ignore participation in or sanction of the murders. The people of Butte county were indignant when they learned that the arch-conspirators had been so quickly liberated, and gjod men everywhere were dissappointed. But this is the old, old story. Instead of canonization, our courts need renovating, revolutionizing, remodeling. They are a disgrace to civilization. We want twice the efficiency, twice the detection, conviction, and punishment of crime for one-half the money it now costs
On the 7th of April those indicted for arson alone were arraio'ned. Amono- these was the stableman H. C. Wrio;ht, the coolest and most reckless of them all.
"Have you a lawyer ? " asked Judge Saftbrd of him.
"No sir."
"Do you want one?"
"No sir."
"Are you guilty or not guilty?" then asked the clerk.
"Guilty," said Wright.
Adam Holderbaum pleaded guilty to arson in the second degree. Five were convicted of arson in the second degree and sentenced, one to twenty years, two to ten, and one to five years in the state prison. The 18th of April H. T. Jones was brought into court and convicted of arson in the first degree.
While this trial was in progress a barn was fired by the incendiaries and burned to the oround. Charles Slaughter then pleaded guilty to arson in the second-degree. Next John Mahoney was tried for arson, and John Slaughter attempted to assist him by false swearing. Thomas Stainbrook's case was called for trial the 23d of May, and was followed by those of Charles and John Slaughter, E. B. Boberts, and E. Conway. Stainbrook was sentenced to twenty-seven and a half years' imprisonment, and the others to twenty-five years each.
Berhaps we should be satisfied with an aggregate
