last name was "Wilt". Information from Phyllis Roach Buel.
last name was "Wilt". Information from Phyllis Roach Buel.
PLEA MADE FOR LIFE OF CONVICTED MURDERER
SAN FRANISCO. Jan 15
A plea to prevent the execution of Joseph Vance Wilt at San Quentin peniteniary on Febuary 9, convicted of murder in Glenn County, has been sent to Governor Johnson by a number ofSanFrancisco pastors and sccial workers. they belive Wilt is innocent of the muder ofWarren Smith of Germantown a year ago, and voice of the opinion that he is a bictim of popular prejudice created by personal and policial enemies encountered furing a probibition fight in which he was a leading figure. The governor is asked to review the case.
Hanged for murder in Glenn County, California. He was a Citrus Rancher.
Sacramento Union, Volume 193, Number 21, 21 January 1917
Appeal of Sister of J. Vance Wilt
Editor Sacramento Union: I. the only sister of J. Vance Wilt, and the one lone (almost helpless “so far as experience and knowledge of criminal, or any other law’’) help my brother has had in his fight for justice, w*ant to make this my first statement to the press since I came to California. It will be remembered that before I came, I sent a statement concerning my brother’s life as I knew it, to one of the Orland papers and a Willows paper, which was published. Later one of these papers expressed a doubt j as to its genuineness, when they knew I perfectly well that it came from me. As I began through the kindness of this paper, I want to state, that as a perfect stranger, and under the harrowing circumstances as the Glenn county people know them, I came here in absolute ignorance of the conditions surrounding my brother’s trouble. Until after his trial and conviction. I was afraid of every one, except dear Mrs. Birch and a few mo»e of the kind Orland people, who have been angels of love and mercy to me, and every body seemed afraid of me. The only advice I received from Willows people before the trial was from Mrs. Wilt, who came and wanted mo to talk to the district attorney, who upon my first visit to Orland, 1 errscovered I could not expect to aid me. So I was unable to unearth any thing of value to my brother’s case until after I heard the trial, with its onesided hearing; and the wall of too late ; was built. Then I began to see light i on the part prejudice had taken. But living so far away, and being a stranger, and so overcome with grief, at the state of affairs, 1 did not know where | to begin, until advised by my attorney Ito interview the jury who convicted my brother. More than half of these men treated me like a lady, and were glad to give me the benefit of the doubt as to the justice of the verdict. Then I began to investigate the reports published by the local press about my brother’s former missdeeds, and found there was absolutely no foundation for them; , only the desire to kick a man when he is down, and especially a man who would not agree with them cm some subjects. And the statements I have in their own hand writing, from some of the very best of Orland citizens, j will bear out almost every statement made by my brother or me, about his j life and troubles since he came to ' Orland. I want to say that these dear good people have given me this evidence and help without urging, dictating or : in any way a promise of recompense, and without the solicitations of any legal adviser. Also not one person had the slightest intimation that Vance was going to write a statement of his case, and Vance knew and even now knows almost nothing of the help the good Or’and people have given me. It is just a case of truthful facts fit f >ng the case, and the true facts concern* ing this horrible crime must be accepted by right thinking people of Glenn county, simply from the know.edge of the character of the accused men, as only one side of the case was i brought out at the trial; as many of j you have said yourselves. I alsc want to deny the statement, in a well known local paper, that my brother wrote a statement in his cell at San Quentin, and sent it to Governor Johnson. My brother was more surprised than any one when he found that the analysis he wrote, and intended sending me through our attorney had been sent to 1 the governor by same. Now I did not start out to plead the case. Only to thank the dear, brave people; who under unpopular circumstances have aided me in convincing myself that my brother has truthfully stated his case, and if any one is enough interested to come to me, I can either furnish them with, or point them to where they can secure the proof of all I have said. I also want ■to say that from the horribly false re- | ports published by the local papers, I I immediately recognized them as potent enemies and have shunned them, and any and all articles published by them, as to what I have said or told them, is cruelly false, and, as to the late stirup of their venoum about the Interest the dear good people in San Francisco have taken in Vance, let me say that I can prove that I know nothing I whatever about this interest thes* kind people have in our case, until I saw the article published by the Bulletin. but I appreciate it as a gift from God, as I also do the the friendship cf some of the good people of Willows. Finally I want to ask th e kind rightthinking people of California, do yen think under the existing circumstances that my brother should lose his life? and this horrible blight be brought on his innocent, beloved children, and his devoted mother, and friends? And the 1 stain of murder cCme upon the name of Joseph Vance four grand father;, one of the bravest and most worthy men who gave his young life for his country in the Civil war? Where there is such a reasonable doubt as to my brother's alleged part in this sad and deplorable tragedy? Sincerely MRS. VELMA CUSTER.