The southern press., 1851-05-10
California.

The state of society in California seems from
the following to be growing worse. This is the
region from which slavery was excluded, for
the sake of law, order morality, industry, pro-
gress ndfreedom. In contempt ofall the grave
objections that were made, the immediate adj
mission of California as State was insisted on,
to protect her from the horrors of anarchy-
And behold, she is worse off than before Is
there any pretence Of the late Compromise
measures, which the events of the brief period
since have not utterly crushed!
CASES OF LYNCH LAw.-The Sacramento
Transcript gives the following account Of a
murder, and the prompt lynching of the perpe-
tratpr:
Mr.. B. informs us that he left Weaverville on
Saturday week, crossing the dividing ridge Of
the western slope. When Mr. B. arrived at
Shasta City or Redding's Springs, he there
learned the particulars of most horrid murder
that had been committed the night before, about
ten miles from that place. II appears that two
persons who were in the same mess, had some
slight dispute when one of them seized gun,
and shot the other, the ball taking effect in the
left breast, from which he died instantly. When
shot, the victim made leap, the blood gushed
forth and he fell dead. As soon as the deed had
been committed, the murderer started to run,
but he was pursued and captured without much
difficulty
!. The assemblage took him at once to the
Springs, ten miles distant A court of the peo-
pie was formed on Sunday Judge appointed
witnesses examined-and the murderer show
ed all the clemencv he could have obtained in a
legal tribunal. The jury were cut but a few
Minutes, when they returned with verdict Of
guilty, and he was sentenced to be hung that
afternoon at o'clock.
The fellow acknowledged bis guiltand seemed
to have no regret at the termination of things.
He sat down to dinner, eat very hearty meal,
and even called for and partook of desert.
The hour Of execution having arrived, he was
taken TO the place designated where a raised
platform had been constructed The rope was
placed around his neck, and he was called
on to address the crowd If he had anything to
say.
The murderer simply responded by saying that
Il was TIE result of drinking, and warned others
from partaking too freely; that the only regret
was that he did not have time to writ TO his wife,
and with sudden leap he raised HIMSELF the
platform fell, his neck broke, and he was ushered
into eternity. As he did not wait for the plat
form 10 be knocked from under him, he may be
said to have been his own executioner.
LYscHrNe. sit is stated that fellow who has
81 400 deposited with an auctioneer In this city,
was recently taken up at rsncho on the Mokul-
umne for stealing stock. Judge Lynch pre-
sided, and the jury were equally dvided.-six
for whipping and six for hanging him. Finally,
they agreed TO whip him. and he was informed
that IL they ever found him in the State after
ward, they would hang him.
A correspondent Of the Placer Times writes
as follows from the town of Eliza:
1.-THE next day after my arrival here, | went
TO the Butte mountains, when we whipped two |
men fifty lashes each with fve-tail cat, for
horse-stealing After the whipping, they had
twenty-four hours 10 leave the country in. One
Of them left, the other went 10 his hut and had
some unnecessary talk next night we went to |
his hut 10 hang him, but he had the wisdom to
leave before we got there. In two or three days
after that I Witnessed another interesting scene
they caught one Of the sccomplices Of the last
mentioned hombre and took him TO the bank of
the river to hang him. He made three leaps,
and jumped into the stream--25 pistols were
discharged without effect. and the prisoner was
about TO escape. when the owner Of the only
rife on the ground observed very coolly, that If |
the COMPANY wished, he could kill the man; he
was ordered 10 fire the ball entered the back
Of the mans head, and he sunk dead. Three
days ago, while | WINS in the mountains they |
hung two Chinese for killing white people, Yes |
terdav another man was hung for murder, and a |
man logged for stealing money. Curious times
will vet be seen in this country; thief has
small chance. I have seen paper with 500
names on IL. and any ono, and all Of those men.
ut a moments warning, mount their horses and
90 where the complainant states, and II they arc
satisfied that the accused is guilty. they are rure
to hang him 10 the first tree. think people
will get honest here In due time. Judge Lynch's
officers are TO be found in almost every tent, and
when some Did thief advocates the cause Of
any Of their men who have been hung, have
seen pistols drawn In second, and the men
told II they did not like II that their friends had