The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-30 00:00:00

MURDERS IN CA LIFO.RNIA.

The Sacramento papers have long accounts of a warm
and exciting chase after the famous robber Joaquin.
On Friday last, the citizens of Jacksonville brought in
the dead body of Mr. Lake, a butcher of that place, and
the body of a Chinaman, who was wounded by a pistol
ball. It was not then known who had committed these
outrages. On the next day, Saturday, three Chinamen
were killed between Sutter and Jackson, a distance of
some four miles. The driver of the Stockton stage and
two passengers were killed on the same day by Joaquin
and two others, supposed to be Mexicans. The three
men were shot, and the horses taken from the stage.
On the same day, the same parties drove some fifty
Chinese from a camp in the neighbourhood, and carried
away or destroyed their tents. On the Thursday pre-
vious Joaquin rode through the village of St. Andres at
a quick gallop, and shot three Americans as he passed
through the streets. Joaquin is a young man, of about
19 years of age, and must be one of the best shots with
a revolver in this or any other country, as nearly all
these men were shot through the neck. The whole
band, it is supposed, consists of about 60 men, all of
whom are thought to be Mexicans.
A letter from Jacksonville, dated 13th Feb., says :
" The town is under the greatest excitement. A large
meeting of the citizens was held this evening, at which
measures were taken that must lead to the eventual cap-
ture of the murderer. Nearly our whole population has
volunteered to turn out in pursuit to-morrow. Woe to
the Mexicans if they are caught."
The party of Americans who in pursuit, found
at Cook's Gulch, on Sutter Creek, the dead body of a
Chinaman. They traced the robbers to Jackson Creek,
a few miles below this village, and there found more of
their work—one Chinaman mortally wounded. Mr.
Lake was living, but speechless, and died in a few
minutes after the arrival of the Americans. He had
been shot twice, and stabbed in the neck, and his mule
taken.
The American party followed on, and soon overtook
the Mexicans who had committed all these murders. The
villains managed to escape, with the loss of their horses,
blankets, &c., and one, or perhaps two, of them were
wounded.
One of the party, worn out by fatigue, having been
in hot pursuit of the robbers for six days, returned to
Sacramento with three horses captured from a portion of
Joaquin's party. The utmost excitement prevails
throughous the mines.

POST-OFFICE ALTERATION.—We understand that after
the Ist April the London day mail, which now reaches
Edinburgh, tic/ York and Newcastle, at 5 a.m., will
reach Edinburgh at 10.30 p.m. This change will not
make any alteration in the time of the delivery of the
letters in Edinburgh ; but an acceleration of the night
mail, via York and Newcastle, which is also in contem-
plation, will enable the Post-office here to deliver the
letters by that mail at two o'clock p.m.. instead of at six
in the evening.—North British. Daily Mail.
OPPOSITION TO THE THAMES RAILWAY BILL. —The
parish of St. Clement Danes, Strand, in vestry assem-
bled, have resolved to oppose the proposed Thames Em-
bankment Railway Bill, on the grounds that it will di-
vert the traffic of the public through the parish, and,
consequently, seriously affect the trade thereof, and de-
teriorate the value of property therein. A committee
has been appointed to watch the progress of the bill and
to take the necessary steps to protect the interests of
the ratepayers,