The Weekly Arizona Miner

LEWIS' SENTENCE COMMUTED.
The following are the findings of Governor Hoyt in the case of J. A. Lewis, who was convicted of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be hanged April 12, 1878:
In the case of Lewis I have after careful consideration come to the conclusion that it was my duty to commute his sentence to imprisonment for life, for the following among other reasons:
1st.--The Judge who tried the cause not only asks such commutation, but asks it on the ground that there is room for a reasonable doubt as to whether or not he was properly convicted of murder in the first degree.
2d.--The senior counsel for the prosecution asks such action, and bases his action on grounds similar to those of the Judge who tried the case.
3d.--The Judges of the Supreme Court, before whom the case was brought on appeal, all seem to have doubts as to the correctness of the verdict of the jury in finding the accused guilty of murder in the first degree, and upon that account have stated that they thought his sentence ought to be commuted.
4th.--The commutation of his sentence is asked for by a very large portion of the leading citizens of this city and vicinity who have united in a very strong petition for executive clemency, and such petition must of course receive the weight due to the number and influence of the signers thereto, for while it is probably true that many signed said petition while their real feelings were in opposition to the request therein contained; yet said petition must go on file in the executive office, and there being nothing on file to the contrary, must be treated by the executive as expressing the true sentiments of the persons whose names are subscribed thereto, and in this case said petition has as its signers such a proportion of the influential citizens of the vicinity as to show a great preponderance of public opinion to be in favor of the commutation of the sentence in said case.
In view of all these facts, and especially of the fact that those in the best position to judge have doubts as to whether said Lewis was properly convicted of such a crime as would authorize the infliction of the penalty provided by the sentence, I have been forced to the conclusion that this is one of the rare cases in which it becomes the duty of the executive to interfere, and that if I failed to commute the sentence I should be guilty of moral cowardice and perhaps aid in the commission of a legal murder. A warrant of commutation will be duly issued.