Daily national Democrat., 1859-12-03
Briei Sketch of Prisoners now Lying in
the County Jail.

Before bis incarceration he was inclined to be
quite jolly, his face being wreathed with in
eessant smiles In this respect we found him
little changed. Atany rate such was his ap-
pearance while we conversed with him He
seems by no means overcome either with
shame for his condition, or fear for the fu-
ture
Skelton, it viii be remembered, forged,
or is accused Of forging county warrants of
Sutter county, and some certain promissory
notes. upon which he received the money.
SHELTON is native of Kentucky, where
his parents, who are most respectable and we
believe wealthy, reside. He was well brought
up, and his lapse from honor is indeed ex-
traordinary. In this country he has been
employed in several responsible situations
He was at one time deputy in the Clerks
Office of Sacramento county at another
deputy in the Clerks Office of Yuba county,
and afterwards in the Clerks Office of Sutter
county. At the time he committed the Of
fense with which he is charged, he had con.
cluded to turn his attention to farming and
had leased a farm from Tolbert Keeler,
few miles from Yuba City. The object of his
forgeries was to put this farm in order and
to carry it on until it could realize profit.
The money he had raised on one or two
forged notes he had paid back, and taken the
notes up and probably intended to continue
the practice, but failed to obtain the means
in time. We have heard that he wrote to
his father to send him money with which to
get himself out of his trouble by paying
back to the county of Sutter and to the per-
sons detrauded the amounts lost, so as to
lesson the yigor of the prosecution, if public
sympathy, on account of his willingness to
refund, could be elected to that extent in his
favor. His father replied-at least go we are
informed-in very grieved and mournful,
yet determined tone, that he had brought
him up in the paths of honor, that he had
given him good education and striven to
imbue his mind with good principles; that
the evil which had befallen him he had
brought upon himself and that duty to his
other children and relatives who had claims
upon him, would not permit him to sacrifice
money in the behalf desired. lie had made
his bed and must lie upon it.
The next cell we reached was that of Thos
NJ. Mckinney, who killed man named Rice,
in this city, in July last. Mckinney is a
jolly Irishman, about IS years of age, of
medium size, grey eyes, rather short face,
and brown hair, heard short He resided at
one time in Alabama, and has family still
living there. He killed Rice in a sort of
fight or quarrel. lie has a hole in his head,
which reaches, it is said, to the brain, and
| sometimes, under great excitement, makes
him delirious This damage was caused by
the caving of a mining bank upon him. When
new prisoner is put into Jail, the occupants
of the different cells, who are in hearing of
each other. constitute an impromptu court
and give him a sham trial. pronouncing upon
his guilt or innocence. They sometimes con-
vict man upon bis own showing In all
these cases, Mckinney, who is a fluent talker
and something of a wit, acts the part of
Prosecuting Attorney, and labors to initiate
as much as possible the style of Col. Hatch
Next to him is Coddington, accused of the
murder of a man, on Stony Creek, Colusi
county, last summer, for his money. He is
a young man of about % years, five feet
eleven inches in height, and we'll made. He
has kind of oval face, some what narrow,
a tolerably full brow and head inclined to
the pyramid form, as whole, from the base
to the top His complexion is clear and his
eyes and hair light, the latter of the very
straight lank quality and not very thick
He is talkative and good humored but we
cannot say that we liked the general expires.
sion of his countenance There was some
thing in it, We thought of the sly and lurll
ing savage. Appearances, however, are de.
ceitful and our physiognomcal observations
may be wrong. Coddington is from Ohio,
and moderately well educated
Next to him is Jas. Smith, an ignorant
Irishman, who shot man and badly wound
ed him at Long Bar, few months ago. He
has very unprepossessing countenance, has
little to say, is sullen and morose. His face
hasn't much beard. His hair and eyes are
light, and his forehead very much retreating
He is of medium size.
Next to him is Thos Hernandez, a scowl
ing, scoundrelly looking Mexican, in for horse.
stealing. He is tall, heavy built, very stout,
pitted with small pox and 40 years old lie
smiles, but he looks as if like Richard Third
he could murder while he smiled
Next him is Francisco Was, a Mexican
also accused of stealing horses. He is about
80 years of age and quite slim, and is simp-
ly ajolly, reckless. laughing, mischievous
unprincipled born.devil. Probably, he
wouldn't kill a man, if he could get his mo-
ney without it, and he looks upon horse
stealing very likely as kind of innocent
amusement. He is just the kind of man To he
the biggest scoundrel in the world without
ever realizing the fact He speaks little
smattering of English, and keeps the prison.
ers, (many of whom are in hearing of each
other, through the barred tops and sides of
their sheet iron cells) in excellent humor by
his mischievious sallies.
Next him is Benjamin Turner, accused of
the murder of James Simpson, at the last
OaDaral alaction with ~ ,.o.t;a,I.u, II