The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1855-07-25
The Miners Revenge.

persons now residing within is days journey
from the spot upon which am sitting. Of the
death of Frederick Roe at the hands of the
popu]ace at Sacramento, in the spring of 1851
the reasons of it, and of the circumstances at
tending 1.-THE reader is still remindful, for it
was one of the most determined outbursts of
popular Indignation and vengeance which any
single individual had, by his crimes, brought
down upon himself, since California had become
an American possession, nor has it scarcely
been equalled since.
The first time I ever saw Roe was in the fall
of 1850. I was travelling through Bidwells
bar, village of considerable note, on Feather
river, when I noticed large crowd of persons
collected at the upper end Of the town, assem-
bled for the purpose of administering fifty lash
es to an individual in whose possession had
been found a couple of gold coins which had
been identified as belonging to another person.
In addition to that punishment, the popular
verdict was that his head should be shaved and
two hours given him to take his final leave of
that section of the country
The man was perfect stranger to the village,
having taken up his residence at that place but
two days previous, and from the fact that his
accuser was gambler, and that it was at the
instigation Of that peculiar class that he was
being punished, aroused suspicion in my mind
of the Justice of his sentence, which was much
strengthened by the honest and open bearing
of the man, and the earnest candor with which
he avowed his innocence His name was Walls
worth, and from the different statements, soon
became convinced that the matter stood thus:
That morning Walsworth was standing in a
gambling house watching a game of monte,
when Roe, who was engaged in betting against
it with no success, managed to take from the
table, while in the act of ''cutting" the cards,
two Bolivian ounce pieces, upon which had been
| scratched, for some reason peculiar mark.
These he handed to Walsworth, telling him to
bet them for him merely 10 change his luck.
Knowing but little about the game he at first
refused, but upon being pressed, took the coins
and threw one of them on table. The piece
was recognized by the dealer, who inquired how
he came by it. The victim informed him that
it had been given him to try his luck with, and
pointed to Roe, who was standing at the other
side of the room, as the man from whom he
had obtained them. Roe was called for, but
seeing how matters were, denied that he had
| given it to the man, or that he had ever seen
him before. Walsworth was instantly searched
and the other piece was found in his pocket,
which he of course accounted for in the same
manner as the first, but which Roe again de-
MED.
Circumstances were against Walsworth for
it was certainly considered a singular transac-
ton for man to trust his money in the hands
Of stranger, and as Roe was we'll known on
the bar and the other was not, the word Of the
former was taken In preference, and the latter,
after hasty trial, was sentenced to the punish
ment he was receiving on my arrival.
Owing to the number of persons surrounding
him, was not enabled to get sight of him
until he had received his sentence in full, and
was on bis way down the river, after making
an unsuccessful search through the town fol
Roe. He left an open note for him, however
which was read by myself and several others
previous to reaching its destination, which read
as near as can recollect thus
"MR. oE-Sir:-Through your villainy
have suffered humiliating disgrace-a dis
honor which will render my life one of misery
to its latest hour. l am innocent, as you well
know, and had not my time been limited to two
short hours, your dying breath should have &C
knowledged it ere another day. shall now
live for but one thing-revenge. Go where
you may, my eye shall be upon you, and SO
sure as there is God above, my satisfaction
shall, in less than one year, be complete and
dreadful. JACOB WALswoRTH.
The next time I saw Roe was upon the occa-
sion and at the time mentioned in the beginning
of this little sketch. He was then French
monte dealer, and carried on his operations as
such in disreputabe den on the corner of
Front and streets, in Sacramento city. On
the morning of the day of his death he had
drank pretty freely and being very irritable
when under the influence of liquor, he ordered
from his table minor, who had made remarks
to bystander in relation to the honesty of the
game. The miner refused and rough and
tumble street fight in front of the house was
the consequence. A teamster attempted to
separate them, when Roe pulled revolver
from his belt and shot him, causing wound
which proved fatal two days after.
Roe was arrested and lodged in the station
house, then located in the basement of brick
building on the corner of Second and streets.
Thimble riggers and French monte sharpers
were then getting into bad odor, and as soon
as the circumstances of the m1s7derous attempt
became known-or rather, as soon as 1t was
noised about the streets that such deed had
been perpetrated by gambler upon an honest
hard working man. crowd commenced gath
ering in front of the station house, in half an
hour swelling to the number of some two hun
dred persons.
Up to this time but little excitement had been
manifested by the assemblage, and L have no
reason to believe that the thought of lynchlng
him had been entertained or even suggested by
single individual present, they had collected
from motives of curiosity-a desire to learn the
particulars, and nothing more. Atthis moment
the startling cry of Hang him! hang the mur-
derer!" burst from single throat in the crowd,
but the tone in which it was uttered was so
loud, firm and decisive, that all eyes were in
stantly turned upon the speaker, who was
man Of perhaps forty years Of age, with stout
elformed person, and long, heavy beard,
which covered his face to his very eyes. He
was stranger to those present, but his intelli-
gent looking face, and the garb of minor, in
which he was clothed, entitled him to some
respect, and as he slowly mounted an empty
merchandise box, not a word escaped from the
crowd. He removed his hat, and pointing to
the prison, addressed the gathering:
s'In that prison. he said, sis murderer, a