The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-05-26
THE CHICO MASSACRE.

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Francisco Chronicle:
"On the night of March IA, 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, fred it and
left. Three Cinnamon were killed1out-
right. Of the wounded, n was hurt
but slightly-only in the ARMAND when
the murderers left he fastened 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 60 to
the Chinese shanty that night. Next
morning the ChiR9man brought word to
Chico. The coroner and a 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 a 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. 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 & 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 postofice was kept cleared and
watched by F. G. Radcliffe, clerk o.
| 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 ther
taken to the person addressed, opened
and found to be one of a 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 nc charge
was made against him. On the night O
Thursday, the 2Sd, Conway made a con
fession, which was taken down by de
tective r. B. Hall, and subsequently
signed and sworn to by Conway. 1t i
as follows:
CoNWAY's CONFESSION.
Ny name is F. E. Conway. The cir
cumstances of the murder of the fou:
Cinnamon at Chico, on the evening o
the 18th, are these: Myself, Charlie
Slaughter, John Slaughter, Thomas W
steinbrook and Eugene Roberts, al
Chico residents, living near together
started out, not knowing myself wha
we we're going to 10. John Slaughte
asked me to 60 along. They did no
tell me what they intended doing til
near the cabin, when Roberts said
"Unless we kill the Cinnamon, we vii
be arrested" The first object was t
rob them of their money, as it was be
lieved they had some about them. Whe
we entered, there were six Chinamel
there. Roberts and Charles Slaughte
examined the cabin and the person c
each Chinaman, while the rest of u
held our pistols to them to keep Their
quiet. I don't know whether either {
the boys got any money. Roberts, bt
fore the shooting commenced, scattere
coal oil broadcast over the cabin an
the Cinnamon FROM a bot&9 ofShe liqui
which he carried in his pocket. | don
know as any n set fire to the cabir
After scattering the coal oil, all free
each selecting a Chinaman. Some of th
crowd fired more than once. Fou
Cinnamon were killed, as we learned, b
our shots, and two were wounded VIII
are alive. As soon as we fred, we lei
in haste, following down the lumbe
company's fume, through the woods
and separating neal Mr.. Roberts's hous,
The killing occurred about 6 o'clock, q
neal as I can tell. We separated abou
$50 and went home to Slaughter
where we have been living for a fe,
months past. When the murder becam
known, Mrs. Polmantier, the mother {
the Slaughter boys, accused me and th
boys of having had a hand in it. RoE
erts was the principal man and talkel
Tdon't know who suggested the robbery
John Slaughter first mentioned it to me-
Roberts told us that EEL. G. Wright woul
swear we were all at the stable ths
night at the hour of the murder. I'll
statement concerning the fires is tbs
there have been several attempts TO fiji
Chinatown. Henry G. Wright first SUI
gested it, about FEBRUARY Is. / al
confident that A. M. Ants, president {
the Labor Union, was eognizant of th
intended burning. The night followin
Wright told me that he and Jones, tn
carpenter, went to Chinatown and TAI
in wait to FIRE it. but several men WEI