Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-09-21

The election is o'er and we're beaten at last,
Cast off the ropes, touch lightly the oar,
For our gallant bark has left the shore,
GorEam, Jones and the rest must 60
Row brothers row, row brothers row.
Mokelumne Hill, September II, 1867.
~s.
ARREST OF MIRANDA.-Our town was
thrown into quite futter of excitement, on
Tuesday last, by the arrival of Deputy Sheriff
Matthews having in custody a Mexican
named Jesus Miranda, who is supposed to
have been the principal in the murder of Mr.
b. r. G. Johnson, about year since. The
circumstances connected with the murder,
which may have escaped the memory of some
of our readers, are briefly these Mr.. john
son kept store about two miles below
Spring Valley, on the Copperopolis road.
Himself and clerk lived IN the store and were
the only persons about the premises OF the
time the crime was committed. About dusk
on the evening of the 26th of September last,
three men-a Mexican, Negro and Chinaman
came into the store and called for some
thing to drink. The clerk was in the kitch-
en- preparing supper when the men came in,
but stepped to the door between the rooms
and saw them standing at the bar. Not
noticing anything suspicious in their ap-
pearance, he returned to the kitchen. Short
ly afterwards he was startled by the report
of pistol and Johnson's cries for help. He
attempted to enter the room where his en-
ployer was being murdered, but was met at
the door by one of the villains, who, with
pistol in hand, forbade his entrance. Find
ing his efforts to assist Mr.. johnson were
futile. and that persistence in his endeavors
would result in the loss of his own life, the
clerk ran to arouse the neighbors. Upon
returning to the scene, Johnson was found
lying behind the counter, dead; he had been
shot several times, his throat cut, and he
was stabbed in a number ofplaces. Robbery
was evidently the object of the murderers as
the till was broken open, a shotgun and
other articles of little value taken, and the
houoe SediCheu ioi pluhuei' 1He oiLlceIS
Immediately took the case in hand, traced
the Negro and Mexican to West Point,
where the former was captured, having in
his possession the gun which the clerk iden-
titled as belonging to Johnson. The Mexi-
can, though closely pursued. escaped. The
negro-John Ferguson-was tried for the
murder, convicted and sentenced to be hung
in July last, but stay of proceedings for
sixty days was granted by the Supreme
Court. The time has expired but no action
has yet been taken IN the matter. Since the
escape of the Mexican, the officers have been
interchangeable in their efforts to discover his
whereabouts. Descriptions of him were sent
to nearly every county in the State and the
officials warned to be on the lookout for him.
A $1,000 reward was offered for his appre-
hension. Recently telegram was received
from the authorities at Los Angeles, stating
Jesus Miranda had been arrested in that
place for assault and battery. Immediately
upon the receipt of the intelligence, Deputy
Sheriff Matthews started for Los Angeles.
Not arriving in San Francisco in time to
take the boat, he was obliged to make the
trip overland. On his arrival at Los An
geles his labors were rewarded by the sight
of 'his man." Taking the prisoner under
his protecting care, Mr.. Matthews started on
his return, and Mr.. Miranda is now safely
lodged in Jail. He was arrested on election
day. for striking policeman. Mr.. II. NJ.
Ball who formerly resided in this town,
happened to see him and informed the
authorities at Los Angeles who he was. Mr..
johnson was mild, unofending citizen and
his murder was one of the most brutal, in
human and cold blooded we ever heard of.
We are glad that the perpetrators will at
last be brought to justice. Too much praise
cannot be awarded our officers for their per-
sistent efforts to capture the villains. Nothing
has been heard of the Chinaman who par
ticipated in the crime, since the night of the
murder.
MONDAY last, September 10th, was the
anniversary of the independence of Mexico.
Notwithstanding the fact that the citizens of
our sister republic had additional cause for
rejoicing this year-the deposition of Max
imilian-they indulged in no hilarity, at
least not in this vicinity. Paucity of coin
was probably their reason for non-cele-
bratilg.