Weekly Trinity journal., 1874-01-31
SATURDAY. JANUARY 81, 1874.
A STRANGE STORY, If ALL TEs'E

Culprlts crime IN what was known TWO
years ago as the tragedy Of Cherokee
Flat. At the last named place, which is
situated in Butte county, a gentleman
owning a large ranch had guest in his
family, in The spring Of 1871, young la
dy named McDaniels, from another part
of the State. Amongst his agricultural
laborers was a Servian about thirty five
years Of age, known as George Sharkso-
vich, who had previously worked for the
father of Miss McDaniels, and had lost
his situation through having presump-
tiously shown too much admiration for
the young lady. The ranchman's people
knew nothing however, Of the past histo-
ry Of the man in question, and as their
guest, from motives Of piide and delica-
cy, concealed her feeling Of surprise and
annoyance at recognizing him on the
place nothing was thought Of said recog
nitions. Sharksovich, who was a swar
thy keen-eyed ,vigilant barbarian, with al
the snake-lilke subtility Of his race, soon
perceived that the girl had confded
nothing to her friends of his earlier char
acter, and detected therein an opportuni-
ty to renew his prosecutions. Intercept
ing her by stealth whenever she left the
house alone, he alternately pleaded with
her to become his wife and intimated
fearful revenge if she refused. Still fatu-
ously shrinking from an appeal to her
friends for protection in such matter,
and unable to avoid her tormentor alto
gether, without attracting attention and
questions, the victim fell into kind Of
slavish terror Of him. Marking this evil
dence of his power, the fellow became
bolder in his system Of terrorism. He
told her that in the Austrian province Of
Dalmatia, where he was born, it was the
Gu tom and law for a young man who
loved woman to abduct her forcibly,
tarily, to kill her rather than she should
be the prize Of another. Swearing by
his blood and his tribe, he vowed that the
atfrighted girl must either accept him as
a husband or prepare for death within
twentyfolr hours. There was to be a
party that night at neighboring ranch :
he would be there in disguise to hear her
final answer and act accordingly.
Now, at last, the better reason of Miss
McDaaiels yindicated sufficiently TO
cause her to take young lady Of her
hosts family partly into her confidence,
to the extent at least Of an intimation
that something in the manner Of "Aus-
trian George" alarmed her. As, howev-
er, she was not definite in explaining her
sense of perl, her friend only volunteer
ed to be her companion in any future
walks she might take about the place
and advised her to pay no attention to
the dark Servian's eccentricities Of de-
meanor. She went 10 the party on the
evening of May seth, and by remaining
closely with them, avoided whatever
scheme her pursuer had devised for an
in or view.
On leaving the ball room to return
home she and the young lady above men
toned were separated from their COM
panion', and in that moment the la bar
ian lover fulfilled his horrid threat. At
the very side Of her horriled friend, she
was struck down and instantly stabbed to
death by Austrian George, who boldly
II claimed his name to the swiftly gath
ering throng Of pleasure seekers, and on
ly fed when the appalled, spectators
sought TO seize him.
Before morning the news Of the afro
c'ous crime had spread Ear and wide, and
by early dawn an armed band Of deter
mined ranchmen and Indian runners had
lef- Il G house to which the loly of the
slain girl had been carried, on the trail
Of the eXecrated assassin. 1t was beliey-
ed by those who knew the character of
the man they were tracking, that he had
retired to a cabin which he was known to
possess in a wild part Of Bloomer's Hill,
at the north fork Of Feather River, there
to make a desperate fight for his life and
die as becomes barbarian.
~ tlIlo NAD4Il luSltuGu LlIt avengers
accordingly, and in that neigh borhood
the Ssrvian was overtaken, combatted,
and killed like dog. As one Of the pur-
s1ers fired the fatal shot at him, he was
in the act Of Staying himselfwith his own
revolver, ard expired with shout Of tri
umph foc his crime and defiance for hi:
cxecutioners.
The latter, in their evaporation at the
wretch, fired bis cabin, and casting hi.
body into the flames, destroyed the assas-
sn and his den. Such was the tragedy OF
Cherokee Flat, as it was called dark and
revolving to tell and not to be too briefly
recllled, save as singular study Of the
barbarism it is possible to import into
civilization, and the occasion Of a later
tragedy scarcely less remarkable. Some
weeks after the tragedy a writer in the
San Francisco Chronicle, showed that
the slayer, Sharksoyich was native OF
Austrian Dalmatia, where to this day
despite the efforts Of the Austrian Gov
ernment to prevent, it is the social Gus
tom and law of the wilder tribes to alb
duct, if possible, or if not, to kill wo-
an beloved and refusing her love in re.
turn. The writer further asserted that
the Selayonan colony in the interior Of
California still retained this savage Gus
tom in their American expatriation, and
would have dsfeuded austrian George
TO the last man if he had sought refuge
among them. 1t appears that this bar
barism Of the California Seryans if real
ly practiecd, is held by them as a secret,