The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-11

Tho state board Of pardons held
,--.r7r session yesterday for the con-
Iteration Of the Williams case. After
an ar-day session. the board continued
che case 20 next Saturday. the regular
session.
V..r be remembered t3at the crime
..- which Thomas Williams is serving
life sentence was the shooting in cold
SD of joseph +. Hutchings. EVl-
49,. Fun the case showed that Hutch
dos III Inc time he was shot to death
l-5~ tra Mammoth mine, in February,
i..g WAS uuarmed, and knelt down ana
..-s.d for his life Williams was
t,-am4n of the Mammoth mine, IN
..ba.r Hutchings had some time pre-
,f0rs fl his death been employed
TIrrrrfu-s was discharged from the
min, and took to peddling goods among
w Williams claimed as justification for
81, action in taking the life Of Hutch
- fEaf the latter had been abusing
-, o1 account Of his discharge from
e.. mime and had uttered threats
against his life, and further. that
TTrtah.Dss went around armed. Evil
done. at the trial did not, however,
sretaIa these allegations. and Williams
was found guilty Of murder IN the nrst
degree. z. ae
Williams have left no stone unturned
vrara they could bring any influence
O., Hagr ON the governor and the otner
members of the board of pdrdOns, ana
ths ease has been set for hearing on
SEVERAL occasions before the board, DuI
s4eh time has been continued TO ~
turg session.
Entire Day On the Case.
At the special session yeterday, which
lasted from 10 o'clock in the morning
until $3.50 i'm the evening. no definite
action was taken i'm the case. which
viii have "a further. and probably hnal,
hearing next Saturday
Attorney :. Z. Armstrong was cOun-
sci for Williams and Judge Powers
represented the relatives OF Hutchlngs.
a question arose as to the eligibility
of Justice Baskin TO sit on the case,
owing Co the fact that he had at some
time prior to his election to the su-
urrme bench. made an affidavit that
Hutcuuga was Of a quarrelsome dlspo-
sii0n that he had engaged in quar-
rel with another miner at Park City
over "a certain claim, and had for some
time gone around armed with. shot
gun. The question of the judges eli
cibiitv was waived for the time being,
aud may be brought up al the next ses-
sion of the board.
a large number Of atlidavlts bearing
on both sides Of the case were read
and submitted tO the board. many of
these being so conflicting as to make
the case more complex than before.
Two of them. especially, made by Hen
ry Cole We're I'm direct contradiction of
each other Mr. Armstrong read atfi-
IayIts an the board had TO restrain
him from further computation, as all
were t1 the same effect. either testi-
fgIu- Orb the character of Williams as a
model prisoner. or impeaChiug the af-
fia,IJs oi John Dillon ind Henry Cole.
whom they declared "a he men whose
evidence was wholly unworthy Of be
Haf whether given under oath or 9TH
arvise. Sarah Hutchings. a sister Of
the murdered man. testified to the good
character of her brother.
Showing Favorable to Convict.
Mr. Armstrong, in his argument. said
that Williams was a man far above
The average. and in his opinion had re-
cetyeI punishment fully sufficient for
The nature of his crime. Turning to-
ward the opposing counsel he said: If
Judge Powers had been defending Viii
lams Doe would without doubt have
been acquitted. 4 good many cases
ir which the judge has secured an aC-
gu,-ta' have been less worthy of ac-
gU-a. than the case now before the
board
.Th. evidence does not show that
Williams was guilty of murder in the
first d.gree. However unlawfUi il may
IS
general belief i'm rough mining camps
tr.t B. Is iuStiiable for a man to carry
"a r.r ..var and shoot on sight any per
son Hhl has uttered threats against
him
Tu. attorney concluded with a few
remarks nu the usefulness that Viii
Iaw- life, uHw an the age CT a. or 43
years would Dee TO his aged parents
lu I.-'u-I
Resistance to a Pard5u.
JUL. Powers said that the-cvidence
iu H.. ..sa showed that Williams was
armed With tNo revolvers, and that he
went .'' .. his way 10 seek the de-
cease. He knew by which trail
HutC..n-s would come Il was shown
that 'r. deceased was unarmed and
pleaded .D his knees for his life, that
~ DID ".t make "a motion back toward
ES mn .".h.. az though to pull a gun
III SAID Cole hGi sworn to a lie and
ol-nt -H .. Punished. II there was
eI.- q case .. murder In the first de-
gree. surely This is one" concluded the
.laSe. |''i." are supposed to know
H. law. and the character Of the de-
ceased has been fully established"
A.Ler 30 t'H more remarks by Mr.
Up. 7tr"I-. the board went into Cx-
...Fe SESSION Tor hale an hour. and