USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 32
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On the 7th of March, 1857, a man by the name of A. Noakes was murdered near Greenwood valley, and a notorious character going by the sobriquet of "Long John," was suspected of the murder, as he had pub- licly threatened to kill Noakes on account of an old grudge. At the same place, on the 11th of the same month, a negro was most brutally murdered; he had been arrested as a suspicious character, and as he was familiar with Long John and his doings, it was sup- posed the latter killed him to prevent his disclosing some disagreeable facts. Long John had the reputa. tion of being a bold, depraved, hardened wretch, who would not hesitate to commit any crime for gain. It always had been believed that he was at the head of the organized band of villains who had infested the county for a long time, and had particularly robbed so many Chinamen.
Ah Soo, a Chinaman, on the 19th of September, 1859, stabbed one of his countrymen, Ching Sam, with a bowie-knife at Placerville, inflicting a wound upon him of which he died a few days later. He was ar- rested and arraigned for trial in the District Court, where the evidence clearly showed that the deed had been committed in cold blood and without the shadow of provocation. The jury, consisting of John R. Ross, J. F. Cary, Samuel Center, Wm. A. White, A,
O. Holmes, John E. Kunkler, Jas. Monroe, Isaac Withrow, W. P. Early, Wm. Pryde, Geo. W. Griffin and A. Kennedy, returned a verdict of guilty of mur- der in the first degree. But before the sentence could be pronounced upon him, the unfortunate wretch hanged himself, thus saving the county the expense by cheating the gallows.
ROBBERY AND MURDER AT PERU.
On the evening of October 20th, 1860, while four miners of the vicinity were seated in the store of Messrs. Pierson & Hackamoller. engaged in a social game of cards, five men with masked faces and pistols in hand entered the store, The first party, supposing that they were a party of miners, bent on a little fun, attempted to set the dog on them, which move was re- sponded by the robbers with a shot, fired at the card players, and the advice if they would remain quiet, they should not be hurt. Upon this proposition being agreed to, they demanded of Mr. Pierson the key to his safe. He told them it was not in the store ; whereupon they commenced to beat him with the butt end of their pistols, he warded off the blows and tried to make his escape by a door leading into the family room, which they were determined not to allow him. He was fired upon by one of the villains, the shot entered near the eye, producing almost instant death. Then they took the key from his pocket, and rifled the safe of its contents, and departed. The safe at the time contained a thousand dollars or more. This robbery and murder, unequalled for boldness and daring, produced great excitement, Mr. Pierson being one of the best and most respected citizens.
STAGE ACCIDENT-A STAGE DRIVER DROWNED.
On the morning of March 27th, 1861, the stage from Placerville to Folsom met with a very serious accident, at the crossing of Deer creek, on the Placer- ville and Sacramento stage road. Leander or "John" White, driving the forward stage, Mr. Crowder the second; and on reaching the crossing of Deer creek, White found the flood running and the bridge washed away. He hesitated a moment, and meantime the second coach came near. Crowder seeing what was going on advised him not to attempt to cross; this warned the passengers to get out; White, however, thought he could go over easily enough and let his horses plunge into the deep and rapid water. But no sooner had the coach entered the water, then it was swung round and overturned, uncoupling the forward running gear and enabling the horses to escape. The driver, though, fastened by means of the drawn-up leather apron, was floated out, rose two or three times in making efforts to gain the bank, but was taken away
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by the swift current, and he disappeared under the water. His body was found in some driftwood at an old dam, and in the endeavor to get it Mr. Shed came near enough drowning also. Mr. Leander White was one of the earliest inhabitants of El Dorado county, and one of the pioneer stage drivers. He left California late in 1855, going east and to Canada, from where he returned accompanied by his wife, who was left with two helpless children at Sacramento to mourn his sudden death.
BOLD ROBBERY.
SPANISH CAMP, January 12th, 1863.
On Saturday last, the 10th of January, this camp was visited by a band of guerrillas, who had as little respect for the rights of property and law as there is possible in man. About 7 o'clock four men-W. Porter, C. S. Smith, P. West and Ike Hitchcock, seated themselves in the store of W. E. Riebsam for a game of whist, Messrs. Adams and Riebsam were standing near. Suddenly four men entered, each armed with a large navy revolver, cocked and held at the party around the whist table. They ordered all in the store to remain quiet, which order it was useless to resist; one of the robbers put up his revolver, turned around to a coil of rope, cut off several lengths and tied the men in the store. They then searched each man, taking every valuable and attempted to open the safe, the key of which they had taken from Mr. Riebsam, but failing, they forced Mr. R. to un- lock it for them. They soon rifled the safe of its con- tents, but there being but little cash in it they were greatly exasperated and departed. They took in cash and dust about one hundred and seventy-five dollars, and clothing and provisions to the amount of about one hundred and twenty-five.
The man who opened the safe and searched our pockets was masked, and the man who tied us was very large, dressed in a gray frock-coat and dark pants.
After leaving here they took the road towards Sac- ramento ; a short distance from E. Bryant's they met Mr. Brandon's teamster and robbed him of forty-five dollars in cash.
We thought it prudent to quietly submit under the circumstances ; we were unarmed and at the mercy of the robbers. Whilst we were bound two Chinaman and a white man came into the store, and it was some time before they could comprehend affairs. They, too, were served like us. H. N. I.
STAGE ROBBERY.
On June 30th, 1864, between 9 and 10 o'clock P. M., on the narrow grade about two and a-half miles above Sportsman's Hall, the two coaches of the
Pioneer Stage line were stopped by six men, armed with shotguns and pistols, and eight sacks of bullion taken away from them. Ned Blair was driving the first team, Charles Watson the second. Blair was ordered to halt by seizing his leaders and stopping them. They demanded the treasure box, and Blair told them that he had none ; whereupon he was ordered to throw out the bullion, and he replied : " Come and get it!" And while two of them covered him with their guns, two others came and took out the bullion. They did not get the treasure box. Blair asked them not to rob the passengers, and they replied that it was not their intention, all that they wanted was the treas- ure box of Wells, Fargo & Co.
Observing that Blair's stage had stopped, and sup- posing that Blair had met with an accident, Watson stopped his team, left his seat, and hurried to his as- sistance ; but when he was approaching, two of the robbers advanced toward him and covering him with their shotguns ordered him back and demanded the treasure box and bullion. Watson was forced to com- ply, and they took three sacks of bullion and a small treasure box from Genoa from his stage. Both stages were filled with passengers, but queer to say, none of them was armed.
The " captain" of the band, before he parted from Watson, handed to him the following receipt : "This is to certify that I have received from Wells, Fargo & Co. the sum of $- cash, for the purpose of out- fitting recruits enlisted in California for the Confed- erate States army.
R. HENRY INGRIM, Captain Com'g Co. C. S. A.
June, 1864.
Immediately on the arrival of the stages at Placer- ville, Sheriff Rogers was informed of the robbery, and he, accompanied by deputy Sheriff Staples, Con- stables Van Eaton and Ranney, policemen Bailey and Williamson, and several attachees of the stage company, started in pursuit of the robbers. Sheriff Rogers, with Taylor and Watson, arrested two men at the Thirteen Mile House, one was recognized by Watson as one of the robbers. They had taken supper the night before at the Mountain Ranch, but left and called between 12 and I o'clock in the morning at the Thirteen Mile House, asking the proprietor to allow them to sleep in his stable. On his answer, that he did not allow anyone to sleep in his stable, they declared to have no money and couldn't pay for a bed ; but he told them they might sleep up stairs in his house, and they accepted the proposition. For concealing their countenances they had drawn their hats over their faces, while talking and entering the house. In the morning they over-
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slept themselves and were arrested while in bed, brought to Placerville and lodged in jail.
Meanwhile deputy Sheriff Staples and Constables Van Eaton and Ranney tracked the robbers to the head of Pleasant valley, where Van Eaton left his companions, in order to inform Sheriff Rogers of the route the robbers had taken, and the two con- tinued the pursuit in the direction of the Somerset House, on the road to Grizzly Flat ; arriving at the
A terrific and most savage fight with knives took latter place Staples inquired of the landlady if there place near Garden Valley, on the morning of April were any men in the house, and she replied ; "Yes, 30th, 1866. The combatants were Joseph Eaton and Alexander Gladden ; both had been drinking to- gether very hard, and became engaged in a quarrel, which resulted in the fight. Gladden cut off a part of Eaton's nose, besides inflicting some more wounds upon him ; but Eaton cut his assailant in a terrible manner, literally, to use the language of one who saw the murdered man, "slicing him up." six, up stairs." He rushed up stairs, seized a gun standing at the door of a sleeping room, burst the door open, and presenting the gun, cried : "You are my prisoners!" But scarcely had he uttered these words, when the robbers fired, wounding him fatally, he fired at the same time, hitting one of the robbers in the face. Officer Ranney, also, was dangerously wounded, both officers were robbed by taking their money, watches, horses and arms; whereupon they HIGHWAY ROBBERS ARREST. decamped, leaving their wounded companion behind. On August 2d, Under-Sheriff J. B. Hume and deputy Sheriff Van Eaton arrested in Santa Clara county, Henry Jarboe, George Cross, J. A. Robertson, Wallace Clendenin, Jos. Gambill, Thos. Poole, John In- gren, H. Gately and Preston Hodges, and brought them to Placerville on August 4th. The above named parties were charged by Allen H. Glasby, one of the stage robbers, with being accomplices before and after the stage robbery, and upon his evidence the Grand Jury found bills of indictment against them, whereupon Judge Brockway issued warrants for their arrest. They were arraigned in the District Court on August 19th, attended by their counsels Messrs. Hurlburt & Edgerton and J. M. Williams. The case again came up in the District Court on Novem- ber 22d. Preston Hodges was convicted of murder in the second degree, and sentenced by Judge Brockway to 20 years' imprisonment at hard labor. Thomas Poole suffered the extreme penalty of the law, his execution took place September 29th, 1865, at 12 o'clock noon.
At Pekin, in the lower part of Mud Springs town- ship, three Chilenos became engaged in a fight on Sunday, March 18th, 1866, the result of which was the killing of Casas Rojas and Marcellius Bellasque by Pedro Pablo. The murderer was arrested by other Chilenos present and handed over to special constable Bailey, who started to Shingle Springs. The night being dark and stormy, and under cover of the darkness the prisoner freed himself from the handcuffs, jumped from the horse and escaped. The sheriff was *notified, and sent Under-Sheriff Hume and Jailor Cartheche in pursuit of the murderer,
who finally was discovered by a brother of one of the murdered men in a quartz mill near Diamond Springs, on the following Wednesday. He informed Constables Bailey and Shrewsberry of his whereabouts, and they arrested and brought the culprit to Placer- ville ; where he was examined before Justice Sher- wood and committed to jail awaiting the action of the Grand Jury.
Three desperate fellows, giving their names as Faust, De Tell and Sinclair, started from Sacramento in the later days of July, 1867, with a determination to make money some way. They commenced by robbing houses along the road, and on Tuesday, August 3d, stopped a teamster on his return from Carson Valley, just above Sportsman's Hall, and made him shell out; then coming up the road, robbing houses at their pleasure, also picking up a man who was driving a water cart on the road, for ten or twelve dollars. Under-Sheriff Hume, with a posse of three or four men, went in their pursuit, and being informed of their course between the time, by Constable Watson, of Strawberry, he lay in wait for them at a point in the road near Osgood's toll house, which they could not well get around. About half- past eleven on August 5th, the robbers came up all armed with rifles. Hume ordered them to stop, whereupon one of them fired, the shot taking effect in the fleshy part of Hume's arm, though not hurting him seriously. Hume then ordered his men to fire, and when the smoke cleared away they found two of them lying on the ground, one being dead, the other unhurt ; the third one had been seen falling off the bridge, and until the next morning was believed to be drowned in the creek ; but then they found that he had recovered and crawled under the bridge, where he stayed until all were in the toll house, when he-minus two coats-started back towards Placerville. One hour after daylight the Sheriff's party struck his track, and he was captured a short distance above Brockless' bridge, and both the prisoners brought to Placerville and lodged in jail. Before Court Sinclair stated : My name is Walter Sinclair; am one of three men that
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were in the party that fired upon the Sheriff's party; am from Arizona ; served there under Gen. Conner; am from New York ; aged 21 years. The dead man was a German by the name of Faust ; age unknown ; was with deceased and another man named Hugh De Tell. Their trial ended with a sentence for a good long term to be sent to the State prison.
WHITE ROCK JACK.
Joseph F. Rowland, a Frenchman, about 45 years of age, and a miner by occupation, was found dead in the bed of Weber creek, one-half mile above Weber- town, and two hundred yards below his cabin, on the morning of January 16, 1868. He had been dead evidently several days, and had, no doubt, been murdered with some sharp instrument, as his skull was found fractured in several places ; this, with other accompanying circumstances, led the Sheriff to the conclusion that the murder had been committed by Indians, and Under-Sheriff Hume and Cartheche were sent out to arrest a lame Indian, who was able to talk English, and was supposed to know something about the affair. While in search of him, passing along a trail between the American river and the main road, in the vicinity of the Nine Mile House, they suddenly rode up on to three Indians, armed with rifles, who, as soon as they saw themselves discovered, leveled their rifles cocked at the officers. The recognition was so unexpected that the latter had no chance to draw their revolvers from underneath their overcoats and gumcoats, which were buttoned all up, as it was exceedingly cold. They consequently remained stationary on their horses, as it would have been certain death to attack the Indians, having neither shotgun nor rifles with them, and three well armed Indians but a few feet from them. The latter mean- while backed off with their rifles leveled at the officers until they had passed out of range. Hume and Car- theche on reaching Sportsman's Hall telegraphed for an additional force, properly armed, and with their help they succeeded in securing the lame Indian and arresting some others. The Indians who confronted them with their rifles proved to have been White Rock Jack and two of his accomplices; the lame Indian acknowledged to having been in their company, a party of four who committed the murder, and his testimony was corroborated by the circumstantial evidence in the case. He as well as the two others, who were subsequently caught, were tried and sent to San Quentin ; but Jack could not be apprehended at the time.
The Indians of the vicinity of American and Columbia Flats had a "big eating" on Irish creek, on Wednesday, July 27, 1870, and it seems that White
Rock Jack could not withstand the temptation of being present and participating. He accordingly left his mountain hiding place and repaired to the place of feasting, where, in all probability, he would not be recognized by anyone but friends. The Indians, in some way, had procured liquor, and Jack's appetite again getting the better of him, he got beastly drunk. Two Indians then came to the storekeeper of Columbia Flat, a Mr. Anderson, informing him that Jack was near by and in what condition ; they also accompanied Anderson to the spot, and did not stop with pointing out the Indian brigand, but helped to bind him; whereupon he was brought to Placerville, and delivered into jail by Messrs. Anderson, Breeze, and a third gentleman. Thus, after a long series of plots, setting traps, etc., by the officers of the county, this savage desperado, for whose capture the Supervisors of El Dorado county had offered a reward of $500, with an additional $300 by Governor Haight, had been secured. His trial came up in the District Court on March 3, 1871, he pleaded guilty of murder in the second degree, and was sentenced by Judge Adams to hard labor in the State Prison for the term of his natural life. Jack received his sentence with the characteristic Indian stolidity, but, it is said, when reaching his cell, he wept at the cheerless and hopeless future of a lifelong incarceration within the walls of San Quentin. Jack was then 23 years of age and a superior specimen of the Digger Indian.
A man by the name of Jesse Hendricks, an employee of the South Fork canal company, myste- riously disappeared from his section on the canal, some eight miles above Placerville, about May 25, 1870, and notwithstanding the most careful search by a large number of men, no traces could be found; and the general supposition ran that the man had been murdered by Indians,* and suspicion rested upon White Rock Jack, the notorious Indian desperado. On December 19, 1876, a deer hunter discovered on the South Fork of the American river, about seven miles above Placerville, two sections of a human skull, one of which he found near the bank of the river, the other about 50 feet higher up, on top of a bluff. Coroner Collins, after being informed of these facts, went up with a party to investigate the locality, on December 21st. They went to the big flume on the old Jack Johnson ranch, and thence directly down to the river; near the river they found the two pieces of skull and a miner's shovel. Further up they discovered a boot containing the bones of a human foot, and still further up another boot containing the bones of a foot and the leg from the knee down. Continuing their
* Like Judge Withrow, also ditch tender on that same section, who had been killed ia 1860.
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search still further up an abrupt swail, most difficult to climb, at various intervals, other fragments of a human skeleton were found, including quite a number under a tree near the flume; here and there also particles of clothing attached to or near some of the bones were found, and at a point, where it appeared very likely the body had originally lain, by digging away the dead leaves and rubbish, a pocket-book and a few half and quarter dollars, amounting in all to $2 25, were discovered. The pocket knife and some strips of a woolen shirt were identified as having belonged to Jesse Hendricks, the ditch tender, whose mysterious disappearance in June, 1870, caused quite some little excitement. No doubt he had been murdered; by whom, however, never has come to light up to this day; but the theory that he had been killed by Indians, as strongly was suspected, seems to be disproved by the discovery of his knife and money, which excluded robbery, something the Indians always will connect with the killing of a person.
In 1857, the County Treasurer, F. M. Reed, after defaulting the county for the sum of $124,000, escaped, not to be seen or heard from afterwards.
THE DEATH PENALTY.
The accumulation of disorderly, unruly and des- perate fellows and the crimes they had committed, had caused the people of El Dorado county at various instances to take the law in their own hands, and deal with those rogues just as they deserved it. This was well enough and could be excused on account of the unsettled condition of the whole country ; but as the population was rapidly growing, and the courts were gaining strength, it became time to have the law take its own way, and the execution of the lawful sentences by the officers of the law. James Logan, for the mur- der of Fennel at Coon Hollow, and Wm. Lipsey, for killing Powelson at Cold Springs, were the first to be convicted of murder in the District Court of El Do- rado county. Their execution took place, according to the sentence of Judge Howell, on Friday, Novem- ber 3d, 1854. The assemblage of people to see the unusual sight was the largest ever known in El Do- rado county. From early morning of that day every thoroughfare leading to Coloma from all parts of the county, far as well as near, were thronged with one continuous line or mass of people on foot, on horse- back, in wagons, carts and every conceivable mode of locomotion then in use in California. This pro- cession resembled to a certain extent a sample-carte of nationalities and races, all different shades of skin, from white to black, were represented, and all seemed under the same influence, as though an invisible power directed their steps towards Coloma ; and hours
before the execution the streets of that town were nothing else than a dense mass of human beings, while the hillsides were covered with thousands more.
The crowd was estimated at from six to eight thou- sand persons. The execution took place at Coloma, on the hill where the cemetery now is located ; Rev. Mr. Taylor officiating, and Drs. Taylor, of Coloma, and Stephenson, of Cold Springs, sworn physicians ; David E. Buell, Sheriff, and J. S. Welton, Deputy Sheriff.
On October 26th, 1855, Crane, the murderer of Miss Newnham, and Micky Free, one of the murder- ers of Howe, were executed by hanging at Coloma. And again an execution took place at Coloma on Jan- uary 23d, 1857, and was the last one that occurred amid that community, and concerned the hanging of Andrew Best, for the murder of an Indian squaw, and Elijah Archer for the murder of Mr. Fuller, of Placer- ville.
John Robinson, convicted of the murder of Gregoire Aubemet, near Greenwood Valley, on the 4th of March, 1861, in the District Court, was sentenced to be executed on August 2d, but filing a writ of super- cedeas, his execution was postponed and a new trial granted, which resulted in the same conviction and sentence. His execution took place on July 18th, 1862.
Jim, and Jim Patterson, Indians, indicted for the murder of Charles Gay, on June 26th, 1861, near Salmon Falls, found guilty of murder in the first de_ gree, and sentenced to suffer the extreme penalty of the law .. Their execution took place on November Ist, in the jail yard. Their bodies were permitted to hang twenty minutes, when they were cut down, placed in coffins and delivered to some Indians, who con- veyed them to Gold Hill to Captain John, Chief of the tribe, who burnt them in due form.
C. W. Smith, convicted of the murder and robbery of F. L. Smith on the Carson road, on April 23d, 1862, was sentenced by Judge Myers to be hanged on the 9th of January, 1863, and Juan Belencia, con- victed of the murder of a Chinaman near Pleasant Valley, to be hanged on January 16th, 1863.
No doubt the line of those who had to give up their lives for other lives they had taken, and sacrifice their blood for the blood that had been shed by them, is quite a large one, but as it cannot be the intention of this article to give a full record of all of them, we will conclude with the last criminal who had to suffer the death penalty.
James K. Page was excuted at 8:15 A. M., on August roth, 1883, in the jail-yard at Placerville, for the murder of an unknown man in New York ravine, near Folsom, May roth, 1883.
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