Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1852-01-16
Eyaehsng of woman In CALIFORNIA;.

contains the following particulars of the execution
of young girl ut Downievile
| She is Mexican senorita. with all the passions
and frailities which attach themselves to the race
One day, she stabbed SO that he died in short
| time Public opinion varies as to the enormlty OF
this crime Some assert that it was wnnton and
treacherous attack others consider to have been an
ordinary murder under circumstances OF insufficient
but considerable provocaton; while many affirm that
the blow struck in defence OF her person against
a drunken assault The better opinion Is as far as
can learn, that-the killing unlawful, but un-
der palliating circumstances. 1t is OF little conse-
quence to my present purpose, to examine into the
/ degree Of crime. | am merely to relate how 1ro-
man was punished by unlawful hands in this high
/ noon of the nineteenth century.
1t seems that an example was needed in Downe
vile Little retribution had fallen upon for
mer murderers in that vicinity, and it unfortunately
happened that the dead man had many friends in
the city, while the girl ELECTED sympathy Her
nation despised, and she Of character
which always draws companions than friends
in California. The many headed monster cried
i blood for blood -
1 The Mountain City is situated at the confluence
Of two branches Of the North Yuba. and is connect
ed with the opposite bank by long bridge. The
cord thrown over a cross-beam in the middle of
! this bridge and thither the Infatuated multitude
buried their frail victim. Her bearing was haugh-
tv and composed in the highest degree. She
beautiful girl. but neither her beauty unusual
roundness Of form excited the slightest compassion
in the ma iority.
At this point of the proceedings, young lawyer
mounted the bridge railing and denounced the whole
affair in words of more bitter nstce than discretion
| He not suffered to speak long. dozen hands
pulled him down, and as many feet were vigorously
applied to him along the length of the bridge When
upon the opposite bank, he was forbidden to enter
Downievlle again. under penalty of being tarred and
feathered.
/ Even the perpetrators of this outrage have been
shamed into common humanity by the next appeal.
4 phvSic known in thn nj ed
his professional reputation and most sacred honor.
that the girl was encente. and demanded for her the
repreve which was always granted by the mercltul
common law Of England. in the darkest ages
and most bafbarous periods. But no Mercy to a
murderer Time to give birth to another of the Vi
per's blood They booted at the idea The physi-
clan ordered to leave town within three days,
for having dared to disturb the majesty Of the peo
pie, arisen to assert justice.
Meanwhile the girl had been looking on with the
utmost nonchalance. At the failure of this last APP
peal scornful smile distorted her lip, and she at
once began to perform the last Offices for herself
! The manta removed from her head and given to
her paramour, with her watch, purse and ornaments
Her black hair fell in her shoulders but
she calmly grasped the moose, dangling near by, and
passed it around her neck. concealed the hdeous
knot beneath the thick fall Of her hair. She made
but one request-that her hands might be left un-
tied and free to give the signal. Strange to say.
they did grant her privilege, but the which,
in cases, where the nerves not made of steel,
would have been the most injudcious.
She then drew a bunch Of cigarias from her bo-
som and distributed them among the hystanders.
serving one for herself This she lighted and half
smoked-then drew it from her lips with would
do it again. the maldto-?' She did not finish
the sentence, but dropped the cigarita. This
the signal and her light form shot rapidly up in the
air, hardly struggling. powerful the will that
kept her free arms stfHy pressed against her sides
There she hung over that foaming river-between
sky and earth, the mark of deepest disgrace upon
all our fair land Ever since that moment of deli
rum, the citizens of Downeville have been called
f by press and people, the " Downevansn
Contrasted with scenes like these how lofty hare
been the motives and actions Of the Vigilance Com
mittee! How dastardly too, those who have infest-
ed the Bench and Bar, till = Judge became title
of doubtful honor in California, and honorable law
yers blushed for their profession
Origin and Prospects Churches IL the United
J States.
We present to those of our readers who take an
interest in these mattersthe following religious sta
tstics exhibiting the date of organization and pros
poets of the different denominations in the United
States, taken from the report of the Rev Dr. Baird
delivered before the Evangelical Alliance Society of
England:
The last SO years, according to Dr. B. have
constituted the most prosperous of religious
history In this PERIOD the last ligament which
united the Church and the State sundered-in
Connecticut in 1876, in Massachusetts in 1888.
The Oldest branch of the Protestant Church this
country is the Protestant Episcopal Its history be-
gins in 1907, with the colonizng of Virginia and it
continued to labor under very serious embarrass-
mens until after the Revolution 1t is in We
ry fourshng condition. The Congregational branch
Of the Church next in order Of time and is al
e so rapidly augmenting in wealth and numbers. The
Baptist branch of the Church is the third in order of
time. This Church, in its orr gin suffered much from
the intolerance Of the civil governments of Massa-
: chuSetts and Virginia. In the last sixty years the
e Bapsts have increased their Churches ten-fod their
members more than thirteen fod, and their minis
\ ters nine fold
v The Presbyterans come next. The first min
e listers from Scotland and the North Of Ireland.
y presbytery formed in l7O5, consisting Of Sc
: ministers.
In the last so years it has been increased in its
ministers nearly twelve fold, churches eight and a
! half and nearly nine fold in its members.
The last, in order of time, of the larger religious
bodies that have arisen is the Methodist Episcopal
a Church. 1t organized in 1884 and in 1900 had
/ 10000 members. Its subsequent increase has been
r immense. There is to believe, says DR.. B.,
that the membership of this communion has increas-
It ed than six times fast the population of
p! the country has done since 1884
+ In addition to the above large denominations, there
is group of churches, ten in number which, with
> few exceptions, the German language and are
almost all OF them ofshoos of German bodies in Eu-
y rope. Emigrations constantly increasing their
l. strength To these, not before computed, must be
added 500 congregations . Meetings cf the So
cety of Friends whose numbers do not exhibit a
l. very perceptible increase.
IF The Roman Catholic Church comes next in order
II with archbishops 80 bishops. 1913 churches, l.,
e, OBJ priests, and population of 100000; also the
: Untarians, with about 800 churches $50 ministers