Today -100: April 17, 1914: Of mothers jones, executions, salutes, cholera, and sterilization

Mother Jones is released, by a habeas corpus writ from the Colorado Supreme Court if I’m reading the article correctly.

Leo Frank gets an unexpected stay of execution, on the grounds that he wasn’t in the courtroom when his verdict was read, which was because of fears that he would have been lynched had he been acquitted, but he hadn’t agreed to waive his right to be present. A motion for a new trial because of new evidence is pending.

Headline of the Day -100 (L.A. Times: “Mexico Will Salute, But–.” The Huerta regime says it is willing to do the 21-gun salute, but wants the salute returned. The US will return the salute, but as a courtesy, because it is the done thing, not because Mexico demanded it, and it won’t agree in advance to do what it says it intends to do anyway. And there is some question about whether the salute should be returned by the US after all 21 Mexican guns are fired, or gun for gun, with each side alternating. In 1914, no one seems to think any of this is silly.

The Huerta regime is now claiming that it let Villa capture Torreón because there was cholera there.

Sen. Vardaman (D-Miss.) is filibustering the re-nomination of a negro, Robert Terrell, to the municipal court of the District of Columbia. Vardaman says he will “continue the struggle until the last ditch.”

A federal court will hear a case about the Iowa law allowing people twice convicted of crimes to be forcibly sterilized.

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