Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-02-13
Testimony before the Coroner,s In
quest on the body of W. +. john

taken By the coroner jury, At AuIoiu' hs
our readers are aware the four murder
ers of johnson were hung by the people, on
Tuesday last. The whole of the evidence is
published in the Aurora Times, and occupies
between eight and nine columes Of that pa
per. We are indebted to MIR. Vandewater,
of Gold Hill, for copy of the testimony.
He came over from Aurora last night, and
reports that the Vigilance Committee have
four more men in charge. The excitement
about Aurora is unabated-thc people being
determined to purify the moral atmosphere
of that locality of all evil characters:
Goi,ano Bacgalupi, alias Italian jim, sworn
live In Calaveras county, gamble when have
money, mine when broke. Was at the Exchange
saloon on the morning Of the murder, anu from
there went to POrter's Saloon. Larry Murray
md another ncrson whom ] don't know went
with me TO PorIers Saloon; sad there till four or
five o'clock there were Il number IN the shIoOn--
Carder Joe Knot, johnson, DAILY bueKiey' Gar.
diner; there were good many there, Dut uoh
know their names. The man who was Killed was
in portef's saloon. Gardiner, johnson, ana l
came out of the saloon together johnson on my
left and when little way down the street. shot
was fired close 10 me; Gardner anu then ran;
Gardner was between deceased and me. 1 was
scared; we went to POrter's saloon anu showed
the door open; then came down anu Oh the way
s,,y rho body living on the street; decehseds col
lnr was burning and put the fire out; Gardiner
yus between deceased and me; Gardner got back
10 the saloon first; Gardiner remarked wheh ne
rot to the saloon that he did not want 10 get MUIR
JcrrJ. or something to that effect. Cardcr and
Joe Knot left the saloon first; Daly afterwards
started. also Buckley, Thrcc-Fingcred Jack and
Massey went buck to where the deceased was
about two and half minutes after the shooting,
but SAW no person there: think hcwns uead Wheh
| first saw him soon ~ put out the hre on ue-
ccased's shirt.collar / walked on. was hIrthu;
il was bright moonlight at that time, but dd not
notice any one Think Gardiner was sober; he
went down with me, and think he saw me put
the fire out Duly and the others left the saloon
two or three minutes before we did, TANK those
who were ahead of me- were DAILY Thrce'FlnScr-
cd Jack, Buckley and Massey, but am not sure
whether all these parties started togethrr OF nov
after the shooting saw 4 light in the Gem; tho
shot came uuartcrly-that those who shot were q
little behind him. When l went back TO Portcrs
Immediately after the shooting ran right up the
milGle of the street, hut did not ste any one 40
no; think that Gardner asked for pistol when
we got to the saloon think he rcinMKeu' wheh
we rot 10 the saloon; that he did not like TO sec
any Oua murdered. 4 short time before the stage
left in the morning, went up to Days house TO
collect So which he was owing mt, but he could
not give NE the money and lett. vance was
there in his drawers, and DAILY in bed smoking a
pipe but they did not speak to me further than Ill
answer to the question winch asked nm ABOUT
the money which wanted.
John .nth Swurn-i reside i'll Aurora; on the
night previous to the murder, Vance and left the
Gem saloon between ii and IL o'clock and went
to bed; Vance did not go out OF the mouse AGAIN
that night; Vance did not sleep in the same bed
with me; somewhere between4 and in the morn
ing DAILY Massey, Three-tingered Jack and Buck
lev came home together; did not hear them make
any remarks about the murdered man; some one
of them remarked that man had been Killed.
don't know who said this; Jack left soon after
they came and DAILY and Vance went into one
bed and Massey and Buckley in the other bed;
about half au hour after they came i'll, arose,
and after sitting in the house for while, felt
troubled in the bowels and went down town anu
took drink Of brandy and ginger at the Wide
West saloon; this was about half past I; WAS
in the house until after the stuge went out saw
Italian jan AT the house that morning: he only
stuid there ubOlt ar minutes; he only came 10
bid them goodbye; | think he spoke to Massey
about u pistol but did not ask DAILY for money;
the door WIS open when Italian Jim came; Vance
was in bed aud iIh not rise TO admit him; II hear
ANYTHING which does not concern me try to get
ont of the WAY, as don't care about knowing too
much. | AN certain that DAILY, Massey, Buckley
and Vance lid lcuvr the house until sometime
after the stage left; know nothing about the
| Vance tell The jury when they examined the
house.
Nash Parker sworn-Reside In Aurora; knew
Deceased; saw him last in POrter's about O'Clock
! in the morning before he was killed The parties
I in the saloon nj the time were John DAILY, WIN.
C.r,lrr Jas Massey, John Gilman, Joe Knot and
/ phrcc Fingered Jack and the deceased Buckley
was also ia there; think Italian Jim aud Gar'ncr
were also there. Think CarCcr and policeman
went on; before did; the following parties left
| the s;lloun with mc-JOc Knot, Gilman, Massey
| and John DAILY. Deceased was in the house whcn
! | came out and | don't know who We left in the
house: We started OH the same side ui the street
! which portcr's is on, down the sidewalk towards
| th,. Gem saloon; Knot WIS ahead and Gilman and
! went next to him; Massey was either alongside
| of Us or directly behind us; can't say whether
Buckley and Mcdowell were behind or still in the
| salocn: as Knot got to the door of tie Gem su'
! loon Gilman was in the street somewhere between
| Sam Davis saloon and the Gem; avn not sure
| whether Massey was with me or behind u few
steps with DAILY. At the time the shots were
| fired there were Gilman, Massey and myself to-
gcthcr md DAILY was few steps behind us; we
| were then standing in the street between sun
! Davis and the Gem saloOn ut that time don't
remember scing Buckley and McDowell when
| the shots werr fired Knot wus either opening the
| door or Il was open. The purties who took a
| drink were Gilman, Massey, DAILY and myself;
| think while we were drinking or before we left
the bar more PARTIES came In; think Gardi-
ncr came in; can't say positively who they were;
was no talk about fire arms while we were drink
| lag: did not hear that any one was shot ut that
| time; Gardiner WIS very drunk when he came in
I the Gem saloon, he was drunk when he was in
| pOrtpr's; have heard number of those Sacra.
| men o men threaten TO get even on the man who
killed Sears on Walker River-Daly among the
rest: DAILY and Massey first informed me in the
| morning at Fugan's house Of the death of Johr-
| son; was not out of the bed when they calnci
l = IL Ah..a
IN; they told me that there was q man killed
| named johnson, but made no suggestions about
| JohnsOns death; Gilman, Pagan and Massey
| heard what DAILY said; think heard four shots
fired but did not see the fash caused by either Of
| the shots.
! Mcdowell being somewhat inundated and
/ very much excited, then rapidly explained how
! he was situated ut the time of the murder; said
| deceased came down the street between Gardner
| and lin, and that when they were nearly oppo.
! site Martins saloon, DAILY ran from below and
| Buckley from above the deceased One of these
! two first shot and then cut his throat; Massey
was standing on the sidewalk, and Three Finger
cd Jack wanted to go up and see what was the
| matter when Massey told hill BOT to stir, "that
it was all fixed !" as the deed was done DAILY
! cnme down near the flag pole and exchanged
conts with Massey. Three.FingeredJ Jack further
says that he Is as innocent Of the deed rs tho
child unborn that he never associated with these
parties in any crime, aud that it is rs much MS his
| life was worth to say what he has now said, us
| DAILY and that crowd are connected with gang
in other cities and places, who would be sure to
| have revenge on him for what he has told
Parker recalled-l heard some one of the party
| at Porter's remark, abiding TO johnson, that
is the man that gave $25 to kill Sears" then heard
! some one of them remark, put out the lights;
am unler the impression that DAILY and Massey
changed coats; did not leave town after the muir.
der TO cvade justice, but some of my friends told
| ne that the men whom ran with were In Jail,
and as there was Vigilance Committee being
| formed that 1 had better get out of the way for
| awhile.
! Eliza williams recalled-I heard In my own
| house that Buckley knocked deceased down with
n pistol at the time he was murdered, and that
| Jack cut his throat; can't name any person who
| said this; Jack remarked in my house that he was
| as bad as the man who had done the deed, Us hc
was along with the crowd
DIR. Pugh sworn.-was called yesterday by
| Justice Moore, to hold an autopsy over the body
of the deceased Johnson am practieing physi-