Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1886-02-20
A "REMINISCENCES.

COMO, New, Feb. 18th, 1886.

COMO, New, Feb. 18th, 1886.
ED. TIMEs:-While reading the no.
tice in a late paper of the marriage Of
Judge Terry and Sarah Althea, old
memories were awakened which carried
me back quarter Of century, to a
night passed in the Sierras al s.Yank's"
Station, in Lake Valley, which lies be-
tween the SUBMITS of the snowy Neva
das on the PlacerWlle road. "Yank"
had several notable guest on that night.
Among them were Judge David S. Ter
ry, who a short year previous had killed
murdered, as many thoughD David c.
Broderick in duel; VIM. Burns, Sher-
if, of Sacramento county, who found
and named Lake Biglcr while out look
ing for the notorious Joaquin Muriett;
| Sam Brown, and the famous Snow Shoe
Thompson.
The two former, Terry and Burns,
were on their way to Virginia City to
rescue one Fitzgerald, whose chances
of being hung, either by law or in spite
of it, were very good just then, for the
killing of man named Burke. Terry's
| business was to clear him if the case
came to trial, while Burns was to try
and see that Fitzgerald was somewhere
| else at the time that interesting event
was to take place. Burns beat the
Judge, playing him out of job by
getting Fitzgerald out of Jail and send
ing him away on the famous horse
"Bald Hornet" formerly owned and
ridden by the still more famous "Lucky
Bill Thornton, who had been hanged a
short time previous by the vigilantes in
Carson Valley. Judge Terry at that
| time-iS6o-was a fine specimen OF
the Southern Gre-eater, standing over
six feet, fairly stout, and apparently
about fifty years of age. As the papers
now give his age as 81, and hatteringly
add that he does not look over so,
am inclined to think that he has quit
drinking whisky and has been imbibIng
at the fountain OF perpetual youth.
David S. Terry was pioneer, COM
ing from Texas on the first discovery Of
gold in California. When the time
came for the admission of the Golden
State, the question arose whether it
should be slave or free. That question
was not answered without violent scenes
and some blood she'd. There were two
Democratic parties in California in car
lier days. Gwin, Terry, Crittenden
and others headed the pro.slavery wing
while Broderick, almost alone at first,
put himself al the head Of the free
State party. At first the pro.slavery
party was successful, Gwin went to the
| United States Senate and Terry was
made Judge Of the State Supreme Court,
He afterwards became Chief Justice.
Gwin had been elected to the United
States Senate by the aid of the great
Free Soil leader, but afterwards became
his deadly enemy. Broderick was the
most popular man in California's early
history-the Stephen A. Douglass of
the Pacific Coast. He was at length
elected United States Senator himself.
In a speech during the campaign he
threatened to explain the secret nego.
tiations whereby Gwin was elected to
the Senate. Broherick, it was decided,
must be put out Of the way, and Terry
was selected to carry out the decision.
A pretext was soon found. Those were
the bloody days Of California-the days
when every man went armed, and when
most Of them died, they did SO with
their boots on. In fact, they were the
scarlet days, before and after the reign
| OF the vigilantes. As stated above,
pretext was soon found, and Broderick
was challenged by Terry. The chal-
lenge was accepted: In those days it
could hardly have been refused, The
meeting created an intens excitement.
Each man was a leader, the one OF the
slavery wing, the other Of the free
State wing Of the Democratic party,
and both were known to be experts
with the pistol, though Broderick had
never fought on the field of honor ~,
and was known to be opposed to duel.
ing. Terry, on the contrary, SO rumor
said, had killed his man several times.
Broderick was nervous, and his pistol
was accidentally discharged, the ball
entering the ground at his feet. Now