Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-11-21
THE FIRST EXECUTION.
FRED. J. ROE HANGED on SIXTH
STREET, BETWEEN X AND L.
Avenged by Citizens-A Scrap
Of Pioneer History.

county, there have been within her borders
sixteen legal executions, and eight indi-
viduals were hung by mobs, making a total
of twenty-four The first execution was
that of Fred. ]. Roe, who was hung by a
mob on the evening of February "a, 1851,
the afternoon of the same day. Following
is compilation of the facts concerning the
murder and execution, which will be new
to all except the early residents of our city,
and will serve to call back old memories to
most of them:
At the time referred to, crimes of all
kinds became the rule, instead of the ex-
ception in Sacramento, and the papers of
that date were filled with reports of high
way robberies, burglaries, thefts, attempts
at arson, assaults to murder street shoot
ings, and almost every other offense known
to the criminal calendar. Forbearance had
ceased to be a virtue, and on the Oath of
February, 1851, the people rose in their
majesty and melted out justice without
reference to law.
On that day a man named Frederick J
Roe stranger from the mines, quarreled
at monte table in the Mansion House,
corner of Front and streets, and got into
| fight. The bystanders separated the com
batants, and stopped the row several times,
but it was as often renewed. At last a
quiet, peaceable, hard working and respect
able citizen named Charles Humphrey
Myers, an immigrant from Columbus. O,
| and partner in the blacksmithing estab-
lishment of Joseph Prader & Co., again
parted them, when Roe shot him for inter
fering. The ball entered Myers brain, but
did not kill him instantly. He was carried
to the blacksmith shop, where his wound
was examined by surgeons and pronounced
to be necessarily fatal. A large crowd had
followed the injured man, and when the
medical opinion was announced the excite
ment became intense. DIR. Mckenzie. a
member of the City Council, mounted a
wagon and made violent address, stating
that
CRIME HAD RUN RAMPANT LONG ENOUGH !;
That the Courts and officers seemed DOW
erless to prevent it that it must lie stopped
somehow, or all respectable and honest
people must leave the city. The remedy
was now in the peoples own hands, and it
was duty each of them owed to society to
aid in applying it.
He was followed by David B. Milne, and
Messrs. Ross and Taplin, in the same
strain. The addresses were effective. A
meeting was Immediately organized, of
which Ross was appointed Chairman
In the meantime Roe had been taken in
custody by the officers, and news was
brought that he was in the station-hou
which was then at the corner of Second
and j streets The meeting promptly and
unanimously resolved to bring him out
and large crowd proceeded to his place of
confinement. Here.a still larger body had
already assembled, and the two Joined.
A Mr.. Everard addressed them, stating
that If they ever intended to act in the mat
ter of Kidding the city of the scoundrels
that infested it, now was the time He
himself was not permanent resident-he
was merely an accidental sojourner-but if
his arm was needed in their aid it was at
their service. He advised the appointment
of a committee of theil best citizens to de-
termine what was justice between the pris-
oner and the community, and then for
those present to enforce it.
James Queen followed to the same effect.
urging the selection of jury for the i'm
mediate trial OF the prisoner. These speak
ers were continually interrupted by loud
and long cheers mingled with cries of
Hang him y Hang him now I" Hang
him, anyhow y The City Marshal, \. G.
Cunningham, next followed, stating that
he had the prisoner in custody, and that he
should not escape, but in the name of God
and Sacramento let him be tried by the
proper tribunal-by the Courts of the
country. Loud cries of No, no they
have proved useless to prevent crime or
punish murderm1. Cunningham con-
tinued: " If he don't get justice there,
then FL help you get it; but now l am a
sworn officer, and you cannot, you shall
not, have him while l am SUCH" The
speaker attempted to continue further in
the same strain but his voice was drowned
IN cries of " Let the people have jury"
etc.
Queen addressed the crowd again. He
was in favor of laws and of their support,
but
THEY HAD PROVED IMPERATIVE.
Let us have peoples jury-let us initiate
San Francisco.
G. A. Tweed was now called to the chair.
He said he believed the prisoner was a
great scoundrel and ought to be hanged.
but he wanted the hanging to be done by
law Loud cries for him to either appoint
a jury or leave the chair
John A. Scranton said: If the Chair
man won't appoint jury, | will Tweed
was hustled out of and Scranton forced
into the chair
Here Justice of the Peace Bullock at
tempted to speak, saying he had sworn to
obey the Constitution and laws; but this
was all that was allowed to be heard, his
voice being smothered beneath tumultuous
cries OF Jury jury !" Appoint the
jury ~
The Chair announced jury, and the
latter retired to room in the Orleans
building, on Second street where they or
gained by appointing Levi Hermance
foreman, and George c. Wright secretary.
Squire Bullock again attempted to adj
dress the throng, but was not listened to.
A committee, consisting of Messrs. Ev-
erard, Ross, Feeney, Chesley, McWilliams,
Waller, PEBBLES and Waldo, were appointed
TO guard the prisoner and see that the Of
Ulcers did not remove him. This committee
had an unlimited number of volunteer as
sistants.
Marshal Cunningham again addressed
the assemblage, stating that the prisoner
could not be taken from his custody
UNTIL HIS OWN LIFE HAD BEEN TAKEN.
If Roe escapes the Courts, you may have
him, but now call upon ali good citizens
to aid me in his protection-not to aid me-
but to sustain your Marshal in the per
Torrance of his duty"
Some four or five citizens advanced; but
the only notice the crowd took Of the
speech was to boot those few, and to ex-
press, in most unmistakable terms. their
non-concurrence with the Marshal. The
privilege of letting the prisoner have a law
yer was proposed and voted down. The
Marshal, and Deputy Sheriff who had ar
rived on the ground, summoned a posse
conamitdtus, but the only persons reporting
in obedience to the call were c. A. Tweed
and d. X. Brannan.
At this stage of the proceedings, A. D.
Rightmire made speech, saying the pris-
oner ought to be hanged " he has killed
an innocent man, rendered woman hus-
bandless, and made four little children
orphans, and this crowd intends to hang
him. Is it not 500" The excitement now
was terrific, and the cries of Yes YES -
deafening. From $500 to 5000 people had
collected. One of the reports says Sec
ond street, from to X, was iammed: the
windows on each side OF Second and up ]
were crowded roofs of dwellings were COW
cred, and the porticos and awning posts
were occupied at every available pointn