of the condemned in unseemly and fiippant language and in terms which have brought reproach upon the good name of this territory. q therefore deem it proper in this n approval of such methods so that the people of the United States may know that trifing with the dignity and solemnity of justice is not tolerated in Arizona.
 Tn testimony whereof I have here
 unto set my hand and
 caused the great seal of Gseal1 the territory to be hereto
 affixed at Phoenix, the cap
 ital, this sixth day of De-
 cember, A. D., 1899.
 IN. O. MURPHY.
 By the governor:
 "C. H. AYERS,
 Secretary of the Territory"
 The fippancy to which allusion is made is contained in the following in vitation sent out by Sheriff Wattron to his brother sheriffs and other per sons in the territory authorized to at tend the hanging:
 You are hereby cordially invited to attend the hanging of one George Smiley, murderer. His soul will be swung into eternity on December s, 1899, at 2 o'clock p. m. sharp. Latest improved methods in the art of scien- tific strangulation will be employed and everything possible will be done to make the surroundings cheerful and the execution a success
 This invitation has been extensively copied throughout the country, partic- ularly by eastern papers, and com ments have been made upon it which were not favorable to the sheriff It has been suggested that he is possessed of rudimentary humor which de- serves cultivation with a club in the hands of a muscular fool killer, and altogether the production of Sheriff Wattron has been regarded as an- other proof that Arizona is not quite ready for statehood.
 Residents of the northern part of the the territory particularly resent the sheriff's ghastly humor and they have requested the interference of the gov ernor, only incidentally in behalf of Smiley, but mainly for the purpose of proving to the rest of the world that as a humorist Sheriff Wattron is with out honor in his own country.
 The sheriff is not a man who would be picked out of a crowd on account of his corruscations of wit. He is a very sober appearing individual, who would more readily be supposed to be of the stuff of which undertakers are made. What touched him off to "bill'' the ter ritory in that kind of style is a mat ter of wonderment to those who know him best. His paper" was further distinguished by the absence of the black border usually employed in of ficial invitations to hangings.
 The cheerful surroundings" at Hol- brook will not be made any more cheer full by the governors reprieve. The object in issuing it was to reduce the hilarity which has pervaded the sher- iff's office since sentence was passed on Smiley. Perhaps at the expiration of thirty days Sheriff Wattron can be brought to a more gloomy state of mind, when the working off of the con- demned may proceed with a due re- gard for the seriousness of the oc- casion.