The Shasta courier., 1855-11-10
CONFESS
ALEX. e.. HIGGINS,
Exeeuaed I'm Shasta ON she 9th of Novena.
ber, 1855, for the murder Of
ID. C. GOODWIN.
TO THE PUBLIC.
In JAIL, Thursday Night,
Nov. 8, 1855.


inflici for any crime-an ignominious death; ane
before these my words are printed, my soul will
have winged its everlasting flight to that unds
covered country from whose bourne no travele
has ever returned. Thus standing upon thu
brink Of eternity-expecting in few shor
hours to be ushered into the awful presence o
Jehovah-I trust that my words will be instru
mental in causing some of the wild companions
of my late years, who will doubtless hear of my
sad fate. to abandon their evil ways and turr
their footsteps in the paths of righteousness.
trust also that my unhappy end will prove g
cause them to avoid evil company, and eschew
the soul degrading and crime engendering habit
| of using alcoholic liquids.
am yet but young man, having been born
on the 29th Of October 1929, in the town ol
Longford, Ireland. At the age of seven years
removed to Sligo, where remained until ls4l
when | emigrated to New York. In 1874 en-
listed in the regular army, and was sent to Bra
zos, Texas, to join company A.. lst regiment U
| s. Artillery. Not liking soldering very well
ran off at the end of six weeks, and made my
way to New Orleans, where l remained seven
weeks, when | shipped on board packet ship
| Wabash for New York. Remained in New York
one week, shipped board receiving ship
North Carolina. and drafted to Norfolk, and
there joined the 81. Mary sloop-of-war bound for
the South Pacific squadron. Remained ON board
of this vessel eighteen months, and upon her ar.
rival al San Francisco, in 1S4S, under the excite
menl of the gold fever" again took French
leave;'' but at the end of two weeks was cap
| tured and taken back to the ship, and received
200 la>hes equivalent for the trouble and
expense of my capture. Immediately after the
vessel went on cruise down the coast, during
which | was again reminded by sundry stripes
of the Nervousness OF my efforts to reach the
gold mines. At Valparaiso 'cut stick" again,
and at the end of tno weeks shipped aboard
English bark Ajar, bound for San Francisco,
which port we reached in the fall of 49. Re-
nained Ill this city until the Spring of 80, when
went 10 Sacramento. IN which place and Ma
rysville have resided ever since, until some
time in May last, when came 10 the northern
mines.
True in 80 worked for several weeks in the
capacity of cook ON board the steamer Express,
then in command of Capt. Morgan, aud engaged
in the upper Sacramento trade. l may here re-
mark that during my residence in this State
have been chiefly employed in the capacity OF
cook.
In May last reached Horsetown in company
with d. C.Goodwin, Henry Abbott, and another
man whose name do not now remember. We
stopped at the hotel of j. C. Spencer about two
weeks, during which time we prospected around
considerably. and not making it pay, got much
dscontenled.
About tins time several of our acquaintances ar.
rived from Sacramento, and had several len ngthy
talks with Mr.Goodwin concerning some papers
Of value to them, and about which had never
heard until then. Goodwin avowed his firm de-
termination to keep them until such time as they
should be demanded 10y the person "a woman) }
who placed them in his hands for safe keeping.
They then remarked TO him. with much warmth,
that they would have what belonged to them,
prevent him from ever enjoying it.
One of them then took me 10 one side and
ing below, because of my poor prospects in the
mines and was only prevented doing so by the
of funds-being fiat broke-promised to
raise me enough money to pay my way, as, he
said, ! had often beirended him. He then spoke
for short time To the others, and Immediately
returned and gave me $50. He then inquired
it Goodw had acquniniances in Shasta. told
him that he had one that knew Of and quite a
number in Neaverville. Al this time had not
the most remote idea rchat uas going to occur
then, i'll reply TO bis question, informed him that
would start below the following morning.
The same afternoon Goodwin received letter
from friend whom he called Long Bill" tell
ing him that he. the writer, was in Shasta that
he would like to see him, as he and his partner
Crawley bad good diggings in Trinity, and
would give him show. Goodwin determined
at once to go TO Shasta the day following.
The man who gave me the $50 then again ex-
pressed wish that l would positively leave
next morning. He said .'if there is anything
about the cabin that you want. take it, and nev-
er come back this way again" The three then
started, they said, for Pitt River. at this time
knew the fate intended for him. ,eeH as for my
self, unless my mouth remained closed.
Next morning proposed to &. to go down
to Brigssville; but be said no. that he would
60 to Shasta and long Bill. then offered
TO go with him TO town, ii he would re main until
the morning following But he declined for the
same reason, and said that if any thing good
came of il, he would let me know. AT this time
l had not iuaorsned him of my intention of GO
ing below.
Then letting fall the remark that he would
do well among the rum mills Of Shasta, l turned
to and made coffee for US both-continung,
however, in my efforts to dissuade him from
going to town iha, day. told him, in a man.
ner that would denote impending danger, that
if he started for Shasta he would not be likely to
get back again in hurry; TO which he replied
that he had been around the world enough to
take care of himself. Then telling him that
was going below, 4 abandoned him TO his fate, and