USA > California > Marin County > History of Marin County, California also an historical sketch of the state of California > Part 29
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Murder of Chung Hing-Hoot .- On August 8, 1877, Lew Wong, Chung Hing-Hoot, Lee Yun, and another Chinaman, were engaged in abalone fish- ing at Tomales bay, and lived in a cabin together on Preston's Point. About ten days before the murder, Lew Wong and Chung Hing-Hoot quarrelled about some trivial matter connected with their business, but it passed over for the time without any serious trouble, and they continued upon apparently friendly terms for some days. On the 7th of August the fourth Chinaman left the fishery and went to San Francisco, and on the next day the tragedy occurred. Chung was at work late in the afternoon nailing some boards upon the cabin, while Lew Wong was seated inside, and Lee Yun was engaged in some occupation a short distance away. Whether any words passed between the two is not known, but Wong suddenly drew a pistol and fired from the door at Chung, killing him instantly. Lee Yun, hearing the shot, hurried up to the cabin, and was confronted by the leveled pistol of the murderer, who threatened to kill him also if he ever breathed a
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word of what he saw. With the pistol still aimed at the frightened man's head Wong compelled him to go with him in search of a good spot to bury the body of Chung, and together the two walked over the sand beach until they found a place where the murdered man could be concealed from the sight of chance wanderers on the Point. This completed, they returned to the cabin, where the murdered man was lying, and tied a rope around his neck, with which Lee Yun dragged the body across the sands to the grave on the beach, followed by Wong with his pistol in his hand, where it was buried. With the pistol at his head, the murderer extorted the promise from Lee Yun, that the dread secret should never be divulged-and thus they parted, Lee going to San Francisco. As soon as he reached the city, he informed the President of the Sam Yup Company, to which Chung Hing- Hoot belonged. Lew Wong, relying upon the promise of Lee Yun, went to the city also, a few days afterwards, was recognized by some of the Sam Yup men, and arrested and delivered into custody. He was tried and con- victed of the murder in the December term of the District Court, 1877, and executed January 28, 1878.
Murder of Paul Rieger .-- Paul Rieger, a merchant of San Francisco, went up to Tokoloma on Saturday, April 19th. Leaving the train at that station, he took to the creek intending to fish through the day, and spend the night with some friends in the neighborhood. He was expected to return home on Sunday, but he did not come. Monday passed and no word came from him, when his friends became anxious, and on Tuesday search was instituted. This was kept up until Friday, when his body was found on the bank of the creek where he had been fishing, riddled with bullets, and robbed of all valuables as well as a part of the clothing. A Spaniard of San Antonio township was first suspected of the murder, but his innocence wa's fully established, and he was released. Sheriff Tunstead then became confident that Salvador, a big Indian outlaw, a bold and desperate fellow, whom the Indians called " Salvador the Brave," was the assassin. On Friday, the day before the murder of Mr. Rieger, Salvador was in Nicasio, without funds, and he started that day for Tomales bay, on a route that would take him through the region of the murder. The next Monday he was in Tomales with plenty of money, drinking copiously and spending freely. Although the Indians were loth to tell anything about him, they divulged the fact that he had a gold watch, and from their de- scription the pants he wore were those of Rieger. May 6th Sheriff Tunstcad took out a warrant for his arrest, and hearing that Salvador was at Marshall, went up there but did not find him; the indications were, how- ever, that he had secreted himself in a rancheria on the Point Reyes side of the bay. Mr. Tunstead went to Olema, and got a volunteer posse, consisting of Hugh Walker, James Friend, Edward Lewis, Frank Woodson and James
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Duncan, all well armed, got into the saddle on Saturday night, and pro- ceeded to Point Reyes. Before daylight on Sunday the rancheria was sur- rounded. Shortly after day-break the Sheriff, seeing no stir, gave a signal and the party closed in and instituted a search, but found no trace of him. The Indians told a great many conflicting stories, the only thing clear being their endeavor to screen Salvador. Still, it is now believed, that he was there at the time. The Sheriff and posse next searched every rancheria on the Tomales side of the bay, but got no trace of the desperado. At this juncture Mr. Tunstead received a despatch from two city detectives named Hogan and Byram, saying that Salvador was at Nicasio; thither the inde- fatigable Sheriff at once proceeded, but the wily Indian had again given them the slip, and all trace of him was lost. The theory of the murder, as advanced by the officials was, that he was on his way to Tomales Bay when he encountered Rieger; that he first shot him in the side, and when he fell forward he fired the four shots into his back, then dragged him off under the bush and robbed him. Let us here give the description of the ruffian: " Age about thirty-seven; height five feet nine inches; complexion sallow; eyes and hair black; round, full features; heavy moustache; high cheek bones ; scar between the eyebrows; scar on right cheek; scar on left wrist ; several cupping marks on right fore-arm; cross in Indian ink on right fore-arm; well built and weighs about one hundred and eighty pounds. You should be very careful how you operate in attempting his arrest, as he is a powerful and desperate man. When last seen he had a Henry rifle, a dragoon six-shooter, an English bull-dog five-shooter and a bowie-knife. He was committed to the State prison in September, 1867, for four years, for the murder of Mckean on Tomales bay. He has a mother and sister at the Nicasio Rancheria, a sister at the rancheria on Tomales bay, in Marin county, and also a sister at the rancheria near Ukiah, Mendocino county. He frequents all these places, and also all the rancherias on the Russian river." While a thorough and effective search was being made in all portions of Marin, circulars containing the above minute description had been sent into the adjacent counties, and no stone was left unturned so that his capture might be effected. On Saturday, the 17th of May, Mr. Tunstead received a telegram from Sheriff Dinwiddie, of Sonoma, asking for a warrant for the arrest of Salvador, who, he said, was on a rancheria near Sebastopol in that county. The requisite authority was at once dis- patched and Mr. Dinwiddie proceeded to the scene. Mr. Walker, on whose place Salvador was, and who knew him as soon as he received the circular, informed Sheriff Dinwiddie that he was there. When the latter arrived, Mr. Walker pointed to an Indian house, telling him that he could find his man there, or ascertain where he was. Mr. Dinwiddie went in and asked an Indian where he was. He replied, "Salvador gone. Not here." The Sheriff returned to Mr. Walker and reported, but the latter reassured him,
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and he went back and asked the fellow for Salvador, who replied as before. The Sheriff then went back to Mr. Walker again, and this time Mr. W. went into the house with him. "Why," said Walker, " that is Salvador him- self !" "Throw up your hands," said Dinwiddie; the Indian obeyed, and was forthwith handcuffed. He had no arms upon him, his only weapon being a bowie-knife. He was at once brought to San Rafael and lodged in the county jail. On the 26th of May he was. examined before Justice of the Peace Hughes and was held to answer before the Grand Jury. He was indicted on the 2nd of June; on the 23d of July he was arraigned and allowed until the following day to plead to the indictment, when he entered a plea of not guilty, and Monday, the 28th, was set for trial. On that day the regular panel was exhausted without getting a jury, and a new venire of fifty was ordered, returnable on the 30th, at five o'clock in the afternoon, of which day the empaneling was completed and the trial commenced. The jury, which was composed of William Clear, Chris. Hulbe, Thomas Red- mond, James Stutt, James Mulhern, T. H. Collins, Louis Peter, James Fagan, A. J. Edwards, J. S. Maybee, John Bustin, P. L. Bourne, found a verdict of murder in the first degree, and Monday, August 4th, was set for passing sentence. On that date the death sentence was passed by the Court in the manner following: To the usual question, whether he had any- thing to say why sentence should not be pronounced upon him, he replied, no. The Court then said: It is ordered, adjudged and decreed that you, the defendant, Salvador, standing as you do, convicted by the verdict of the jury of murder in the first degree, for having feloniously wilfully, premeditatedly, and with malice aforethought, killed and murdered Paul Rieger, in Marin county, State of California, on the 19th day of April, A. D., 1879, and are adjudged guilty of murder in the first degree, the judg- ment of the Court and sentence of the law is that you, Salvador, be com- mitted to the custody of the Sheriff of the county of Marin, to be by him, said Sheriff, taken at 'a time to be appointed and named in a warrant to be issued in pursuance of this judgment. to some place within the walls of the county jail of Marin county, or to some other convenient private place in said county of Marin, and that you there be hanged by the neck by said Sheriff until you are dead, and may Heaven have mercy on your soul. The warrant was forwarded to Sheriff Tunstead in due course, and Thurs- day, the 2nd of October, fixed for the execution, previous to the carrying out of which, he made a confession, so horrible in its details, that all crimes hitherto enacted on this coast pall before the atrocities of this fiend's life. His first crime of note was the stabbing to death of his brother Cruz, at Nicasio, in 1860, during a quarrel. He was not arrested for this .. The next murder committed was that of an Indian named José, who, Salvador says, threatened to kill him. He found this victim on Paper Mill creek, and stabbed him to death. The murder was never unraveled until Salvador
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confessed it. In 1866, Salvador killed an Indian called Whisky Bill, at Bodega, Sonoma county. This occurred in an attack made by Bill and some other Indians on his brother. In this case he was acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. In the same year he was arrested for the murder of Mckeon on Tomales bay. His brother-in-law, José De Lazantos, and his own brother assisted him to evade arrest, and during the fight De Lazantos was killed by the officers, and his brother received wounds of which he died soon after. Salvador was shot seven times and at length arrested. He was sent to the penitentiary for seven years for the murder of Mckeon, which affair he afterwards denied being implicated in. Shortly after his release he killed an unknown Indian with a knife in a quarrel in Sanel valley. This crime until his confession was also a mystery. In 1878 Salvador and a companion kicked a Chinaman to death on the North Pacific Coast Railroad, whom, he alleged, assaulted a squaw named Big Mary. This is the same that led Salvador's pursuers off the scent after the murder of Rieger, enabling him to escape. Salvador's sister once swore out a war- rant at Nicasio for Salvador's arrest for threats to kill her. His last devil- ish deed was committed while he was seeking protection from the rain under a tree. Rieger came in sight without seeing him, and he shot him dead. After the crime he remained in Marin county for several days, but, becoming alarmed, he left for San José, via Saucelito and Oakland, from which place he walked to his destination. In San José he stayed with José Salazar for three days, when he returned to Marin county, via Petaluma, on foot. On the 12th of May, after leaving Petaluma, he, from a high hill, saw Sheriff Tunstead and posse, who were searching for him. He then went to Sebas- topol, near which place he was arrested as above described. Such is this chapter of horrors; let us wind up the dreary story with an account of his last moments of life: At eleven o'clock on the day appointed for the expia- tion of his manifold crimes, Mr. Rieger's son and several others entered the cell of the condemned, who fell upon his knees before them, asking for their forgiveness. The gentlemen shook hands with him and left. Immediately thereafter he was taken into the cell occupied by his mother and sisters during the night. He embraced them all, standing the wailings of his mother without flinching. His mother then uttered a weird, wild prayer in the Indian dialect, and laid her hands upon the head of her son, who had sunk down upon his knees before the crouching figure of the old woman. At half-past twelve he partook with apparent relish of his last meal. Mean- while the doors of the Court House had been barred and locked; those holding invitations to witness the execution were admitted by a small door in the fence. Thomas H. Estey then proceeded to adjust the rope, a three- quarter-inch whale-line, to the cross-beam, and everything being in readi- ness, the Sheriff, accompanied by his deputies, and the reporters of the press, proceeded to the cell of the condemned man. The reading of the death
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warrant produced no visible effect upon Salvador, who during the whole time held a small crucifix between his hands, without the slightest vibra- tion. The march to the gallows was then taken, with Sheriffs Tunstead, and Dinwiddie, of Sonoma, at the head of the procession. Following them, with firm step, walked the culprit, between two Spanish padres in their robes of office, chanting the prayers for the dying. Under-Sheriff Gordon and Deputy Burtchaell followed. Several other Deputy Sheriffs brought up the rear. Arrived upon the scaffold, Salvador, with a desperate look down- ward upon the treacherous trap, took his position under the gibbet. To the question of the Sheriff, whether he had anything to state before he met his fate, he answered in a low voice: "I am thankful to you all, and especially to Sheriff Tunstead, for the kind treatment I have received. I know I have . committed a terrible crime and am willing to give up my life for it." The straps were then placed around the doomed man's legs and arms, who, until then, stood up unflinchingly among the officers who surrounded him. But when Under-Sheriff Gordon adjusted the fatal noose around his neck, a slight tremor commenced to run through the limbs of the criminal. Sheriff Tun- stead, without delay, slipped the black cap on his head, and stepping back, waved his handkerchief to Deputy Duncan. A slight motion of the latter's hand and precisely at twenty minutes past one in the afternoon of October 2, 1879, the heavy trap shot down, leaving the murderer of Paul Rieger suspended in mid-air.
Killing of Blass Talamontas .- On May 2, 1879, Blass Talamontas was killed near Marshall, on Tomales bay, by Joe Luchonovich under the follow- ing circumstances: Blass and two men, returning from a ball at Marshall, stopped at the house where lived Joe and Big Mary. Some drinking was indulged in, when Blass became quarrelsome, and was requested by Joe to leave, as he did not desire to have any trouble. Blass left about noon, and went to hisown house, about two hundred feet distant, but returnedimmediately. Joe seeing him coming, shut the front door where Blass tried to get admittance, saying at the same time, "I will kill you." Not being able to gain admit- tance there, he went to the back door, and seizing the ax, which was lying close by, knocked in the upper panel of the door. Joe seized his gun which was standing close by, Blass then threw the ax through the hole in the door, again saying " I will kill you," and Joe fired shooting him in the breast. On Luchonovich being examined, the Justice of the Peace decided it to be justi- fiable homicide.
Killing of Antonio Fulton .- On the morning of June 26, 1879, Richard Moore, who had been in charge of the powder works near California City, and had been discharged for neglect, met Mr. Fulton, the manager of the works, who had crossed from San Francisco with his family in a sloop, and before his wife and children, shot Fulton through the head killing him
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instantly. He then placed the pistol to his own head, fired, and fell dead beside his victim.
Murder of Karl Herman Kohler .- William A. Dever was committed to the State Prison about two years ago, on a charge of larceny. In an evil hour for all parties concerned, he was assigned to the workshop of the California Furniture Company of which Herman Kohler was foreman. Kohler seems to have been a man not entirely without faults. He had his own ideas of workshop discipline, and lived up to them. To how great an extent he aggravated Dever can never be definitely known, as the matter rests alone upon the testimony of Dever himself. But certainly there must have been some provocation, as it is not reasonable to suppose that a helpless convict would strike down his overseer, unless laboring under the sense of wrong. This much is certain, that Kohler frequently chided him for his mechanical incapacity and on one occasion reported him as a fit subject for discipline. During all this time Dever was more or less of an invalid. He claimed that he was utterly unable, by reason of his infirmities, to perform manual labor. That Kohler continually hounded him on to do what he could not, that he menaced him with corporal punishment and so irritated him that finally, flesh and blood could stand it no longer. On the other hand it was shown on the trial that Kohler, though somewhat severe, was not more so than the cir- cumstances demanded, and that so far as the work went he had assigned to Dever the lightest employment in the room, namely, sand-papering the furniture. On the day of the murder, February 6, 1879,-following Dever's own account, Kohler approached his bench examining the work of the morning. Not being pleased with the inspection, he discharged a volley of abuse and left with the remark: " You - mutton-head. I'll have you fixed this time." He had walked away a short distance when Dever, in an uncontrollable fit of passion, sprang upon him, felling him to the ground with a hammer, and striking him twice as he lay prostrate on the floor. Kohler's skull was fractured in two places. He lingered for three or four days, and died. The trial developed evidence about as follows: Messrs. Bowers and C. B. Darwin appeared for the people and H. Wilkins for the prisoner. The case was vigorously conducted on both sides, but the result was a foregone conclusion. Whatever palliation there might have been was swallowed up in the great necessity of an example to check the spirit of convict insubordination. And after an absence of a few minutes, the jury returned with a verdict of murder in the first degree. The law's delay at length proved unavailing and the day for carrying the sentence into effect was finally fixed for January 16, 1880. Influential men at the East, includ- ing Speaker Randall, interested themselves to obtain executive clemency, but to no purpose. In jail, the conduct of Dever was various. He made.several efforts to escape, two of which nearly succeeded. At times he had been
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prostrated with sickness. Frequently he would seem to be utterly overcome by his impending doom, while on other occasions he would assume a stoical indifference; but under all the thin disguises it was evident that the horror of his situation was never for an instant out of his mind. It sat down with him at his daily meals; it was his sole companion during long months of solitary confinement; it drew closer to him as the shadow of night descended, and did not even leave him in his dreams. The final scene of the tragedy was probably the least in the sufferings of the unhappy man. In fact, when it was proposed to apply for a reprieve on account of his physical weakness, he vehemently protested, saying that death would be a happy release from his misery. The gallows erected, were the same used in former execu- tions. The last night was spent with Father Reardon in prayer and final preparation. Dever made his peace with all the world, humbly asking Sheriff Tunstead to forgive him for the trouble caused by his wayward dis- position, and thanked him for all his kindness while under his care. His state of health, however, seemed so deplorable that the Priest, Sheriff, and Doctor Taliaferro, offered to send a joint telegram to the Governor asking for a reprieve, but Dever refused, saying, that the time had come and that he would prefer to let the law take its course, rather than live with the certainty of death hanging over him. He arose the next morning saying that he felt better than he had for some time past. At a quarter to one o'clock the death warrant was read to the prisoner in his cell. He expressed a complete will- ingness to die, and said he had no fear. At one o'clock precisely the proces- sion moved from the cell to the scaffold, Fathers Reardon and Croke in front, closely followed by Dever, the Sheriff's deputies and assistants bringing up the rear. Though weak from sickness and confinement he walked unaided and with a tolerable firm step. His only remark was when the assistants were strapping his arms, he complained that too much force was used. Sheriff Tunstead wisely expedited matters, dispensing with all formalities. The black cap was adjusted, the rope placed around his neck, and in just two minutes after leaving the cell, the trap fell-the earthly troubles of William Dever were at an end. His last audible words were to the Sheriff; he simply said "Do your duty sharp."
Murder of C. P. Severance .- The conception and execution of the murder of Charley Severance were unique and masterly. The case will take a conspicuous place among the "celebrated causes " of this coast, if not of the world. Wong Chi Long had worked nearly three years for Mr. Throckmorton, under Mr. Severance, and had saved so much that he went home to China. He left the way open to return, by obtaining a promise that he should have his place if he chose to come back to it. Perhaps the horror now passed into history lay in his mind before he took that vacation; perhaps it was conceived while he was away, or it may have first occurred to
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him during this last year of his service. It is plain that his plan was well matured-it was not the result of a sudden impulse. He had, no doubt, waited long for a favorable time, and at last it came. Everything seemed to be in his favor on the second of April, 1880. It was collection day; Mr. Severance would come in about night, his pocket heavy with what would make the cook a rich man in China. Not a guest was at the ranch. Even Mrs. Severance and the children were absent. Mr. Throckmorton and three friends had an appointment to be there that night, but it was abandoned on account of the storm. If they had gone, they would have joined Charley at Victor's, and the horrid crime would have been defeated or postponed. In the leisure hours of that day a grave had been dug within a few feet of the house, and in nothing more than in the manner of that job is shown the consummate skill of this fiendish murderer. Each stratum of earth taken out of the grave was carefully laid by itself, to be as carefully replaced, and. so skillfully was this carried out that if the villain could have kept his tongue as well as he dug and refilled the grave, only the sound of the resur- rection trumpet would have revealed it. Not long after Severance reached home that night-it was probably after dark-he went out, and no doubt, was milking, when the Chinaman stealthily approached him from behind, and dealt him a powerful blow with an ax in the back of the head. The contents of a pistol were rapidly shot into him, one ball passing through his heart. The blow with the ax was fatal, the pistol wounds not bleeding shows that the blood was congealed. His watch was pulled off, but owing to the Chinese dread of touching a dead body, his pockets were not, searched, and over a hundred dollars were buried with him. The cunning which had guided the fellow in digging the grave did not forsake him in refilling it. The remains of the victim were dragged with a rope around the neck, and carefully disposed of in the grave. Articles of clothing were laid over the body, and it was so solidly covered, the earth being moistened and tramped down as each layer was replaced, that a mere suspicion would never have led to its being re-opened. After it was filled and levelled off, the surface was scratched over, as by a hen, and a hen's nest, which had been lifted off to begin with, was carefully replaced. Nearly every trace of the foul deed was carefully obliterated-the bloody ax being the only evidence the cool fiend overlooked. Wong then secured his treasure, and began to: plan his escape. But the vision of a life of luxury in his native land, when he should reach it with his blood-stained wealth, was not his only company that night. He was not the stolid brute which many of his countrymen are .. The qualities which had made him both an efficient and a trusted servant,, now made him alive to his base ingratitude, and fearful lest his crime should overtake him. His nerves quivered with fear, and his blood burned with fever. He spent a wakeful and remorseful night, but it was nothing to the ghoul-haunted terrors soon to come upon him. The next morning, wearicd
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