Richland beacon., 1877-07-21
THE CHICO M1SS4CRE,
Fun Confession of the Issassins.

Fun Confession of the .issassins.
The following is taken from the Sar
Francisco Chronicle:
"On the night of March II, 1877, in {
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 fol
money. They then shot them. spilled
coal oil through the shanty, fred it and
left. Three Cinnamon were killed out.
right. Of the wounded, one was hurt
but slightly-only in the ARMAND when
the murderers left he FASTENED to the
shanty of 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 20 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 16, three suspected boys were
arrested, but discharged. The citizens
formed meeting of one hundred and
fifty, appointed an executive committee
OF twentv-seven, who formed another
committee of three. Sheriff Schneider
and his deputies took as little interest
as if they had never been here. Elk.
Sheriff Daniels took an active interest in
detecting the murderers.. Col. Bee,
agent of the Chinese com panies, sent here
r. B. Hall, head of Hall & 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. C. 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 a threatening
series. On the morning of the 10Th
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 23d, Conway made con-
fession, which was taken down by de-
tective R. B. Hall, and subsequently
signed and sworn to by Conway. 1t is
as follows:
CONwAY'S CONFESSION.
My name is F. f. Conway. The cir
cumstances of the murder of the four
Cinnamon 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 60 along. They did not
tell me what they intended doing till
near the cabin, when Roberts said:
"Unless we kill the Cinnamon, 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 Cinnamon
there. Roberts and Charles Slaughter
examined the cabin and the person of
each Chinaman, while the rest of US
held Our pistols to them to keep them
quiet. don't know whether either of
the boys got any money. Roberts, be-
lore the shooting commenced, scattered
coal oil broadcast over the cabin and
the Cinnamon from bottle of the liquid
which he carried in his pocket. l don't
know as any one set fire to the cabin
After scattering the coal oil, all fred,
each selecting Chinaman. Some of the
crowd fred more than once. Four
Cinnamon were killed, as we learned, by
our shots, and two were wounded who
are alive. As soon as we fred, we lett
in haste, following down the lumber
company's Aume, through the woods,
and separating near Mr.. Roberts, house.
The killing occurred about 6 o'clock, as
near as | can tell. We separated about
$50 and went home tn Slauohter's