New Orleans daily crescent., 1860-07-07
TEE BLoon-REn HANn

LEE bbOoO-l-ED Ian ~
gogsipiHg correspondent sends the San Fran
cisco Golden Era few "reminiscences Of the
rougher times of California, in which he depicts
the gradual fading out of those more refined and
Christian usages which go to make up the contrast
between the past and the present ON the Pacific.
With his opinions, in that regard we have nothing
to do; but here are some bits Of retrospestion
which may serve to interest the general reader:
j Wa standing one day, some years since, on a
corner Of Sacramento and Montgomery Streets
when the cry Of murder, uttered in loud and
frightened tome attracted my attention, as li did
that of some hundred Others who came aocking
from every direction to the scene of disturbance.
A man of respectable appearance, s0newhat past
the middle age Of life, darted from the open door
the What Cheer Honse, adjoining my Office and
running across Sacramento street, utteriHg loud
cries took refuge in bookstore opposite, followed
by younger man carrying in his up-lifted hand 9
bloody knife, and evidently in state Of great ex-
element
The latter overlook the fugitive at the threshold
and succeeded in once more planting the steel be-
tween his victims shoulders The latter fell wei
tering in his blood and the wieider Of the knife
throwing away the weapon and faarlessy facing
the crowd, cried with frienzied motion, Z. nm
the only avenger; he has corrupted my WIFE, and
| him u came from hundred voices in the crowd.
/ And such probably would hare been his fate had
not strong force Of police at this moment arrived
/ and taken him into their own keeping. The WHOLE
4 ALL it appeared that the Jealous husband Wag to
| tally mistaken in his suspicious. The supposed~
offender magistrate Of some standing, and it
was clearly proved that he had had no acquaintance
with the lady beyond the offering of those civili-
| ties which every unprotected woman expects from
/ any gentleman on board steamer.
4 Invited, upon arriving i'm San Francisco, to coil
4 upon the lady, who had come out to meet her hus-
band in the course Of the week he repaired 10 the
1 hotel in question with the view Of Eedeeming his
/ promise, when he was met at the de0E Of her \
i NJ bvt tha xwfY
4 tnted the rather unceremonous proceedings here
1 described. The unlucky visitor recovered, and II
4 is to be presumed that before offering ciyilities
| to another 4 unprotected fenale,n he will take
| the pains to inform himself whether she II mar
4 ried or single. Only the day previous TO this oc-
4 currence, q romantic young lady, formerly an
i mems attire, and proceeded TO revenge the sup
posed inidelity of Of her admirers by cutting
4 him up in tine public street with large bowie
4 knife She evidently considered herself hero
1 ine ana afterwards wrote 10 the papers from her
i cell an epistle modelled after the most approved
| specimens OF the Flora Matilda school, and TINS
! attracted considerable portion of the public
i sympathy. She was heroine.
| / have witnessed but one execution on the
4 Pacific, and it is my earnest prayer that il may
never be my fate to see another. The pictures
II which English authors have drawn of a London ex
ecntion are tame in comparison. The place lsu-
ally selected for the scene 81 these executions was
on an eminence some distance back Of the city
. on Russian Hl Every precauton had heretofore
been used by the authorities to keep the theater
selected for the enactment Of these reahfe trage-
dies secret, and different reports would be given
out with regard to the locality for the purpose OF
misleading The populace, whose scent on these oe
casions is, however, too keen to be haied by any
of the ordinary precautions used in such cases.
attempts the part of the culprits friends 40
rescue rendered it necessary that the military
should take conspicuous part in the prog
and at an carly hour of the day appointed for the
| execution of the criminal, Of the termination q
whose Wratehcd career was to be spectator, the
+ tapping of drum in front Oh Afnnry Hall gave
n notice thut the spectacle was shortly TO COM
+ mence.
i The CITY Guard Capt John Clark, and the CALI
fornia Guard Capt. Johns, were detailed for the
unpleasant duties Of the day, enlivening the road,
i. which was densely thronged by pedestrians and
eqnipages, with the familiar music Of Sheltons s
famous band and the briliancy of their uniforms.
Y The police came by, occasionally in plafoens,
0 sometimes on run, at others taking it more ies-
V | urely among the crowd, many of whom were more
familiar with the delicate attentions of these off
i cials than was agreeable. The different groups
n were as chatty and animated though all were
| going to the celebration of some great festival
II Some of the carriages were occupied by groups Of
young men, handsomely attired, who occasionally
J. passed bottle from one to the other, and made
| bets on the coming event, or cracked Jokes with
! those on foot. Women Of elegant appearance
:, were also there in the most elegant of vehicles
their highyrouged checks and flashy attire telling
!. all too plainly the story of their ves-some o.
10 them SURPRISING the worst of the men In the
: boisterousness of their conduct and the abandon
a ment of their language. The motley procession
ia embraced many boys and children, whose morals
h were expected to be benefited by the coming dis
!. play.
n platform, with drop and the usual appendages
had been erected upon the summit of the hill
% around which open space was preserved by tn,
police and the soldiery. The day was eppresslyall
10 warm and the numerous stands putup every sid
n for the sale of frnits and liquors must have drive
10 1ms a thriving business. Long before the appearance
tn of the principal actor in the scene, several paFte
of rowdes were pretty well intoxicated, and symp
toms Of riotous disposition began to manifes
he | themselves.
,i At last the carriages containing the Sheriff an
te his assistants, the cergymaa and the eeadsmned
es drove up to the platform; the officers came iof
81 upon it, as upon stage; then young man Q
ain short but heavy frame stepped ont or raaer wa
assisted upon the stand and the priest bronght u
M the rear Whispering words Of consolation and hop
M into cars evidently incapable of hearing taeh
IL II That fearful scene, with its attendant horrors
'e will easily be recalled by many present residen
Il. of San Francisco who was a witness 80 1t. III
!.5 !.ts | niincipa actor in it young lnan name
~ shenpard who having been forbidden by his en-
NY poyer and former friend, reputable San Franci
s ~ can to continue towards his daughter certai
s attentions which the latter feared might result
, M her rtia was said to have decopsa the old ma
eie towards one of tAe less nsqusnts1 wharves, an
ss, there In the darkness of the eneaing, taken I
oi life. The result proved that the Sather wasin u
ant right and the oaprit paid the psaalty within sig
~ of those golden gates't through which, buk
,an few months before, wikh heass beating nigh ai
20: esate with hope, he haa pissed on the hlghwa
- hc uuseSSt W -, ta.o. ~ - ts Xg.ss,.ion ~
ind sttehaant asoh suc1 scenes sas nssn w a
hat sasnlcn e sae oaif slaSsa ~ ~ W." ;i - -
laA one, ana Iae paese OF S rIle ~ s s,.. ~
ssI ing affair thrilling, and, at the saRe lin
90 solemn in al It's details, as the eNeeasion
naa Sheppard.
~ A gentleman who employs great namber
M ol persons In manaaetory in the west of Englal
city saaasaea Il ahaseb an 4 lstn All iay. told III
the tsat II ,Ssv want ~ chnyeh thav wconld reos
the tha;, ,oatsss for that asS ii Tho same manner
late sha, hs3 haey ~ ,,slr JInon ,Vhch a tienutal
fell Svss annoinfaa 10 arsaa;nt ,brir amnever ma
and he vvanla nav tbs III, oya,. hnnrs they ,sopld
new tana i;la rs M, uat,st sbaat in ti,ss III n