The Nevada journal., 1859-04-08

third volume OF DICKENS household
Words. j. R. Mcconnell Esq. counsel
for the prisoners, furnishes us with the
following facts in relation to the trial
and execution of the sentence:
The names of the three men were
Allen, Miller and Ridgeley. The gold
dust $500 in value) was stolen from
butcher on Broad street, whose name
was Napier. Ridgeley was employed
in the shop, and originated the robbery.
Allen was the son of a respectable man
in Ohio, ard had been in the Mexican
war, in Col. Weller's regiment, las an
officer, think. Miller was a drunken
fellow, an employee in Pell's circus
which was then exhibiting here. The
accused were all old acquaintances, who
had happened to meet here. Ridgeley
it was said died of the castigation which
was administered by Butcher Bill"
notorious shoulder-striker. The ST eriff
of the mob was one Hall, otherwise
known as "Otium cum dignitate"-a
name given him by DR.. Patterson. The
Lynching was in March or the first part
of April, 1851. The scene of the trial was
above where the brick church now is
of the lynching the hill just beyond
the present residence Of DR.. Knox
The faitnfulness of the account is un-
douhted--
ALYNcH TRIAL IN CALlFoRNIA.-A
trial by the Law of Lynch is thus des
cribed by University Graduate who
was an eyewitness Of it, and seems to
approve oft more than our readers will
be likely to do. His communication is
dated from Grass Valley, Nevada coun-
ty, on the 23d day of May in the pres
ent year.
We are organizing, he says, little
something like society in this rising town.
First, there are few women in this
place; then hitherto we have kept gamb
ling houses out oft; and SO, please God!
we will again. As for men of education
they are to be met with everywhere in
California. A few weeks ago we star
ted Lyceum l felt it not out of place
to bring in some pretty abstruse philos-
ophising in an essay dealt them, tho
my reading-desk was quarter ,cask, my
light tallow candle stuck by three
nails in a chip Of woodland my audi
ence mostly like myself, in flannel shirt
and long boots.
This country, however, tries man.
Here as old Swedenborg says of the sp;r-
itual world. disguise is difficult. Men
who have rid themselves of decorum
and the scarce-felt fetters of civiiscd
life, are here just what they will to be.
| was present a month ago at the most
solemn trial by Lynch Law of three
men accused of stealing: they were
found guilty, and terrible sentence of
lasbiug was passed, and executed on
them. One of them was what we should
call gentleman by birth and education,
and had served with credit as an officer
in the late Mexican war. There is an
earnestness and a sincerity about the
rogue and The good man, in fact about
all and everything of California life,
I which | suppose the rest of the world
cannot match. The merits of Lynch
Law come on for discussion next week.
in our barn, which we call Lyceum.-
Imagine the earnestness given to the us
ually impractical debates of a club, by
the fact that there is not member of it
who has not probably taken part, in
one Of til csc terrible, but absolutely nee
essary scenes, and may have TO do so
| tomorrow.
You have in England but a vague idea
what this Lynching is how absolutely
essential it is at present, only life in
the hills for some months could show
you, ] will describe to you what have
seen. Picture yourself on the top of
hill in pine-forest the stumps of fell
ed trees lying round wide row of log
and shingled huts on the slopes of the
hill, forming the town. On the hilltop
crowd Of rough looking men in boards,
felt hats, red flannel shirts, and long
boots. They appoint President by ac-
clamation, and one of the crowd getting
on stump, explains that the object of
the meeting in to try certain men for
stealing a purse of golddust out of
store in the town. He says the prisoners
are in the hands of the sheriff, and their
committal to the prison at Marysville
hos been made out (here laugh and a
growD but is it the will of the meeting
that men suspected of such crimes be let
loose, &c =! alluding to the distance, and
the notorious laxity in matters of this
kind at Marysville. Guided always by
their president (the Americans are pc
culiarly apt in the conduct of public
meetings,) they elect sheriff pro tem.,
and a committee of safety, and out steps
a splendid sample of the miner. and is
followed by his committee. They are
ordered by the crowd to take the prison
ers out of legal custody, and to produce
them iastanter.
Presently they return with their cul-
prits. The authorities had resisted, says
the sheriff, in reporting progress, and
did their duty as they were sworn but
I