USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 26
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CITY IMPROVEMENTS CALLED FOR.
The Gazette again called attention to the needed improvements; thought the visitors who came by every steamner would leave in disgust unless more attention was given to the streets and highways; suggested that the city fathers, from whom so much was expected, had fallen into some of the open wells with which the city abounded.
1856 A DRY SEASON.
The Santa Clara River was said to be dry at its mouth. There was little feed on the hills, and many cattle were slaughtered to enable the rest to escape starvation, and there was a general reduction of the herds, although the drought bear no proportion in its disasters to the one a few years later.
CHAPTER XIX. EXCITING EVENTS.
Ned McGowan in Santa Barbara-Mounted Riflemen Disarmed -Sharp Correspondence-McGowan's Story-Search in the de la Guerra Garden and Burning of the Tules-Close Quarters -Escape-Received at Dr. Den's-Mail Facilities-Overland Stage-Roads-Proposed Penal Colony-Proceedings of the Board of Supervisors-Earthquake in 1857-The last of Jack Powers -- Excitement at Buenaventura-End of the Gazette.
THE summer of 1856 was made famous by the oper- ations of the Vigilance Committee in San Francisco. There are different views concerning the origin or necessity of that committee. and it is not the purpose of the historian of Santa Barbara to give an opinion on the subject, or even a history thereof, except as it may be necessary to make intelligible one of the most exciting and amusing affairs that ever happened here.
The immediate organization of the Vigilance Com- mittee was caused by the shooting of James King of William, editor of the Bulletin, by James P. Casey. who also edited a paper. Casey had a bad record. which King was showing up, and it was also said that he belonged to a ring that had plundered the public funds, stuffed the ballot-boxes, corrupted the
courts, thwarted justice, and protected criminals. Whatever may be the truth in regard to it. the people organized into a formidable committee, num- bering about 6,000, and took the law and its execu- tion into their own hands, hung several murderers, instituted a general hunt for ballot-box stuffers and criminals generally. Ned MeGowan was considered one of the most prominent of the general offenders. and, furthermore, was believed to be accessory to the shooting of James King of William, by loaning a pistol for that purpose and otherwise assisting and advising Casey; hence, when the hunt for suspects commenced, Ned was very much wanted. Ile es- caped. notwithstanding every avenue was supposed to be guarded, and made his way down to the coast of Santa Barbara, where his coming and reception was related in the Gazette July 10, 1856, as follows :-
" On Sunday last a report was circulated that Ned McGowan had been recognized at the City Hotel, in this city. Several citizens declared that they had seen him, knew him well. and were perfectly confi- dent of his identity. The Sheriff was called upon to go and arrest him, but he delayed for some time, because he had no bench warrant for his apprehen- sion, and had no means of knowing, except by rumor, that Ned MeGowau had been accused of the com- mission of crime. At length he proceeded to the City Hotel, accompanied by a posse of six or eight men, and was informed that the stranger had gone out to take a walk about five minutes before his arrival. The Sheriff then divided his forces and sent them in different directions through the city, with orders to take McGowan should he be eneoun- tered. At this time considerable uneasiness began to be manifested by several persons, who have acquired no small notoriety here and elsewhere, and their anxious fluttering convinced the Sheriff and his party that the stranger was not far off. The Noriega Garden was then searched, as it was reported that he had been seen going in that direction. In the rear of the garden is a lagoon covered with a dense growth of tall tules. The tules were fired to drive the stranger out, if, perchance, he had taken refuge there. The dense smoke which rolled up, and the sight of men with muskets hurrying about, soon attracted a large number of individuals to the spot, and the excitement became general; but no addi- tional clue could be found.
" There is little doubt that McGowan is still con- cealed in the city. He is represented as being much worn down and chafed by his journey on horseback to this place, and unable to ride except with much difficulty and pain. It is greatly to be lamented that a fugitive from justice should be harbored and pro- teeted by any in this community, but it is evident that there are some individuals here who have inter- ested themselves in Metiowan's behalf with an extra- ordinary degree of zealousness and devotion.
" We forbear to allude to reports now in circula- tion. that aid has been furnished to him by some whose intelligence and station should have been employed in arresting instead of secreting him, for it is much to be desired that these reports, though now apparently well founded, may turn out to be false and that they are solely the offspring of heated imaginations, wrought up to intensity by a natural horror of the crime charged against McGowan. For the honor of humanity and the credit of this com-
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
munity we hope that these allegations will prove to be unfounded."
MOUNTED RIFLEMEN DISARMED.
Public opinion here, as elsewhere, was much divided on the subject, and there was strong talk of the formation of a branch of the Vigilance Com- mittee to attend to the home affairs of Santa Barbara. There is some difficulty in getting at the truth after the elapse of a quarter of a century, but there is no doubt but that the condition of the public mind caused Captain Carnes to deliver the rifles belonging to the mounted riflemen into the custody of the Mayor for safe keeping, which act was considered hostile to the vigilance movement, and brought out some very sharp correspondence.
[From the " Gazette."]
" Can anybody explain why the Mayor of this city caused the rifles belonging to the S. B. M. R. to be transported to his office yesterday ? Who ever heard before of the Mayor's office being turned into an arsenal ? Does he believe that this independent company had resolved itself into a band of vigilantes ? Is not the step he has taken an open and direct insult to the members of the company, which has at all times been ready to aid the Sheriff when called upon ? We really desire to know if the Mayor of a city can disarm a military company and render it powerless whenever a wild freak happens to come into his head ?
"Since writing the above we learn that the mounted rifle company held a meeting, and on learn- ing that their arms had been placed in charge of the Mayor, by order of the Captain, they indignantly disbanded."
The San Francisco Bulletin commented on the act in no favorable terms, which brought out the Mayor in a characteristic letter, as follows :-
"JULY 17, 1856.
" EDITORS OF THE GAZETTE-Gentlemen : Will you have the goodness to insert in your respected sheet the following remarks :-
.
" In the San Francisco Bulletin of the 10th inst. I have seen a letter, sent from Santa Barbara, in which it appears that the writer handles me without gloves; and, while I consider the writer of it wholly unde- serving of a reply, I have resolved to say something in order to remove the unfavorable ideas which may have been formed respecting my public character. In that published letter it seems that, although Pablo de la Guerra, my brother, is quite a gentle- man, he, nevertheless, has brothers who are not of that stamp, und particularly the one who is now Mayor, because he takes pleasure in protecting and being on friendly terms with criminals. Miserable wretch! It is true that I protect criminals, and always will protect them to the extent of my power, when- ever I ascertain that it is intended to commit with them, if seized, a greater crime than that charged against them. As I am not permitted to know the name of the author of the letter published in the Bulletin, I cannot speak of him individually, but I can allude to the motives which the author, or authors, have had in expressing themselves against me in such uncourteous terms. Some months since an attempt was made in this city to commit a foul assassination, and the guilty agents were appre-
hended and thrown into prison. Thereupon some individuals collected together, and, without good cause, resolved to apply to the prisoners lynch law; but being weak-minded men, they sent their emis- saries to me to ascertain whether I would aid them in such an enterprise. My answer was that so far from aiding I would take steps to hinder them from carrying out such measures, and they have become indignant, without courage to declare themselves, save by resorting to an anonymous newspaper arti- cle. In this they give proof of the baseness of their sentiments. The article in the Bulletin says my brother enjoys a high reputation, because he has filled high offices of this State. The authors of the article have not had much care in selecting their language, for they forget that I, too, have enjoyed almost the same. If I am not now holding a high part in public life, it is because my ambition does not covet it.
"I think that I have said enough to exhibit the character of this defamer, who avenges some personal spite which he has against me by venting calumnies. The only answer which this sort of people deserve is reproof. They are snakes which crawl in the road and spit out their venom upon the traveler.
" Respectfully yours. " ANTO. MA. DE LA GUERRA, " Mayor of Santa Barbara." .
It will now do to introduce Ned himself, and let him tell his own story. McGowan was quite literary in his tastes, and wrote a readable book of his ad- ventures at Santa Barbara, while trying to escape from the Vigilance Committee. He had made ar- rangements to continue his way to Mexico, but an unaccountable whim seized him to visit Santa Bar- bara, where he was recognized by Dr. Brinkerhoff, Albert Packard, H. B. Blake, and others, and soon became aware that he had run into difficulty. There was a noise of shouting in the distance, a sound which indicated an enraged multitude, which his own experi- ence taught him was dangerous.
" At this moment, when I was about giving up all for lost, a horseman came dashing toward us at full speed, mounted on a magnificent animal, beautifully caparisoned. He reined up in front of us, and, spring- ing to the ground, said to those who were with me: 'The party is made, and the hunt is up for him,' pointing to me. I recognized the speaker at once. It was Jack Power. Bandit and destroying angel though he may be, he was my guardian angel then, and may heaven, which sent him to my succor, be merciful to him in his hour of need. I had seen him in San Francisco in 1849, and he recognized me at once. 'Judge,' said he, 'there is no time to be lost. Will you trust yourself to me ? I will proctect you as far as I am able.' . Something prompted me to at once assent to his proposal, and I did so. In an instant we were gone. Jack ran with me about twenty yards up a street at right angles with the one on which he found us, passed me through the window of a house, rolled me up in about forty yards of carpeting he found lying on the floor, and told the woman of the house, in Spanish, what he had done, cautioned her to say nothing, and then rushed out and joined in the pursuit, louder than the loudest; while the woman quietly took her seat in the doorway and commenced to sing. It was all done in less time than it has taken me to write it.
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EXCITING EVENTS.
I had, in an instant, as it were, been snatched from certain death!
"The pack was now in full cry, and as I lay in the carpet, how wildly I heard my heart beat as I heard them approach nearer and nearer, and how sweetly hope whispered to me as the noise receded! As I afterward learned, there were at least 100 men in the pursuit, some mounted and some on foot, armed with guns, pistols, and swords. All the idlers, loat- ers, and seum of Santa Barbara had joined in the ' hue and cry.' They thought their hands were upon me, and in an instant 1 had vanishnd like a dream, and none, save two, in all that city could say where. The din was terrible; the tramping of hoofs and yells of the mob as the chase swept, pell-mell, up one street and down another; the men shouting, and the women (prone naturally to the side of the weak) bespattering them with the most unsavory epithets, whose bitterness can only be expressed in the Span- ish tongue; now roaring past the very house in which I was lying, now dying away in the distance- all contributed to make up the most fiendish and unearthly howl that ever had rung in my ears. And there I lay, with palpitating heart; they ransacked Santa Barbara, but came not to me. Jack Power was leading them!"
SEARCH IN THE DE LA GUERRA GARDEN AND BURNING OF THE TULES.
A cry was now raised that he had been seen going towards the tules in the rear of the de la Guerra gar- den, and thither the crowd betook themselves, doing much damage to the trees and shrubbery. The tules were set on fire, and it is said that several hundred persons examined the tules afterwards, with the ex- pectation of finding his blackened and half-burned body.
CLOSE QUARTERS.
"It was one of the hottest days I ever experi- enced. The heat of the carpet and the excitement nearly killed me. I was tormented, too, by myriads of fleas, of which the carpet was full. I lay still, however, for I considered that to move was death. After I had lain there about an hour and a half, I heard footsteps in the room and presently Jack's voice. I implored him, in mercy, to give me some brandy and water, for I was nearly fainting with suffoca- tion. He replied, "Lie still, or directly you won't have a throat to drink with," and immediately passed out again. I suffered another hour and a half, and by that time it was quite dark. The woman of the house lit a candle, and commenced washing her children and putting them to bed. Pres- ently I heard voices at the door, and could distinguish that of Power speaking in English. A party wanted to enter the house and search it. My protector told them there was no one there, and it was of no use to disturb the children. They said they had searched every other house without opposition, and they did not intend to make an exception of this. I now thought that my time was come, and, slipping out of the carpet, I silently cocked my pistol, grasped my knife, and making a short prayer to heaven, sta- tioned myself just inside the door-post, within two feet of the men who were asking admittance, deter- mined to sell my life as dearly as possible. Power, however, as Providence would have it, managed to make such resistance to their entrance that they finally walked away. I had forgotten that there
was an open window behind me, and. as there was a light burning in the room, they had only to turn the corner of the house to see me standing ngainst the door-post. The instant they had turned from Jack, he turned his face to me and whispered, " Under. for your life!" I dropped and crawled under the bed, and in the same moment they passed the open win- dow. I again begged for water, and he pushed to me with his foot the basin in which the children had been washed, and I plunged my face into it and drank it all, and never in my life before did I taste so refreshing a draught as that filthy water was to me."
ESCAPE.
The hunt gradually ceased, and McGowan, with the assistance of Power, managed to reach the hills back of Santa Barbara, where, betwixt starvation, fear of the bears and rattlesnakes in the mountains, and the Vigilantes of the town, he passed several very uncomfortable weeks. When the knowledge of his being in Santa Barbara reached San Francisco the Vigilance Committee sent down a vessel with twenty or thirty men on board, to track down McGowan and apprehend him if possible. At that time McGowan was concealed in the neighborhood of the Arroyo HIondo, not far from the Gaviota, and once some of the Vigilantes actually approached the house while he was in it, but according to McGowan, Providence befriended him and turned them away from him. McGowan, according to his own story, was actually induced to pray for divine assistance! On one ocea- sion General Covarrubias, whose acquaintance he had made at San Jose in 1849, rode from Santa Barbara, thirty-five miles, to let him know that a deputation of the Vigilance Committee had arrived by steamer to make a search for him the next day. General Covar- rubias, old as he was, making the round trip, seventy miles, before daylight in order to avoid giving any clue to the lurking-place of McGowan. It is also said that Pablo de la Guerra freely entertained the Committee at his house to a late hour, to prevent them from commencing the search that evening, but as hospitality was a prominent trait of the de la Guerras, Ned may have been mistaken in supposing that it was all on his aecount. During this time the papers of the State were full of rumors of Ned Mediowan's having been seen at Salt Lake, in Sonora, in New Mexico, until he began to be termed "the ubiquitous." Many of these reports were put in eireulation by the friends of McGowan, to throw the pursuers off the true scent. Power, himself, succeeded so well in starting false rumors that the larger por- tion of the Committee, who came down from San Francisco in search of him, departed south, going as far as the Colorado River.
RECEIVED AT DR. DEN'S.
The Arroyo Hondo* becoming an unsafe hiding-place, Ned resolved to seek new quarters. Ile had learned
This Arroyo Hondo (deep c.eek) is a few miles from the Gaviota, and must not be mistaken for the Arroyo Hondo of San Luis Obispo County.
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
through a nephew of Pablo de la Guerra, a son of W. S: P. Hartnell, that Dr. Den of the Dos Pueblos had little sympathy with the Vigilanee Committee; he resolved to throw himself upon that gentleman's generosity; so withont bidding his friends good-by, for some of the family had proved traitorous, he left, going towards the Dos Pueblos, traveling along the beach by night, past the Ortega Rancho, and arrived at Dr. Den's place in the morning about sunrise.
" My appearance seemed to cause them much aston- ishment. They eyed me very closely as I went boldly towards the house and inquired for Dr. Den. With difficulty they made me understand that the Doctor was absent from home on a visit to Santa Ynez. They also informed me that his lady, whom they called Doña Rosa, had not yet risen. I sat down on the tongue of a wagon near the house, and keeping a good lookout. determined to wait until the family were moving. While I was sitting here I was very unpleasantly scrutinized by a tall, gray-haired old Spaniard, who, I afterwards learned, belonged to Monterey. I sat for about an hour and became quite uneasy under the stare of the old man, when the door of the house opened, and a very gentle, amiable looking lady appeared. Her complexion was much fairer than that of the generality of California ladies, and she had a remarkably sweet expression of eountenanee. I at once decided in my mind that she was the wife of my friend, the Doctor. I addressed her in English, but discovered that she did not understand the language. I then tried French, but was equally unsuccessful. Directly, however, she said to me: 'poco tiempo,' and entering the house she presently returned with a beautiful little child who proved to be her daughter.t * *
* There was something about the child which made her appear to my eyes like an angel of mercy, as she fearlessly approached me, and said to me in silvery tones and perfect English: 'What is your will, sir?' I replied to her: . My dear, I am very hungry and want something to eat; and then if you can get it for me, I want a pen, ink and paper to write a note to General Covarrubias.' As soon as I mentioned ' Covarrubias' Doña Rosa hastily beckoned to me to come at onee into the house. I saw at a glance that she had heard of my persecution and suspected who I was. She appeared to be in the greatest trepidation, and I at onee entered the house and informed her who I was. Her sweet little daughter, Kate (Catha- rina), informed me, in purer English than I could use, that the road had been lined for many days with armed horsemen, who were hunting me, and that her mother was fearful I would yet be captured unless I was very careful. Doña Rosa at once set her servants to work to prepare a breakfast for me, and informed me. through her little interpreter, that her husband, the Doctor, had gone to the College farm at Santa Ynez, to attend to some business for the Archbishop and would not be at home for four or five days. She expressed her fears that it would be unsafe for me to remain there, because, although she could be responsible for her own people, she feared that the old Californian, who had eyed me so, and who, she informed me, was from Monterey, would betray me. Her own family consisted of herself and daughter and a very handsome young lady, her sister, whom she introduced as Miss Hill. There were also some twenty to twenty-five house and farm
servants with their children. They were mostly Indians."
The old Monterey Californian had expressed the opinion that the visitor was MeGowan and suggested his arrest, so that it was not considered safe for him to stay there, but he remained in the vicinity and was fed and concealed by Den for some months. According to his book, Pablo de la Guerra, General Covarrubias, Thomas W. Moore and other prominent citizens were let into the secret of his being in the county, and aided him in many ways. After some months he was received in Dr. Den's house. On one occasion, as the family were sitting down to dinner, Russel Heath, the Sheriff, was announced. Now the law officers were not feared so much as the self constituted officers of the Vigilance Committee, but it was thought prudent for Ned to remain out of sight, though probably Heath had no warrant for McGowan's arrest.
It is not proposed to give a full history of his eareer either at Santa Barbara or San Francisco; suffice it to say that his serious troubles were over; that after the Legislature met at Sacramento he made a triumphal entry into the capital; that the Legis- lature passed a bill granting a change of venue for the trial on the charge of murder that was hanging over him; that he never was tried, and that he was, a few years sinee, living in fair health and relating to his friends his wondrous eseapes in Southern Cali- fornia. IIe had an abusive tongue, and the writer has not seen fit to preserve any of the vile epithets applied to the citizens of Santa Barbara.
MAIL FACILITIES.
Up to this time. 1856, the mail facilities for Santa Barbara were very imperfect. Luis T. Burton was the first Postmaster, and so little preparation was made for the business incident to the position, that the letters for distribution were kept in a eandle box, for any one to help themselves. The making up of the mail was in the same way. When the Panama steamers began to call, letters were received from, and carried to San Francisco, but so little attention was paid to the letter-bag that it often got wet in its passage from the steamer to the landing. On one occasion several gallons of water were turned out of the mail bag along with the letters and papers. This kind of mail service was not satisfactory to any one, for, even in the old colonial times, a mail was carried on horseback, at the rate of a 100 miles a day, between Monterey and San Diego, going once a week. The following letter to the Postmaster Gen- eral, will give a correet idea of the situation :--
" WASHINGTON CITY, March 14, 1856.
" SIR: Whilst traveling in the coast region of Cali- fornia, I was requested by the citizens of the coun- ties of Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and San Diego, that during my sojourn in Washington, I would ask, in their name, your attention to the great inconveniences and losses
1 Mrs. John S. Bell. - EDITOR.
Gshowfrom
DIXIE W. THOMPSON.
IT may be asked by those who have never enjoyed life at the Arlington, " Who was he, that he should have been selected for such a responsible and deli- cate position ?" He was born in Topsham, Maine, in 1826, and is a relative of Capt. A. B. Thompson, who eame here in 1822, and married, some years after- ward, a daughter of Carlos Antonio Carrillo, and thereby got half of the Santa Rosa Island; so he belonged to a lucky family, which is a great point in his favor. Dixie, when only a young man of twenty, left his native town for Boston, and went as cabin-boy on the ship Richmond, Capt. Geo. F. Mus- tard, now living, commander. The vessel was en- gaged in the cotton trade to Europe, and he sue- cessively visited Liverpool, Havre de Grace, Ilam- burg, and other European towns, becoming, in the course of two years, second mate of the bark Savan- nah, and then master.
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