The Russellville Democrat., 1877-05-03
THE CHICO MASSACRE.

THE CHICO MASSACRE. Full Confesston of the Assassi,ss. The following is taken from the San Francisco Chronicles
 con the night of March If, 1877, in a shanty on Chris Lemm's ranch, two miles east of Chico, on the Humboldt road, five undisguised white men en- tered, and, covering six Chinese occu- pants with pistols, searched them for money. They then shot them, spilled coal oil through the shanty, fired it and left. Three Chinamen were killed out right. Of the wounded, one was hurt but slightly-only in the armand when the murderers left he hastened to the shanty of a white woodchopper, half a mile away, on the same ranch. The chopper and he went to Lemm's, but Lemm and others were afraid to go to the Chinese shanty that night. Next morning the Chinaman brought word to Chico. The coroner and jury went out and held an inquest. The verdict was, Murdered by unknown parties." On March Is, three suspected boys were arrested, but discharged. The citizens formed meeting of one hundred and fifty, appointed an executive committee of twenty-seven, who formed another committee of three. Sheriff Schneider and his deputies took as little interest as if they had never been here. Ex- Sheriff Daniels took an active interest in detecting the murderers.. Col. Bee, agent of the Chinese companies, sent here R. B. Hall, head of Hall X Co.'s private detectives. On board the train he met detective James Hamilton, of San Fran cisco. Hall and Hamilton arrived here on the 18th, and consulted with Daniels. The three agreed to work together, and this night they fully completed the most thoroughly and promptly worked out criminal mystery of California. By their instructions the drop-box of the Chico postoffice was kept cleared and watched by F. 0. Radcliffe, clerk of John Bidwell. A suspicious letter was dropped; Radcliffe ran cut the back way, followed the young man who dropped it to the house of the Slaughter family, in town. The letter was then taken to the person addressed, opened, and found to be one of threatening series. On the morning of the 18th city marshal Steward arrested Fred Con- way, the man who dropped the letter, and confined him in the city prison. By the direction of the detectives no charge was made against him. On the night of Thursday, the 2Sd, Conway made con fession, which was taken down by de- tective R. B. Hall, and subsequently signed and sworn to by Conway. It is as follows:
 | CoNwAY's CONVERSION.
 My name is F. E. Conway. The cir cumstances of the murder of the four Chinamen at Chico, on the evening of the 14th, are these Myself, Charles Slaughter, John Slaughter, Thomas w. Steinbrook and Eugene Roberts, all Chico residents, living near together, started out, not knowing myself what we were going to do. John Slaughter asked me to go along. They did not tell me what they intended doing till near the cabin, when Roberts said "Unless we kill the Chinamen, we will be arrested" The first object was to rob them of their money, as it was be- lieved they had some about them. When we entered, there were six Chinamen there. Roberts and Charles Slaughter examined the cabin and the person o
 each Chinaman, while the rest of us
 held our pistols to them to keep them
 quiet. I don't know whether either O
 the boys got any money. Roberts, be
 fore the shooting commenced, scattered coal oil broadcast over the cabin ane
 the Chinamen from bottle of the liquit
 which he carried in his pocket. l don
 know as any one set fire to the cabin , After scattering the coal oil, all fired each selecting Chinaman. Some of tn, crowd fired more than once. Fou , Chinamen were killed, as we learned, b. r our shots, and two were wounded wh l are alive. As soon as we fired, we lei t in haste, following down the lumbe
 company's Hume, through the woods 1 and separating near Mir. Roberts's hous, i. The killing occurred about $ o'clock, 2