Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-03
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Crime i'm California.

The following statistics show the number of
arrests in San Francisco during the month of
January
Murder, 81 highway robbery, 2; grand lar
ceny, 3; petty larceny, 81; forgeries, 2; as.
sault with attempt to commit rape, 2; OBJ
tanning money under false pretences, |; bur
glary, 4 assault with deadly weapons 4; per-
jury, A; threats against life 4; escaped convicts
?; State prisoners, a; false Imprisonment, 2 !;
assault and battery, Al breach of peace, 80 !;
violating city ordinance, AZ; drunk and disor-
derly, %; drunk, So; disorderly, 10; INSIDE
meanor, 8 insane, 8; dodgers, destitute per-
sons seeking shelter at the station housed s !;
vagrancy, 27--making total of 434 arrests.
Of these, 23i were dscharged-leavin l79
cases disposed of by the Recorder. The total
number of arrests during the previous month
was 625-showing balance in favor of the
present month Of 24l. Although the figures
exhibits remarkable decrease in the number
of arrests since the close of December, the
fact is by no means evident that crime has d.
minished during the period. OF the numerous
burglaries recently committed in various parts
OF the city, in a majority of instances the per-
petrators have escaped arrest. Upon compar-
ing the reports specified, it is found that the
excess Of offences enumerated in the Decem.
Der report generally come under the head Of
petty offences, or offences Of trivial character,
while the report for January evidences a con.
siderable increase Of criminal offences of a
higher order.
HORRIBLE DIscoyERY.-Te Ten Persons Perish
ed on tie PradieS.-The following, from the
Chicago Press is, probably, an exaggerated
account of the loss Of family near Galena,
Illinois, mentioned several days ago:
On the Saturday preceding the memorable
storm of the 2lst of January, two families,
numbering ten persons, moving from southern
Indiana to northern Illinois, arrived at Oxford,
the county seat Of Benton county, Indiana,
about forty miles northwest Of Lafayette, with
two OK teams, and well provided with necessaries
for the road. They remained there through
the storm, and on Monday morning resumed
their journey. Last Tuesday morning a man
passing over prairie, only about fifteen miles
from Oxford, came upon sight which filed
him with horror.
he carcasses OF two oXen from which the
viscera had been removed, lay upon the ground.
Inside of one Of them were the frozen bodies
OF four children, and in the other the frozen
corpse Of the mother with nursing infant at
her breast. Under the snow was a heap of
ashes in which the iron Of the wagons showed
that the party had broken them up, and burn.
ed everything they had in them in the effort to
save their lives. Not far from this spot was
found the body Of the other woman of the
party, partly concealed in snow drift, and
near one of the men. The two other men had
not been found.
1t is probable that the party became inextri-
cably involved in the snow drifts on the bleak
prairie, and lost their presence Of mind. After
burning up their wagons, it would seem that
the men had killed two Of the oxen for a shell.
ter to those found in them, and then accom-.
panied by one woman, vainly endeavored to
reach the town they had left, and procure aid
to rescue their companions. The two other
oxen had wandered off. There was nothing
about the persons to indicate who they we're,
and nothing more is known about them than
was accidently communicated by them during
their brief stay at Oxford.