The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-12-04
THE MINERS REVENGE.

THE MINERS REVENGE.
a sketch of Early Times In California.
The sketch which I give you, dear
readers, Is true one. the main features
of which will be recognized as more than
'' mere coinage of the brain - by thou
sands of persons now residing in Cali
fornia. OF the death of Frederick Roe
at the hands of the populace of Sacra-
mento IN the spring of 1851, the reasons
of it, the reader is still remindful. for it
was one of the most determined ont
bursts of popular indignation and ven
.geance which any single individual had.
by his crimes, brought down upon him.
self, since California had become an
American possession nor has It scarce
ly been equaled since.
The first time I ever saw Roe wash the
fall of 1850. I was travelling through
BidwelPs Bar, a village of considerable
note on the Feather river, when 1 no.
tIced large crowd of persons collected
at the upper end of the town, assembled
for the purpose of administering fifty
lashes to an Individual in whose posses
sion had been found q couple of gold
coins which had been identified as be-
longing to another person. In addition
to that punishment, the popular verdict
was that his head should be shaved.
and two hours given him to take his
final leave of that section of the coun-
try. The man was perfect stranger to
the village, having taken up his resi-
dence at that place but two days pre-
vious, and the fact that his accuser was
a gambler, and that it was at the insti-
cation of that peculiar class that he was
being punished. aroused suspicion in
my mind of the justice of his sentence,
which was much strengthened by the
honest and open bearing of the man,
and the earnest candor with which he
avowed his innocence. His name was
Walsworth, and from different state
ments l soon became convinced that
the matter stood thus: That morning
Wa1sworth was standing in gambling
house watching game of monte, when
hoe, who was engaged In betting against
1T with no success, managed to take
from the table, while in the act of
cutting the cards, two Bolivian
ounce-pieces, upon which had been
scratched, for some reason, a peculiar
mark. These he handed to Walsworth, /,
telling him to bet them for him, merely
to change his luck Knowing but little
about the game, he at first refused,
but, upon being pressed, he took the
coins and threw one upon the table.
The piece was recognized by the dealer,
who asked Walsworth how he came by
it. The victim informed him that Il
had been given him to try his luck
with, and pointed to Roe, who was
standing at the other side of the room,
as the man from whom he had obtained
them. Roe was called for, but. seeing
how matters were, denied that he had
given it to the man, or that he had ever
seen him before. Walsworth was in
stantly searched, and the other piece
was found in his pocket, which he. OF
course, accounted for in the same man.
ner as the first, but which Roe again
denied. Circumstances were against
WalsWorth, for it was certainly consid.
cred singular transaction for man tc
trust his money in the hands of 8
stranger, and Roe was well known Oh
the Bar, and the other was not the
word of the former was taken in pref
erence. and the latter, after a hast7
trial, was sentenced to the punishment
he was receiving on my arrival. Owine
to the number of persons surrounding
him, I was unable to get signt of hin
until he had received his sentence il
full, and was on his way down the river
after making an unsuccessful cearcl
through the town for Roe. He left al
open note for him, however, which wa
read by myself and several others pre-
vious to its reaching its destination
which read, as near as I can recoIleci
thus
ssNR. RoE-Sir: Through your vllainy
have suffered q humiliating disgrace-a dii
honor which will render my life one of miser
to it's latest hour. / am innocent, as you we
- knoT. and had not my time been limited
two short hours, your dying breath shoul
have acknowledged it ere another hour.
shall now live but for one thing-receng
Go where you may, my eyes shall be upo
Won: and SO sure there is q God abov,
INV Satisfaction shall, in less than one yea
fJAcoB WALswoRTH."
The next time saw Roe was upon tn
occasion and at the time mentioned i
the beginning of this sketch. He wa
then q French monte dealer, and carrie
on his operation as such in disrepu
table den on the corner of Front and
streets in Sacramento City.
On the morning of the day of hi
death he drank pretty freely, and bein
very irritable when under the infuenc
Of iiouor. he ordered from the table
miner who had made remarks to by
stander In relation to the honesty of tn
game. The miner refused and roug
and tumble fight in front OF the hous
was the consequence. A teamster al
tempted to separate them, when TO
nuIIed a revolver from his belt and sho
him causing a wound which prove
fatal two days after. Roe was arreste'
and lodged in the station-house, the
located ia the basement of a brio
building on the corner of Second and
streets. Thimble-riggers and Frencl
monte sharps were getting into bad dodo
and as soon as the circumstances OF tn
uourderous attempt became knoWn-o
-other as soon as it was nolsed abou
tha streets that such q deed had beel
oeTnetrated o-s by a gambler upon a