Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1868-03-07

tentlary Tor three years. Owing to his
extreme youth, however, and their be-
ing some extenuating circumstances
connected with the commission of the
crime, he was pardoned out by the
Governor after serving one year of his
sentence He had been at liberty but
five or six months, when he assisted IN
the commission of the crime which
cost him his life.
The 5yEar der and its Cause.
The particulars of the murder OF Mr.
johnson are too well known by all our
readers to require minute description.
Briefly, however, they are as follows :
On the 18th of September, 1866, B.
r. c. johnson, quiet, orderly, peace
able and inofensiye citizen, who kept
store near the Calaveras river, about
two miles from Spring Valley, on the
road to Copperopolis, was brutally muir
dered. The only witness of the dark
deed, with the exception of the perpe-
traitors, was Johnson's clerk. Accord
ing to his testimony, three persons CON-
mitted the murder a Mexican, Negro
and Chinaman. The parties came to
the house about dark, entered and call
ed for something to drink. johnson
waited upon them himself. Shortly
afterwards they stepped to the bar to
drink again. As johnson set the de-
canters on to the counter, one Of the
three shot him The clerk was in the
kitchen at the time. Upon hearing the
shot, the clerk rushed to the assistance
of his employer, but was met at the
door by the Chinaman, armed with a
six-shooter. Finding that he could ef-
feet nothing, he started at full speed to
arouse the neighbors. Upon returning
to the house, the body of johnson was
found behind the bar, shot in three or
four places and the throat cut. As the
premises had been thoroughly searched,
plunder was undoubtedly the object
that melted the murder. The state
ment which we publish is undoubtedly
true in every particular.
The Arrest, Trial and Conviction.
Officers were speedily in pursuit Of
the murderers, and the Negro and Mex
lean traced to West Point in this coun-
ty, where the negro was arr ested, by
Sheriff Oliphant, on the 18th of Sep
tember. The Mexican, although close
ly pursued, escaped. A shotgun and
revolver, identified as the property of
Mr.. johnson, were found in Ferguson s
possession. He was tried at the April
term of the District Court, Judge
Brockway presiding, convicted of the
murder and sentenced to be hanged on
the 7th of July last. Johnson's clerk
was positive in his Identification of the
prisoner as one of the murderers. The
Supreme Court granted stay of pro-
ceedinss for sixty days, reviewed the
evidence in the case, but refused new
trial and remanded the case back to the
lower Court for re-senter ce. During
the January term, Ferguson was SEN
fenced to be hanged on February 28th.
On the Friday previous to the one upon
which he was to be executed, he, in
company with two other prisoners, made
their escape from Jail. Ferguson, how
ever, with his usual ill,luck, was cap
tured on Sunday last, two days after bis
escape, and Cd Tuesday was returned to
his old quarters. We publish the par
ticulars of the escape and capture. in
full, in to-day's CHRONICLE
General Appearance and Bear
ing of the Prisoner.
From the time of his arrest, until his
capture after escaping, Ferguson exhib-
tied the most stoical Indifference to his
fate. He was apparently as free from
care and solicitude, as happy and IN,
concerned as though the most frightful
doom ever pronounced upon man was
not his inevitable fate. The hollow
precincts of his cell echoed with bis
songs and he was as merry as though
the approaching Friday was to De a
holiday instead of his last upon earth.
On Thursday evening, Fathers Cassidy
and Walsh attended the prisoner, and
his mother also visited him in his cell.
The meeting between mother and son
was affecting. Under the humauizinc
influence of mothers love, the pris.
oner showed some signs of contrition,
and he listened, with fearful eyes, to
the words of comfort, consolation and
hopes of eternal life which she whisper
ed In his ears. At six O'Clock she re-
tired, ,2and as night cast her sable mantle