The Socorro chieftain., 1907-05-25
MUST THEWOMEN HANG?
on Foot to Have Death
Sentence COMMITTED to Life
Imprisonment,
ACTING GOVERNOR RAYNOLDS
Is Urged to Exercise Executive
clomency for the Fair Name
of New Mexico.

y 7
eighteen years of age, and Valen-
tina Madril, sixteen years of age,
murdered Pedro Madril, the
husband of the latter, over in
Sierra county a short time ago
by administering poison. The
jury that tried the girls found a
verdict of murder in the first de-
gree. Judge Frank w. Parker,
who presided at the trial, pro-
nounced the sentence of death
by hanging. The law left him
no alternative. AS the time Tor
the execution draws near, how
ever, public sentiment i'll New
Mexico is becoming awakened as
to the propriety of hanging
women for so heinous a crime as
that for which these two have
been convicted. What good pur-
pose could be served by their ex-
ecution? Both are young and of
an exceedingly low grade of in
telligence. III fact, even in the
shadow of the gallows there is
not the slightest indication that
they appreciate the enormity OF
their crime. Would not the
dignity of the law be maintained
and its end be accomplished by
their Imprisonment for life?
Moreover, would not the hang
ing of women make blot on
the fair name of New Mexico?
Public sentiment everywhere is
now against the execution of
such penalty, and the reputa-
tion of New Mexico would surely
suffer from the hanging of these
two women. A petition for eX-
ecutive clemency has been sign
ed BY five hundred citizens OF
Sierra county, and acting
Governor Reynolds would with
without doubt receive the
hearty endorsement of nine
tenths of the people of the terri
tory if he should exercise the
prerogative of his Office and com.
mute the death sentence in this
case to one of Imprisonment for
life.
The Santa Fe New Mexican
speaks in an exceedingly apt
and able editorial upon this sub
ject as follows:
"A petition signed by ovel
five hundred citizens of Sierr;
County, among them over one
hundred women, has been re-
ceived by Acting Governor James
w. Reynolds and has been un'
der consideration by him fol
several days. This fact show,
conclusively that public Senti
ment in the community wher,
the two convicted felons are best
known favors the communication
of their sentences to life i'm
priSonment and believes that tn,
majesty of the law will be fulll
sustained and that the foul mur
der committed will be sufficient,
avenged and punished by sucl
act of mercy on the part of til,
executive.
1T is horrible thought t,
the average man to put to dealt
two human beings, females O
tender age, slaves of brutal in
stincts, ignorant and stupid
even for the grewSome Grim
committed by them in whicl
they fully acknowledge thei
guilt and which has been alb
solutely proven against them
1t is doubtful if in cases of thi
kind one person in fifty woul
not approve executive clemeucy
To be sure the condemne
women were inhuman and brut;
in the extreme in committin
e their awful crime, but thi
should not destroy humanity i
the breast of sensible, intelliger
and fair-minded men, and e
pecially not in the breasts an
Y in the minds of the highe'
official of the commonwealth
charged with the responsibilit it
of the decision of the last an
| final. in such cases.