Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-03-21
Statement of Charles Blair under Oath.


The following statement, made by Cbas Blair.
now under sentence of death in Shasta Co., and
published at the request of his friends, we find
in the Shasta papers Of the l4th inst.
On the evening on which am charged to have
committed the crime for which am sentenced to
die, and Jessie Stanly were at a shooting match
on Portuguese Flat A little before sundown
went home and left Stanley at the match. In
some fifteen or twenty minutes after got home,
Stanly came down, whoopng and ballowing, and
evidently mnch intoxicated had noticed that
he was drinking too much before left the ground
He proposed to 60 Immediately to an Indian
rancherie which was about one mile above on the
Sacramento river ! told him would go as soon
as / got my supper and as soon as it was over
we started. To prevent the boys from recogniz-
ing me- turned my hat inside out and Stanley
wore an Indian rubber coat, as we had to pass
number of cabins on our way. The road leading
to the ranchere runs within few rods of the
China camp, which was about three quarters Of
mile above our cabin. When we got opposite the
camp we heard the Cinnamon talking. Stanley
remarked let us go down and clean them out
and suitng the action to the word, started down
the Bluff as he made the remark. | called upon
him to let the Cinnamon alone, and come along
to the ranchere. lie made no halt, but said less
go down any how l then followed and went
down to the camp with him. To my surprise
u
saw the Cinnamon, Stanly caalled out, how are
you John p at the same time drawing his pistol
and bursting a cap in the air, and cursing the
Cinnamon, and telling them to come and pay
their tax.
The Cinnamon seemed to think that we had
come there TO kill or rob them. and Immediately
clinchCd in on Stanley, Others at the same time
coming at me. / saw them get Stanley down ;
then they crowded me back among the rocks and
lost my hat. | then drew my revolver and was
almost tempted to fire. | told them to stand
back or l would fire, but they came on regardless
Of my threats. About that time | heard Stanley
cry out take care,' and that was the last time
ever heard him speak We were then about
twenty or thirty steps apart. / never saw him
afterwards, We might not have been so far apart
as twenty steps; it was dark and | could not tell
the exact distance. think there some firing
of pistols. but could not tell whether it
Stanly firing or the Cinnamon | did not fire.
had no knife with me- having left my knife at
home. AS soon as | could cxtricate myself from
the Cinnamon, called to Stanley. but he did not
answer me. | took it for granted that he had
got away and run up the Bluff and returned home.
not kaOtotng there c0S q ChiuamaH hurt or
robbed.
When got home built fire, and was expect
ing Stanley home every minute, but he did not
come About half an hour after got home. an
Indian boy came down and told me that China
man had been stabbed, at the same time pointing
to his own side to designate the place where the
Chinaman wounded. That was the first
knew of Chinaman having been hurt. The
cause Of Stanley's not coming home as now eX
plained--in the scuflle with the Chnaman he had
stabbed one of them, and. knowing that they
would raise the alarm, he had absented himself
until he could see what the consequences were
going to be.
was alarmed, and did not know what to do
| knew that il the Cbnaman died, and it was
proven that bad been there, that had got into
Il bad scrape. My only hope was that it could
not be proven that had been there. | knew
that had lost my hat there but still hoped it |
ight not be found, and if it was, that it wond |
not be recognized as my hat. / knew that was
innocent of any crime, and therefore came to the |
conclusion that the best thing could do would |
be TO deny knowing anything about it. | knew
also that the Chnamen's evidence could not be
taken. and therefore thought ii would be impossi-
BILE to prove that had ever been at the China
camp. At the time the Indian boy came down,
was fixing to go out to bed under tree where
had been previously in the habit Of sleeping. |
did not feel very well. and just before going to
bed went to ncighboring cabin about fifty steps |
from my own and inquired for some pills. | had !
been taking medicine every evening for week |
prior to that time.
! then went to bed, and was lying there think !
ing of the incidents of the evening. and their |
probable consequences and felt almost heart sick |
about it, when Mr. Morris, the butcher. and |
think two other men, came down and called to me.
1t was dark, and ! did not recognize them
They were some distance Off They asked me
where Stanly was. / told them | did not know.
They then asked me if had any arms. and said
hat two men had been to the China camp. and
mad robbed them. and had stabbed one OF them so
badly that they did not expect he would live till
morning. | told them that had my pistol there
with me, and that my gun was in the house. Mr.. |
Morris, the butcher, came TO where ! was in bed. |
and gave him my pistol. lie said that he did
not want the gun-the pistol would do. He and
his companions then went away, and in about
fifteen or twenty minutes some ten or twelve men
came down and arrested me. The next day Mr..
Morris and were talking together, when he re-
marked that it was q bad scarpe | had got into.
and that he was sorry for me- / told him that if
it had not been that was owing him and Johnson.
that would not have been there to get into such
a scrape, and that if / had have got fifty dollars
out OF my wing dam, to have paid him and John
son, would have been gone to Yreka two or
three days ago, and not have been there to have
got into trouble. and that | had come very near
going day before yesterday anyway, and wished
now that had done so.
CHARLES BLAIR.
Shasta Jail, Feb. 22d, 1857.
Subscribed and sworn to before me, this 22d
day Of February, 1857.
w 8 JENKINS Conntv Clnrk