Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-12-30
From the San FrsucIseo Alta.l

From the San Francisco Alta.1
On the 10th of October last, in WASH
ington Territory, n Of the most bru-
tai and cold-blooded murders was per-
petrated that 1t has ever been our duty
to chronicle. The facts in the case
have come to light by the arrest, In
this city, Of one Of the alleged murder
ers. On the day stated. two China
men engaged two white mon, Charley
Brown alias Peterson, and II Davis
alias Dennismore, to row them to All
island In Puget Sound, Washington
Territory, nea Seattle, agreeing to
pay them ten dollars for their services.
The men undertook the work. Sew
eral islands lay between the starting
point and the island the Cinnamon
wished to reach, and being unable to
make the trip In daylight, they camped
on one Of tile Intervening Islands for
the night. The Caucasians made fast
the boat and proceeded to where the
Cinnamon had taken up quarters.
They built a fire and lit q candle,
though 1t Is not known what purpose
the lighted candle could serve. The
Cinnamon appeared to be utterly un-
apprehensive OF danger, and enjoyed
the warmth of the fro with much zest.
Both mel disappeared and returned In
a few minutes, armed with deadly
weapons, and Immediately set upon
the Cinnamon. A struggle ensued,
during which one escaped, but the
other Is said to have been literally cut
to pieces by his assasslns. The China
man who escaped reached farm house
on tho island, where he found protec-
ton and shelter. The white men.
after robbing the murdered Celestial
of some three or four dollars, left tho
island. They went to Memo, where,
after some delay, they got passage In
a vessel bound for this port. Five
days after the vessel arrived, Chief
Crowley got dispatch from the Sheriff
Of King county, giving the particulars
Of the murder, and such a description
Of the supposed murderers as lie had
received. Chief Crowley gave the
case to officer Langford, and In a few
| days Charley Brown alias Peterson,
| was arrested. Davis left the city,
| crossed to Alameda and escaped.
Brown at first denied all knowledge
Of the murder, and stoutly protested
| his innocence, but being confronted by
a nan In this city who knew him In
Puget Sound, and identified him, he
| admitted that the murder was commit
| ted /; that he Is one of the two who
| rowed tho Chlnaman to the island;
but le denies having committed tho
murder, and charges his comrade with
the crime. He says the Chinaman
whom he attacked escaped, and that
he did not intend to kill him. His first
story was that he was n miner who ar
rived In Memo "dcad broke, and was
| compelled to make his way to San
Francisco as best he could. Sheriff
| Charles Lee Baylis, Of King county,
arrived here yesterday, and will leave
| with the prisoner this morning. Brown
Il not known to the police here.
IL d worthy Of remark that murder
ors and others, who commit crimes In
| tho country, almost invariably find
their way to San Francisco. Almost
all the convicts In San Quentin from
| country districts have been arrested by
the San Francisco police. lti5 there
foro q littlo strange that criminals
should persist in seeking the place, of
all others, where they are certain to
come within the grasp of the law. 1t
Is probable that they have ~confederates
here on whom they depend to shield
them from arrest; but they ought to
know that even their confederates can
not defeat the vigilance of the police
and detectives. It would DO far safer
for thom to give San Francisco a wide
berth, and much as We desire to see
every criminal arrested, we prefer that
It should be by the officers Of the coun-
ty where the crime Is committed.