Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-07-15
The George Laws News.
TWO WEEKS LATER FROM CALIFORNIA

he events of the two weeks Hahi ph-i II
teresting aud important. First in the catalogue
must be mentioned the Disturbances IN Snn Fran
CISCO resulting from the uncertain tenure ri ianf
/ titles Headstrong and desperate men. melted
/ by enp1ty entered upon the lands Of owners
under alealde titles. and where forcible measures
we're taken Ia eject them. force was met by force
On the 9TH instant, in attempting to remove
suuatterS from n lot first street. claimed by
/ Capt Folsom, Mr.. Thomas Dillon Smith, OF Phi
ndelpha. was killed, and two persons wounded.
The parties elected subsequently got possession
of the lot and erected "A sort of fort. within which
they assembled To the number of ffteen afmiiig
themselves with guns, pistols. &c, aud IN this
way keeping possession Of the lot. The excite
lnent was intense, snd large number Of citizens
met at Musical Hall and organized themselves
into an association for the protection of The rights
If property holders.
Two or three days subsequent 10 the events
mentioned above, "squattor riot" took place
Green street. where Mrs. Murphy. the wife Of
one of the eontendng parties, was very severely
wounded, and two others were slightly wounded.
At Snisnn, similar Disturbances are reported.
Fire arms used, and the authority OF the
United States Marshal resisted.
The accounts of the recent gold discoveries
real like romance. At Iowa Hill we are told
that upwards of three hundred tunnels have Teen
commenced. and that some Of them will involve
an outlay of thousands of dollars. Remunera-
lion Is Ia be obtained when they get into the hill
Some of these tunnels have iron doors, and
locked and barred, lest some rogue should steel
the dust III the dirt. One cluim is reported to
yield an average OF 800 ounces per day. New
and rich dggngs have been discovered On Kern
river. which empties into Tulare Lake, $50 miles
south OF Stockton. These new discoveries haye
Produced much excitement in Marlposa county
and many of the best citizens are preparing to 20
south. W know that the value of new diggings
is generally exaggerated, but the papers published
in the ighborhood continually assert that the
reports from the new Giggngs are true in every
particular
The two political parties nrc organizing for the
September election. The Democratic State Con
tention will he held at Sacramento City, July IT,
and the wings hold a convention at the same place
week later ON the 25th July. There will he
no lack OF candidates for Congressional honors,
for almost every prominent man in the State is
mentioned in eonnexion with the Office of repre-.
sentative.
SQUATTER RIOTS-LOSS OF LIFE.
From the San Francisco Herald June g.
few dnys since we alluded to difficulty
which occurred on one of Capt. Folsom's lots in
which some members of the Police Department
were rather disposed to side with the squatters.-
The lot then in question is situated o. the
ner of Mission and Third streets After serious
resistance, the squuttcrs were elected, their
possession of Capt Folsom.
Mr.. Edward Cany, the agent for Capt. Folsom
has the management of the property and super
intended the removal OF the squntters. Two
men, named John Larkin and james Mcmahon,
were employed TO assist in removing the houses
referred to, for which they were amply paid
These two men, rs we are informed, went with
the money that they had thus obtained, and pur-
chased the house of man ON another lot Of Capt.
Eel nttaia tbp AFT md
streets. The owner OF the house had built it
some three years since, and had afterwards made
Il contract with Capt. Folsom to remove when
the lot was needed. Several other small houses
on the same lot are held in the same manner
On Saturday afternoon last Mr.. Cany was en-
gagged IN levelling the lot, and about 6 O'Clock
his. hands knocked off work. At - ven he was
informed that the lot was fenced in. 1t seems
that IN the meantime Larkin and McAahon had
taken possession of the house which they had
purchased from the original occupant aud had
enclosed the lot.
In the absence of other protection aud for the
purpose af preserving the property of Capt. Fnl-
sum, from the aRpeatcd cnroachments made upon
/ il, Mr.. Cany had employed a company of ten
men, At O'Clock in the morning, Mr.. Cany
informed the company that their services were
/ 10 iuired. The ten men were armed four of the
number were provided with axes, and on of the
/ partv was selected to act as captain They then
proceeded io the lot which is opposite the pas
works. Mr. Cnny ace 'mpanying the party. Capt
| Folsom was not present. Six OF the men were
drawn up IN line ON first street, aud the four
| aNemen stood III the rear. On the lot were Me
Mnhou, larkin, and several other persons whilst
in the adjoining houses, rs il afterwards turned
Out, were stationed II number Of other persons
armed. BY directions of MIR. Cany. the captain
OF he company ordered the parties on the lot 10
eaye whereupon dis, barge offrearms was
commence by those ON the premises. The word
fire wos then given 10y the Captain of Mr.. Cany :
band, aud Voey discharged. The fire was
kept up by the opposing parties-Mr Cany's
party standing NJ line all the while-the shots
tallng upon them from adjoining houses; the lot
and the hill in the rear. Meantime Mr. Cany
had gone at the head of the four axemen round TO
the rear OF the lot. where he gave orders tn de-
moish the house. This the men commenced
doing hastily, when the occupants rushed out
pe nell and dispersed. The house and fence
were then torn down; after which those engaged
turned their attention to the wounded.
OF Mr.. Gangs party, the only one injured was
Thomas Dillon Smith, of Philadelphia. He had
been shot in the back part of the head the ball
penetrating the brain, inhicting mortal wound
en- the other side, John Iarkin was shot in the
leg and IN the arm, and James McMahon near
the sholder and in the arm. 1t was reported
yesterday that amputation of II limb Of each
would be unavoidable, as we'll as that the life of
Mr. MeAlahon was despared of-although this
may be an eNaggemtion 1t was also stated that
some live other of the squatters were wounded.
but as We were unable TO ascertain their names,
we are not disposed to crcIt the report the
more particularly ms many exaggerated accounts
were IN circulation Yesterday morning
After the firing had ceased, two of the carts
engaged in removing sand from the lot were pro-
cured by MIR. Cany, who had Mr. Smith removed