The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-18
THE CHICO ASSASSINATIONS.
Six Cinnamon Shot by White Men--Thrcc
of Them Killed Outright---Attcnpt to
Burn the Cabin Over the Victims Heads.

Six Cinnamon Shot by White NIen---Thrcc
Of Them Killed OutriRht---Attempt to
Burn the Cabin Over the Victims Hcads.
The Sacramento Union-Record has n
letter dated from Chico, CAL, which
gives the following account of the null
derous assault upon Cinnamon near that
place:
Your correspondent visited the scene
of the terrible butchery which WAS re-
ported to have taken place at the Lemm
ranch, about q mile and q half from
town. The location Of the scene of this
most brutal and terrible butchery is
about a mile up the Humboldt road, OF
The left side, and about three hundred
yards from the residence of John II.
Williams. 1t is reached by a panel gate
in the fence, next the road, and is only
distant from said road about two hum
bred and fifty yards across q field of
wheat belonging to Mr.. Lemm. Six
Chinese were employed in grabbing and
clearing q piece Of land adjoining this
field by contract, and were congratulate
ing themselves that two or three days
more would finish their contract, and
they would get their pay. Mr.. Lemm
informs me that they were diligent, good
working Cinnamon, and had made q good
jobo of the work they had on hand. There
had been no quarreling among them, the
utmost harmony prevailing, and no III
entertained any idea that enemies we're
after them. They had built a small
cabin for temporary use, of plank, and
in that they lived. The Cinnamon were
all in the cabin in the evening, some
lying down, while the others were sit
ting around. A lighted candle was pom
a small table, and it is thought that this
aided the bloody murderers i'll their hell
ish work.
On my arrival on the ground I went
up to the cabin, and the ghastly sight
which presented itself was most appalling.
On the ground at the entrance there lay
q stalwart Chinaman ON his face, with a
bullet wound in his head, and blood
and brains formed q pool around him.
The second lay about a foot from him,
nearly in the same condition, while q
third lay partially over the second, also
wounded in the head. The fourth was
lying in an opposite direction to the
otllSl tli1CCy Will lis lutC pu1 llilIS ulJOll
the mating or bed, with terrible wound
in his face, which showed that his muir
derers had been close to him. He was
alive, but unconscious, at the time I saw
him. He died during the time the in
quest was being held. The fifth China
man was wounded in the breast, but
managed to escape to the other side Of
the slough, where he was found in a
dying condition. He was brought to
town, but there is little chance of his
recovery. The sixth Chinaman WAS
wounded in the arm by IL small man or
boy. 1t is only q flesh wound, and he
says that rs aim was taken at him he
threw up his left arm and fell back,
lying perfectly still. Thinking they had
completed their work of slaughter, kero-
sene was poured over the place and the
match applied :; no doubt with the hope
to obliterate their deadly and brutal
record. After setting the fire they
hastily made their escape, but the
wounded man, who had been perfectly
still, rose after their departure and
crept out of the flames. He made his
way to town, but nothing was done till
next morning.
1t appears that the assassins were six
in number, and, as the Chinamm de-
scribes them, there were five "Melican
men and one boy OF little mali. They
came right up to the cabin door, and,
without any warning, blazed away, each
one of them picking out his victim, which
could be easily done, as the candle on the
inside showed their positions. There is
no clew to the perpetrators Of this ter
rible outrage, and the verdict OF the
%coroner's jury is in the common phrase
o~logy-that the Cinnamon came to their
deaths by pistol shot wounds, inflicted
by six white men to the jury unknown
and nothing more
No active steps have been taken to
ferret out the crimes which have been
committed in and around Chico during
the past three weeks, and murder and
bloodshed, h~cendiarism and rapine are
allowed to run rampant. Is it because
they are Cinnamon that the law is SO lax
to ferret out the perpetrators Of these
crimes? il our county officials are not
able to accomplish anything to put a
stop to these nightly lawless proceedings,
let an appeal be made to the governor,
and the State authorities invoked to i'll
vestigate the present state OF affairs.
The principles of the Order of Caucas-
ians are opposed to Chinese labor in all
and every form, as well as the further
immigration of thut people, aud since
that organization started in Chico all
these depredations have taken place. I
have talked to several of their prominent
members, and they deny that their Or
CARNATIONS allow such lawlessness, and
they are willing to assist in ferreting out
the perpetrators.
I do not say that the s%coundrels who
are committing these deeds are members
of the Caucasian Order, but I do say that
the principles Of the order, being II de-
termined opposition to the Chinese as q
race, are q cloak and a sanction, to q GER
tain extent, to this la~wlessness. Such
being the case, this order is bound by ali
the ties of humanity and civilization to
take cognizance Of these crimes, and Use
ali means to bring to conviction the per-
petrators. Citizens are becoming alarmed,
and there is no knowing where this
thing will end if speedy relief IS not OBJ
tanned. The haying md harvest will
oon be upon Us, and every branch where
anything in the shape of Il Clinaman is
employed is III danger Of the incenliary's
torch.
The murdered Cinnamon belonged to
the Min Yung Company. Citizens are
going to raise Il purse Of 81, 1000 as n re-
ward for the arrest and conviction of the
assassins, and o call will be made upon
the governor to offer n like reward. A
general feeling OF sympathy is growing
in favor of the Chinese.
4 Scene in Il Muriercr'S Tell.