USA > California > Kings County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 11
USA > California > Tulare County > History of Tulare and Kings counties, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the counties who have been identified with their growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 11
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MeCrory had heard them coming and, determined not to "die with his boots on," had removed them. When the leaders entered the cell they found him lying on his face. They caught him by the hair, raised his head up, placed a noose around his neck and half dragged, half carried him to the hall. A railing blocked the way here and in order to prevent premature strangulation, he was lifted over this. Outside, he was taken to the Mill creek bridge on Court street, the rope tied to a post of the railing, and he was thrown over.
A man made a motion that he be left there for one hour, which was duly seconded and carried. During the interim, a collection to defray funeral expenses was taken up, and arrangements made with the undertaker. At the end of the hour "Fatty Johnson," the under- taker, appeared with a spring wagon. Six men pulled MeCrory up and got him partially into the wagon. The incident was closed. Certainly there had been no delay or miscarriage of justice and not a cent of expense to the county.
THE MORRIS-SHANNON AFFRAY
On November 15, 1860, William Governeur Morris shot and killed John Shannon, editor of the Delta. This affray grew out of the bitterness engendered in the political campaign which had just been brought to a close, and for a correct understanding of the motives actuating the men, it is necessary to relate some of the verbal pass- ages between them.
The Visalia Sun had been started during this campaign as an organ of the Republican party, the Delta supporting Breckenridge. Morris, it was stated, controlled the policy of the Sun and contributed to it editorially.
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In the first issue of the Delta after the election there appeared a statement from Shannon as follows: "To the Public: In the last issue of the Sun I find a card signed by William Governeur Morris, in which is the following language: 'I have endeavored to obtain satisfaction from Mr. Shannon for his personal abuse of me in his paper, but have been unable to do so.'" After this follow eopies of a portion of the correspondence. "On the 15th of September last I received a note from Mr. Morris by the hands of two men, who immediately left without stating the object of their visit or the purport of the note of which they were the bearers, thus affording me no opportunity to give them a written answer or to refer them to my friend. Regarding this conduet on the part of these messengers as a deliberate insult, and finding one of them on the streets, I com- menced, without any ceremony, to ehastise him for his impertinence. (This was A. J. Atwell.) In so doing I injured my right hand, an injury which has since proved to be more serions than was at the time supposed. Mr. Morris was informed of the fact through Mr. Beckham, and requested to wait until such time as I could have the full use of my hand." Shannon goes on to state that Morris agreed to this and was to await an answer from Mr. Beckham, which had not been given because Shannon's hand was not yet well, and also that both Morris and Tate knew that he had also met with an accident to his other hand. He accuses them of violating the rules of the code and concludes by saying, "Inasmuch as Mr. Morris has chosen to retire from his position, I have only to say that hereafter, should he or any of his kind feel aggrieved by any act or word of mine, they have only to call upon me, with the assurance that I will be prepared to arrange matters with them very summarily, and without the inter- positions of friends or a resort to the code."
November 15, 1860, a card appeared from Morris denouncing Shannon as a liar, coward and blackguard and stating that he would pay him no further attention. The affair occurred the same day. The version given by both the Sun and the Delta was:
"On Thursday evening Shannon entered the office of W. P. Gill, Esq., where Morris was sitting. Shannon held in his hand a cocked pistol, and on entering raised the pistol, at the same time saying. 'Morris, are you armed?' Morris sprang to his feet and grappled with his opponent. Shannon being the taller of the two Morris was unable to disarm him and Shannon beat him severely upon the head with the pistol, inflicting nine severe scalp wounds. At the first or second blow Shannon's, pistol was discharged accidentally. After receiving these blows, Morris fell to the floor, covered with blood, whereupon Shannon gazed upon him several seconds and turned and left the room. Morris, thereupon, sprang to his feet and,
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drawing his revolver, rushed out of the south door of the building so as to intercept Shannon before reaching his office. The parties here exchanged shots ineffectually. Morris then left his position and proceeding to the north side of the building, climbed on the fence (Shannon retaining his position) and took deliberate aim and fired, the ball striking Mr. Shannon in the abdomen. At this instant Shannon had raised his pistol, but lowered it without firing and put his hand to the wound and walked to his office, where he died in about an hour and eighteen minutes.
Shannon was a man highly respected by a large circle of friends and sincerely mourned. He was one of the pioneer journalists of the state, having previously edited the Placer Democrat and the Calaveras Chronicle.
Morris later became United States marshal of California.
STAPLEFORD-DEPUTY AFFAIR
One of the most bizarre and at the same time most outrageous crimes known in the annals of any county was committed in the sun- mer of 1858. The heavy villains were one J. D. Stapleford and William Governeur Morris, known as "bloody" Morris, the same gentleman who afterwards killed Shannon, the editor of the Delta, and later became United States marshal.
It appears that Stapleford, who hailed from Stockton, had there. in order to defrand his creditors, deeded his property, said to amount to $30,000 or $40,000, to his uncle, William C. Deputy. Deputy had handled this property for some time, selling and reinvesting, and. as he claimed, repaying to Stapleford such sums from time to time as to cancel the indebtedness. Deputy, however, remained possessed of much property and Stapleford demanded of his uncle that he deed all his property to him, claiming that the old score remained unsettled. Deputy refused and then Stapleford offered a reward of $1,000 to anyone who would compel him to sign an instrument to that effect.
There being no takers for this offer, Stapleford caused Deputy's arrest on a charge of swindling, and he was confined in the old wooden jail and court house and chained to a ring-bolt, fastened in the floor. Apparently fearing that some attempt at the use of violence might be committed on the prisoner, Sheriff Poindexter placed two men, Ed Reynolds and Frank Warren, on guard to protect the old man.
On the 28th of July, a mob headed by Morris, who was a lawyer and notary, broke into jail, took Depnty to the outskirts of town, swung him up to a tree by a noose around his neck until he was nearly strangled, let him down, and then requested him to sign a deed that had been prepared. Upon his refusal he was again swing up and lashed by Morris with a blacksnake until almost unconscious. He then consented to sign, but after being taken back to jail, showed
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signs of renewed stubbornness. However, after being chained again to the ring-bolt and threatened again with the lash, he did sign a deed by which he transferred to Stapleford any and all real estate of which he might be possessed in the state of California.
This property included that on which the Visalia flouring mills are now situated, a tract east of town and a hotel and ranch property in San Bernardino. The property was immediately retransferred to a supposedly innocent third party and when Deputy brought suit to re- cover, the supreme court held that there was no law empowering it to reinstate Deputy in possession.
Stapleford, Morris and four others of the principal men com- posing the mob that had committed the outrage were later arrested on a complaint signed by many prominent citizens. Morris was convicted and sentenced to pay a fine of $500 and serve six months in jail. Owing to secret influences of some kind, he successfully evaded doing either one, and escaped scot free.
JAMES M'KINNEY'S HIGH LIFE
On Sunday morning, July 27, 1902, James MeKinney, an ex-con- vict, murderer and all round bad man, ran annick in Porterville, shot five men, one fatally, held up a livery stable for a team and made his escape.
MeKinney at the time was employed at the Mint saloon as night manager. About midnight he and Ralph Calderwood, known as "Scotty," proprietor of a saloon and chop house, got together in the Mint saloon. Both had been drinking and MeKinney was bois- terons. He fired a shot from his revolver at random from the door of the Mint and then adjourned to Scotty's place where more promiscuous shooting was indulged in.
City Marshal John Howell, his deputy, John Willis, Deputy Con- stable W. L. Tompkins and a railroad employe named Lyons ap- proached for the purpose of arresting MeKinney, who began shooting when the officers were within fifteen feet of him. They returned the fire and Willis called, "Jim, stop your shooting." A shot was fired in reply. Attempting to fire again, the gun snapped and Willis remarked, "Come on, boys, he has no more ammunition, we will get him now." MeKinney fled, pursued by the officers. Willis, who was in the lead, fired two shots, one of which hit MeKinney in the leg. Willis, out of ammunition, continued the chase and got close enough to strike MeKinney with his cane. Mckinney had reloaded while running and upon being struck, turned and shot Willis, the ball taking effect in the upper lip, knocking him down.
The chase then ceased, but MeKinney continued the flight to the house of his mistress, where he procured a shotgun and rifle. Start- ing to return to town, he encountered William Lim, a gambler. at
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whom without provocation he discharged a load of buckshot, fatally wounding him. Linn had previously been accidentally shot and slightly wounded in the exchange of shots with the officers. MeKin- ney then went to the Arlington stables, roused the hostlers, and, covering them with his rifle, demanded a team, threatening to kill them if they did not hurry. While the team was being harnessed MeKinney fired eight or ten shots towards the main part of town. He then got into the buggy and drove up through town, shooting at every person he saw.
George Barrow, a compositor in the Enterprise office, received a charge in the right arm and in the small of the back, and W. B. West was shot in the right arm and hip. West was slightly and Barrow very severely wounded. After shooting Barrow and West MeKinney drove through the main part of town to the residence of D. B. Mosier, whom he roused. He said, "I have killed four or five men down town and must leave here. I want you to give me all the money you have. Take these keys and you will find in the locker at the safe at the Mint saloon, $100. Tell the Indian, referring to Ed Isham, to give you that money. Tell Ed that I have gone, that they will never take me. Tracy won't be in it with me, I will kill anyone that looks at me."
Mosier gave MeKinney all the money he had, about $60. Me- Kinney drove again to Main street and took a parting shot at "Kid" Tatman, but without effect. He drove north then from Porterville, passing through Lindsay, and in the vicinity of Lemon Cove secreted himself near D. McKee's home.
. Sheriff Parker was soon on the trail but failed to locate hin, as MeKinney had numerous friends who assisted him in keeping his whereabouts a secret. In August, and until October, he was seen in the Randsburg district, whence he disappeared to parts unknown, not being heard of until June of 1903, when he was reported in Mexico. Sheriff Collins secured extradition papers and went after him. Mckinney, however, escaped and went to Kingman, Arizona, in which vicinity he murdered two men. Fleeing from the scene of these crimes he again appeared in the Randsburg region, being hotly pursned by Sheriff Lovin of Mojave county, Arizona, as well as by Sheriff Collins and ex-Sheriff Overall of this county and sheriff's possees from Kern county. MeKinney, evading these, made his way successfully through the Sierras to Kernville and there narrowly escaped being killed by Rankin and MeCracken, who recog- nized him and in a running fight, wounded him.
On April 19, 1903, MeKiney was located in a Chinese joss house in Bakersfield. The house was surrounded by a cordon of officers, and Jeff Packard, city marshal, and Will E. Tibbett, special deputy sheriff, were killed in an attempt to enter it. Mckinney ap-
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peared at the doorway and was shot and instantly killed by depnty sheriff Bert M. Tibbetts.
THE MAGANA BUTCHERY
The last of the long list of bloody crimes that has enrsed the county that will be noted was that committed in Porterville, February 17, 1911. On that day, just before dark and as the stores were closing for the night, Juan Magana, a Mexican laborer who had been at work in the county, entered the Lambkin-Graham clothing store. It hap- pened that J. B. Lambkin was still in the store and Magana asked to look at some shoes. While Lambkin was looking for the shoes the Mexican demanded money and on being refused, drew a butcher knife and stabbed the merchant to death.
Some one entered the store just then and gave the alarm. Ma- gana broke through a rear window and escaped in the darkness. In the tussle in the store he had ent his own hand and he left a trail of blood. He escaped to a small settlement of Mexicans near the ont- skirts of town, and there gave away the knife, but escaped. Early the following morning the officers followed the trail to the Mexican camp, but there lost it and during the forenoon were beating the surrounding country for the criminal. He was soon found by Orral Kilroy of Porterville and turned over to the town marshal, E. B. Isham.
Sheriff Collins had gone over in an antomobile and immediately took the marshal and the prisoner into the machine and started for Visalia. The people were greatly incensed over the crime, and a move was started to wrest the fellow from the officers and execute him on the spot. The driver of the machine speeded through the streets of Porterville at a sixty-mile clip, and distanced all pursners. When a few miles from town there was a long bridge to be crossed. The driver kept up speed, and striking some obstruction, one of the axles broke and the machine careened to one side and toppled off the bridge to the dry bed of the creek below. The parties in the machine jumped ont before .it landed and thus escaped any injury more than a severe jolting. The gasoline exploded and the machine was burned. The officers, with their prisoner, walked to a nearby house, telephoned for a new machine and finally arrived, late in the afternoon, at the jail at Visalia.
Magana made a full confession, was found guilty, and on June 16, expiated his crime in San Quentin. His is the only case in the history of the county when an execution was effected on the day first set by a judge.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
The Delta Jannary 6, 1861, speaks of a sale of Visalia building lots held on the day previons by J. E. Wainwright & Co. The sale
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was largely attended and the bidding spirited. One hundred and fifteen lots were sold at prices ranging from $5 to $30. The lots were in Anghinbaugh's Addition. to Visalia.
As late as 1891, lands near Visalia were by no means held at high prices. J. H. Thomas advertised forty acres three-quarters of a mile south of town for $60 per acre. The same year, Sontag & Evans, who afterwards became famous criminals, advertised thirteen lots, and half a block in Aughinbaugh's Addition to Visalia, orchard and vineyard on the land, for $1,600.
As a showing of the importance of sheep-raising in Tulare in early days it is noted that the fall clip of wool of 1872 was 1,474,500 pounds. The winter following was the most severe one ever ex- perienced by sheepmen and yet the spring clip of 1873 was 947,375 pounds.
J. P. Majors of Visalia was the first postmaster in Tulare county, being appointed in 1855 and serving three years. lle was succeeded by Zane Steuben.
In 1891 the lumber business was very active. Atwell's mills on the Mineral 'King road was operated by the Kaweah colonists; four saw mills were located on the Upper Yolo, two of which were run- ning; the Comstock mills, above Camp Badger; the Sequoia mills, just across the line in Fresno county. The total eut of these mills that year was over three million feet of lumber.
CROSSING STREAMS IN THE FIFTIES
The business of maintaining ferries across different streams in the county appears to have been a profitable one in early days, judg- ing from the number engaged in it.
At one of the first meetings of the board of supervisors in 1853, A. B. Gordon was granted the privilege of maintaining a ferry across Kern river, free of taxation for a period of eight months. The fol- lowing rates were authorized: six-horse team or four yoke of oxen, $6; four-horse wagon, $4; two-horse wagon, $2; horse and man, $1; pack mules, fifty cents; loose horses and foot men, twenty-five cents each.
In 1855 the court of sessions granted licenses to L. A. Whitman to conduct a ferry on Kings river, at a point two and one-half miles west of Crumley's ranch, and to I. S. George to run a ferry boat at the Poindexter crossing; granted to John Pool the right to continue his ferry and gave to Crumley and Smith the privilege of conducting another.
COUNTY SCRIP AND GOLD DUST
In August, 1855, at a meeting of the board of supervisors, it was "ordered that the treasurer pay to S. C. Brown the balance still
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due on order thirteen county serip, valuing gold dust at $14 per ounce."
AN INDIAN RUNNER
"Captain George, an Indian and a 'big Injun heap' at that, has commenced running as an expressman between this place and Coso For his services he gets very well paid and would be better paid had he a touch of Yankee in his system. He makes the trip now in about four days and packages of light weight of any description may be safely entrusted to his care."-Delta, 1861.
In September, 1862, Mr. Van Water is credited with having a factory in operation in Visalia, making a fine article of sorghum syrup.
In 1863 Nathan Baker put in a field of about twelve acres, near Visalia, to tobacco.
"Splendid deer skins, dressed, were offered for sale in this place yesterday morning at $19 a dozen."-Delta, Oct. 20, 1861.
"Boating-People who have not been here for a year or two will be surprised to hear that navigation is now open just north of town. The first boat arrived near S. Davenport's, on Saturday last, with four tons of freight on board. Since that some thirty tons have arrived by the same means, and regular trips will be made until the water subsides."-Delta, May 15, 1867.
"Two hunters, living in the foothills on the waters of the Tule river, have killed over one hundred and twenty deer during the present winter."-Delta, 1866.
VISALIA'S FIRST BUSINESS DIRECTORY
The business directory of Visalia in 1861 was as follows: Saloons : Cosmopolitan, Gem, Fashion, St. Charles. Wholesale and retail dealers : H. Cohn, H. Green. Hotels: Exchange, corner Court and Main streets; Visalia House, corner Main and Church streets. General merchandise, ete., Sam Ellis, D. R. Douglass, Reinstein & Hockett, Sweet & Jacobs, Weinshank & Sinclair, M. Reinstein. Stage lines: Hice & Wilson. Mis- cellaneous : Bossler & Townsend, saddlers and harness makers; Knoble & Kraft, bakers and confectioners; G. W. Rogers, jeweler; B. M. Bron- son, gunsmith; John H. Richardson, painter; Douglass & Magary, contractors and buiklers; Samuel Dinely, barber shop and bathhouse; Joseph 11. Thomas, lumber yard; George W. Sutherland, tailor shop; Justices of the Peace: S. W. Beckham, Robert (. Redd. AAttorneys: W. M. Stafford, A. J. Atwell, Morris & Brown, S. A. Sheppard. Physi- cians: Dr. M. Baker, Dr. J. D. P. Thomason. Dr. W. A. Russell, Dr. James A. Roberts, Dr. T. O. Ellis, Sr.
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SECOND COURTHOUSE
Tulare county's second courthouse, built in 1859, was a brick strue- ture 40x60 feet in size, of two stories and a basement. In the base- ment was a jail, one half being divided into six cells, lined with boiler iron. In 1873 an additional jail as a separate building was constructed.
As to the building of the present court house without the wings (which were added in 1906), there hangs a tale. The Southern Pacific had completed its line through the county in 1872, leaving Visalia sido- tracked and therefore destined to become a "deserted village." At the site of Tulare, the railroad had platted a town in which plat provision was made for a court house, and the general expectation, both among buyers of town lots in Tulare and citizens generally was that Tulare would become the county seat. But the legislature of 1875-1876 passed an act authorizing the county of Tulare to issue bonds in the sum of $75,000 for the purpose of building a court house in Visalia. This naturally aroused intense opposition, not only from Tulare and the southern end of the county, but even from Visalia. The Delta de- nounced it as a job, stating that the then existing court house was good enough and that the building of another would be burdensome on the taxpayers.
A "People's Convention" was called to meet in Visalia, July 15, 1876, to take action in the matter. Resolutions were passed denouncing the methods used in the passage of the bill through the legislature, etc., and agreeing to use every legal means to prevent its operation. low ever, the citizens of Visalia regarded it as vital to their welfare, if not to the very salvation of the town; the majority of the board of super- visors were favorable to Visalia and pushed the matter forward as rapidly as possible, issuing bonds, advertising for bids for the sale of the old structure and the construction of the new, etc.
A. D. Glasscock bought the old courthouse for $686, and R. E. Hyde the jail for $205. Stephens and Childers of Santa Rosa were awarded the contract for construction for $59,700, and on October 28, 1871, under the auspices of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of California, the cornerstone was laid.
CEMETERIES
Tulare county's first cemetery was started in Visalia in 1557, near where the Tipton Lindsey schoolhouse is now situated. The first ocen pant was a Dutchman who was drowned in Mill creek and whose only known name was Pete. On the rough pine box containing the remains was therefore duly inseribed "Pete in the box," the same inscription being placed on the headboard.
Among others whose bodies were laid to rest here and later ro- moved to the new cemetery were Jack Lorenz, Mrs. Thomas Baker. Mrs. Nathan Baker, and a man called Salty. 7
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VISALIA'S TITLE
There was for many years a cloud upon the title to lots in Visalia and at one time there was serious trouble feared. It appears that after Nat. Vise gave up his preemption in favor of the on-coming city, noth- ing was done to comply with legal forms necessary to perfect a title.
On August 9, 1857, the board of supervisors passed an order asking congress to grant the board the right to preempt the town site of Visalia, and the clerk was ordered to file in the land office, then located in San Francisco, the necessary application. The application was not received, the land office claiming that there was no evidence that the supervisors were the agents of Tulare county. The matter was drop- ped till about 1867. The Visalia Land District had been formed and one George Garish appointed receiver. Discovering the lack of title to the townsite, he made application for the lands. This aroused the people and steps were taken to perfect the title to the county for the lands. The matter had to be taken before the land commissioner at Washington, but it was finally settled to the benefit of the people.
BEFORE VISALIA BEAUTIFUL CAME
In the spring of 1860 a correspondent to the local paper speaks thus of Visalia: "This region, including the town, is little more than a labyrinth of crooked creeks, ditches, fences, brush, weeds, etc. A quarter of a mile out of town one is in the wilderness to all intents and purposes. Streets are straight and square as far as they go, but they don't go, and it takes a very uncommon owl to get to his regular roost in the burg after dark. Wonder what the 'Bean Brummel' of the Mariposa Gazette, who was here about two weeks ago, thinks about it, inquiring the way to Visalia at a house about a hundred yards from the Court street bridge."
IN THE FIFTIES
June 25, 1859-"We hope to be able soon to give the latest tele- graphie news received at St. Louis, by the stages as they pass through town."-Delta.
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