The Shasta courier., 1855-02-17
AN EXCITING DAY:
Be,cas Of Pri.oner. |;

For several days past the friends Of the pri-
soners accused of unlawfuliy hanging one Will
ams at Red Bluffs, on the 30th of January last
have been making arrangements to come to this
place and free them from custody. in the event
OF their not being admitted to bail. On Thurs
day evening Sheriff Nunnally reccired un-
doubted information that large number Of
men, according to previous arrangements, would
appear in Shasta on yesterday for the purpose OF
carrying this intention into execution. Accord
large number of citizens to appear in arms at
the Jail, at the hour Of 8 o'clock yesterday morn
ing. for the purpose of aiding him to resist the
threatened attack, and preserve the peace and
dignity of the State.
During the forenoon, yesterday. various de-
tached parties Of armed men arrived in town,
and by l2 o'clock we presume they numbered
between fifty and one hundred. About one
o'clock an express arrived from The valley, in
forming the Sheriff that large body Of men,
armed to the teeth, were but few miles from
town, and in fifteen or twenty minutes there
after, the party, some fifty or more in number,
rode into toWn, and dismounted at the Eagle
Hotel At this time Sheriff Nunnally had the
Jail surrounded by about sixty men.
The crowd in front of the Eagle Hotel were
then talked to by Mr. Lowe, Sheriff of Trinity
County, who urged them to abandon the idea Of
attacking the officers and their summoned as
sistants, and permit the prisoners to remain aid
be dealt with according to the laws of the coun.
try. They determined, notwithstanding, to
send committee TO the Sheriff, with the request
that the prisoners be set free. A committee Of
twelve men was accordingly appointed, who at
wish Of the crowd. OF course the Sheriff re-
fused to give over the prisoners.
The crowd then discussed the subject among
themselves until about sundown, when many of
them became convinced that the facts Of the case
had been greatly msrepresented to them. A
number of gentlemen.troin Colusa had heen in
dnced to come by the statement that the prison
ers were chained in dungeon and fed on the
coarsest kind Of food others were told that they
had already been condemned to death. This
treatment they thought too severe under the
circumstances, and hence determined to lend
their assistance tu setting the prisoners free
Having learned from the prisoners themselves
however, that the statements were false they
determined to desist, and permit the prisoners
to remain in the hands of the law.
AT the hour OF going to press the town has re-
gained IFS usual quietness. The Sheriff, how
ever, continued to guard the Jail with force Of
upwards of fifty armed men,
Wepresume that the citizens OF Shasta County
have seldom been called upon to perform a SER
! vice for which, in some respects. they felt SO
great a repugnance. We would not be under
stood to say that they felt repugnance to aid
ing the officers in the execution Of the laws
What we mean to say is, that the prisoners are
well known in the county, and esteemed as gen.
tlemen; and hence, while our citizens synpa-
ihize with them-knowing that they were in
duced to Violate the laws under most unusual
excitement--lhey at the same time feel it to be
their duty to aid the Sheriff in preserving the
public peace.
We sincerely trust that this may be the last
demonstration of the kind ever made in Shasta
We are filled with horror at the mere contem-
plation Of what would certainly have been the
result OF an attack upon the Jail on yesterday -
Many of our friends on both sides, the best men
in the community, would have been killed in the
conflict, and our people branded throughout the
State as community of desperadoes.