Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-06-06
From the Sacramento Transcript,
AN ACCOUNT
Of The Trial and Execution Of s. S. EsTA-
BROOKS, in Calyorn ia, by mob.

1
the hanging Of a man at Redding's Spring
(Shasta City.) for the murder of his partner
| We have since received an official account O
the matter, and as the proceedings are character
lied by so much of law and order spirit. W,
feel gratfed in laying them before the public
1t is another exhibition of the power of tho
American mind, over that which we have here
totore known as mob law That he verdict o
jury was just and righteous, must be apparent Il
every one who peruses the evidence of Isaac
Roop, the first witness.
The appeal OF the prisoner was certainly pa
thetc and well appied-his asking for clemenc,
in the name of wife, to be widowed, and child
rem to be orphaned, exhibited him to be a man
OF tact, but the crime was Of to monstrous a
character to be looked on with any degree Of
clemency
The murder took place about ten miles from
Shasta City. 1t appears that Price, the murder
| ed man, and Easterbroof were in the same mess
| and had been together for some months. The
provoCation of the murder amounted to nothing
and directly after it had been committed, the per-
sons in the vicinity arrested Easterbrook, took
him TO Shasta City. On the 18Th the day after
the deed had been done, the following proceed
ings took place, which have been furnished to
us by an official source, by 4. w. Crenshaw
| Esq.
At a meeting of the citizens of Shasta, held
on the 18th of March, 1851 , at o'clock, p. NJ
Enos Dutton was appointed Chairman, and Rob
ert Crenshaw, Secretary.
! A motion was made and seconded, to appoint
a committee of three to select a jury of twelve
men, to try the cause before the people, which
was carried unanimously.
Whereupon, Mcssrs. Welsh, Weber. and
Daniel Hine, were appointed said committee.
The Committee selected J. Weldrdgc, Jo-
siah Roop, r. n. Slack, Samuel Truett, w
Stillwi John Ray, J. Herring, J. Bridgeford,
+. Murphy, r. s. Biddle, p. F. Terbush and
Benz. White, as Jurors.
a motion was then made and seconded, that
the witnesses in the case be called forwarded
and examined by the Jury, and. the prisoner to
have fair and impartial trial which was agreed
! 10.
a motion was made and seconded that 4. NJ
Heron be appointed to carry into effect the YER
! dict of the Jury, and summons to his aid as many
persons as might be necessary to release or exc
cute tie prisoner. Agreed to.
A motion made and seconded that the
! Chairman swear the jury and witnesses.
! Mr.. Isaac Roop, the first witness, was sworn,
and testified as follows:
"That the prisoner and deceased came to his
/ residence together at the Oak Bottom. in the
! evening-both drank ardent spirits, and Price,
/ the deceased, ard a man nam d Cook played
several games of cards-thcn the prisoner ana
! Cook played cards, and some rough words had,
after which the difficulty was s2ttiel--the pris-
! ouer requested more spirits, which was refused
! him. The prisoner then said th.t he would pay
| his bill. Being told the amount he said tits too
much the items were then shown him. and af-
ter looking over them and adding up the amount,
he said it was right and pulled ont the dus; to pay
it. AT that time Price, who had laid down IN his
tent said to him Don't be paying ont other poo
| pies money" The prisoner "a d he was not
paying out other peoples money and he would
shoot Price The prisoner then went out TO
where Price was LAYING, and said to him, Pre-
/ pare Yourself for Cd d-n YOU, | intend to
! shoot you" Price replied to him calmly. and
said Don't talk so, outlay down and go to sleep
/ The prisoner made several threats, which were
/ followed by the report of the gun. On hearing
the report of the gun, he (witness) ran to the
/ tent, and found Price bIecdng-spoke to Price,
/ but he could not answer him looked and saw
prisoner about sixty yards off, running. He cal
! led to him to stop, ard at the second call the
prisoner stopped AMI came back. Witness told
prisoner that he had killed Price, when the pri~-
oncr said, Have shot him" Witness replied
! that he most undoubtedly had. The prisoner
then said DO what you please with me, it was
!
that he saw the prisoner pull the gun out from
among the bacgace-that the bullet ht Prices
! breast below the shoulder-that Price lived near
/ y an hour after being shot-and was speeches.
/ from the time he got to him after he was shot
until he died. Witness says the conduct of the
/ prisoner, up to the time he shot Price, was like
/ that of most men under the influence of liquor
that the gun was found next morning in
| tent nearly ur der work bench.
! TIE second witness was Mr.. NJ Short who
| confirmed the statement made by Mr.. Roop
/ SAYS he got to Mr.. Price while Mr.. RooP was
! lighting candle and the only words Price spoke,
/ was, YES yes, YES" then Mr.. Roop came and
they took off the blankets.
I The prisoner was then asked what he had to
say in defense, to which he replied:
"Gentiemen of the jury | stand before you
As criminal, as man on the verge OF another
world. and as true as believe there is God in
! Heaven, feel in my mind gutnass of any pre-
meditatcd intention to kill Mr.. Price. We start
ed to SCOTS and Salmon river in company with
a third partner. lie got poisoned in Grass Val
! ley, and we waitedfor him to get well. He mprov
ed slowly, so we paid for his board, and told MIN
that we would 90 TO Oney, and come back, then
90 back to Scott River.
II am guiltless Of any feeling against Mr.
Price, he was good man. got to the mines
on the both Of last Juiy-never had any words
with any man-and never before did any thing
10 cause blush.
Price has wife. and daughter who is mar
RED | have a wife and three children. The
eldest is nine years of age. My circumstances
are such, that should leave this world my
wife and children will be pclnyless. | have
farm which is encountered, and without my re-
turn, will be sacrificed. Its not for myself. but
/ for ms wife ant children that plead. Taking
ms life would not bring to life Mr.. Price. 1t
would only make one more widow, and three
more orphans, and on their account only DO
( plead for mercy. as any Of you would, were yoa
I in the same unfortunate condition"
/ After hearing the prisoner. the jury retired in
charge Of Mr. Heron. Mr.. Riddle was elected
Foreman, anI Josiah Roop Secretary, who
gave the following verdict, signed by each Ju-
ror:
SHASTA. MARCH Is, 1851.
/ The Jury are of the unanimous opinion that
( s. ). Elslero-ooks is guilty o; murder in the
/ first degrse, and that he D. punished imma-
diately by hanging by the neck, until he Is
! dead D."
! ISiGSED By EACH JUaoE.
The sentence was read by the Chairman, in
+ presence of the prisoner, and, after nearly an
L,-- basDr n .,,-5I tho nriSonnr n MANAGE his