The Shasta courier., 1866-02-03
Horrible Tragedy.

On AHui auay iuOlniiS laSl, DctNeeu tWo
and three O'clock. the classic precincts of
CHR atown were disturbed by brawling, tur-
mol and the report of a gun in one of the
many little cabins at the upper end of the
district which they inhabit. The watchman
| arrived on the ground few minutes after
the noise had ceased, and found the body of
q man lying in the road near one of these
dens of iniquity, lifeless, covered with blood
and wounds. and his face blackened.
A Chinaman explained that the deceased.
all blackened, had gone into his house with
double barreled shot gun, and stood in the
door of his bed room. with the gun in both
hands, partially presented at him as he lay;
that on seeing him he jumped from the bed,
seized the gun and wrenched it from him.
The explanation then ceased. The Sheriff
was sent for, and five Of the Celestial reptiles
arrested and put in jail The Coroner ap-
peared, summoned jury, and proceeded to
hold an inquest upon the dead body. The
following facts were elected:
Deceased, miner by the name of Freder-
lex w. Caldwell, for some time past resi-
dent of Middletown, started, in company
with his mining partner, at a late hour of
the night, for their home. They had taken
a lunch at Green's hotel, and the watchman
had lunched with them. 1t was about two
o'clock in the morning when they started
The watchman accompanied them as far as
the lower end of town, and stood conversing
with the partner of deceased, when deceased
left them and went into little China house
across the street. After the watchman left,
the partner raped for deceased and called
him to 20 home, and then walked on. When
he had got short distance on his way he
heard noise like scuffiing and returned to
the place where he had left Caldwell. He
again called him without getting an answer
though there were many loud China voices
within. Opening the door, which was ajar,
he could see in. He called again, when
some Cinnamon advanced towards him with
sticks and clubs and hit him over the head
few times, cutting his scalp and knocking
him down. On getting up he left for home,
thinking his partner had got out and left
An examination of the body showed deep
cut on the back of the head, one on each side
of the forehead as if made with blunt in
strument. one deep cut with a knife on the
left cheek, deep cut under the left arm
pit, which had evidently reached the aorta,
and two others in the back and side, both
penetrating to the cavity of the body.
The face of deceased was blackened from
the top down to the neck, but a minute ex-
animation convinced all, we believe, that it
had been put on after death with a brush or
feather, for the teeth were b!ackened with
the paint, the wounds on the face glazed
over with it, the hair was matted with 1T by
an upward stroke with the brush, making 1T
stand erect back from the forehead. There
was also paint plainly visible upon the 9TH
erwise naked eyebals, even the tongue show
cd marks of the paint. A piece of bar soap
that had seen some service was found in the
pocket of the dead man.
There is no doubt. in our opinion, but the
man was brutally murdered by these rascals.
That there was some provocation on the part
of deceased is most likely true, but probably
nothing to justify the result. They took the
method of blackening bis face and putting
the soap in his pocket to carry the impression
that the man was there to rob them in dis
guise, and had the soap ready to cleanse
away the~stain when he should have got
away.
The Coroner's jury, composed of some OF
our best citizens, could give no other verdict
than they did, viz: that deceased came to
his death because of wounds inflicted with a
knife by some person to them unknown.
All parties under arrest have been dis
charged, and we suppose this will be the last
of it, for there is little chance of the truth
ever coming out of such hell. The body of
deceased was buried respectfully on Thursday
evening.
From the best information we can obtain,
deceased livod in early life near Buffalo and
in the city of New York We cannot learn
that he has ever corresponded with friends or
relatives He was about feet inches in
height, light complexion, blue eyes, light
hair and beard, and was 35 to SO years of
age.