The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-06-10

Il
within our observation as public journal
ists--that of Gregory Summerfeld, or, az
he was called at the time, "The Man 1
with Secret" Our correspondent
writes as follows:
EDITORS SACRAMENTO UNION: A f
few hours previous to the death Of that
distinguished lawyer, Leonidas Parker,
tof this city, he placed in my hands. for
publication the following manuscript, re-
| qnesting me, at the same time, to select
q journal Of the widest circulation for it's
/ publication. Yours, ETC., w. H. H.
4 THE MANUSCRIPT.
i The Auburn Messenger. of the let of /
November, 1870, contained the following
paragraph:
A few days since we called public at.
tention to the singular conduct of James |
g. Wilkins, Justice of the Peace for the !
Cape Horn District, in this county, in |
dischafging without trial a man named |
Parker, who was, as We still think, I
seriously implicated in the mysterious |
death of an old man named Summerfeld,
who, our readers will probably remember.
met SO tragical an end on the line of the
Central Pacific Railroad in the month Of
October last. We have now to record
another bold outrage on public justice,
in connection with the same affair. The
Grand Jury of Placer county has just
adjourned, without finding any bill against
the person named above. Not only did
they refuse to find true bill or TO make
any presentment, but they went one step
further towards the exoneration of tho
offender; they specially ignored the
Indictment which our District Attorney
deemed it his duty to present. The
! main facts in relation to- the arrest
and subsequent discharge Of Parker
! may be summed up in few words:
], 1t appears that, about the last of
9 October, one Gregory Summerfeld, an
d old man nearly 20 years of age, in COM
n pany with Parker took passage for Chica-
g go, via the Pacific Railroad, and about
!, the middle of the afternoon reached the
; neighborhood of Cape Horn, in this
a county. Nothing of any special imporr
: tance seems to have attracted the atten-
e ton of any of the passengers towards
, these persons until few moments before
{ passing the dangerous curve in the track
r overlooking the North Fork Of the
> American river, at the place called Cape
g Horn. As our readers are aware, the
road at this point skirts q precipice with
:, rocky perpeDdicnlar sides, extending to
the bed of thc stream, nearly 1,TO0 feet
below. Before passing the curve Parker
was heard to comment upon the sublimity
of the scenery they were approaching.
and finally requested the old man TO leave
the car and stand upon the open plat
form, in order to obtain better view Of
the tremendous chasm and the mountains
just beyond. The two men left the car,
aud q moment afterwards, cry Of horror
was heard by all the passengers, and the
old man was observed to fall at least
1000 feet upon the crags below. The
train was stopped for a few moments, but
fearful of collision if any considerable
60 length of time should be lost in an una
vailing search for tho mangled remains,
= it soon moved on again, and proceeded as
swiftly as possible to the next station.
i There the miscreant Parker was arrested
and conveyed to the Office of the nearest
y. Justice of the Peace for examination
We understand that be refused to give
any detailed account Of the transaction,
saying only that athe deceased either
fell or was thrown off from the moving
train.''
The examination was postponed unit
~ the arrival of PaIker's counsel. O'Con
mel & Fitzpatrick, Of Grass Valley, and
7 after they reached Cape Horn not . single
M word could be extracted from the prisoner
he It is said that the inquisition was a mere
farce; there being no witnesses presen
- except one lady passenger, who, will
be commendable spirit, volunteered to Ia,
over one day, to give in her testimony
We also learn that, after the trial, tn
Justice. together with the prisoner AM
his counsel. were closeted in secret ses