Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-22
THIRTY YEARS ago.
AN EPISODE THAT STIRRED NAPA TO
ITS VERY DEPTHS.
One of the Early State Fairs-Baker's
Eulogy on Broderick-Inter-
esting Local Events.

The following item appeared in the
UNION of September 14th: "Jesse Whit
ton and Charles Marks had fight in Napa,
and the latter was knocked down and
badly injured" This was very unsensa-
tional report of what was in reality an ex-
citing episode in that town, but one that
was not without its amusing features as
well. The affair occurred on the night OF
election day. Marks was very peaceable,
inofensive German who ran bakery and
candy store. He was Republican, but not
a noisy one. Jesse Whitton was big,
strapping Missourian of intensely secession
proclivities, and man of violent passions
"a sort of David S. Terry, but on smaller
scale. his mental abilities being of very
common order. Still, he had been Super
visor of the county, and was a man OF
some means, the Whittons having been
among the earliest settlers of Napa valley.
where they acquired large landed interests
while property values were low. Whitton
had, on the evening in question, provoked
Marks into political discussion, and when
the latter said something that went against
the grain" of the Missourian, Wilton
knocked him down and-in Pike county YER
nacular-nearly "stomped" him to death.
A crowd soon collected on Main street,
where the outrage was perpetrated, re-
port having spread that Marks was diving
from the effects of the beating received.
Political parties were about evenly di-
vided there at the time, and of course
Whitton had many friends who sided with
him. But the Republicans became aroused,
and threats were freely made that Wbitton
would be lynched. Seeing the gathering
storm. he sought shelter in the brick store
OF William II. James, on the corner of
Main and First streets, the iron shutters of
which were closed to protect him. While
the mob was clamoring in front of the
building the Sheriff smuggled Whitton
through the rear and off to the County
Jail, only short distance away. Bv this
time the crowd had greatly increased in
number, and the cooler and wiser Republi-
cans did their best to allay the excitement
This they were partially enabled to do
when 1t became known that Marks in
Jurles were less dangerous than at first re-
ported. There were still many angry men
however, who hung about the streets, and
1t was deemed advisable by the better class
OF citizens of all parties TO place a guard
about the Jail in order to prevent its being
raided In case Marks should die during the
night.
Among those who volunteered to act 90
sentries about the Court house was CAPTAIN
Charley" Van Pelt (brother to Captain
David Van Pelt, who was then, and for
many years later, master of one of the
Sacramento river steamboats). He was
prominent farmer, but somewhat eccen-
tric man, and was generally about "three
sheets in the wind" He was SO on this
occasion. 1t happened that on the day of
the trouble an immense cesspool in the
Courthouse yard, outside the iail, had
been uncovered, for repairs, and had not
been closed. This vault was on the line of
Van Pelts beat, but for the first hour or so
he was able to avoid it, guarded as it was
by very strong and pungent odor. But
as the hours of the night passed by Charley
frequently visited the nearest saloon, and
along about midnight he had become some
what oblivious to the air-piercing smell of
the 12x10x12 vault alongside the iail.
With his musket on his shoulder. the
brave descendant of the old New York
knickerbockers marched up and down in
the silent night. He was thinking of what
he would do if that mob should appear,
and-also of the long time between drinks.
Slowly and with soldierly step with varia-
tons) he marched toward that yawning
chasm. There was sort of "dull thud."
and the air became aflrighted with new and
more appalling smells than before. Then
came half smothered yell from the SUBJ
terranean depths, and the other sentries
rushed to the spot. Groans and curses
smote the air, and after short search for
the cause thereof the sentries found their
comrade foundering about in that awful
place, and set to work to fish him out. By
the AID OF lanterns couple of bayonets
were thrust through the seat of his pants,
from opposite directions, and the six strong
men finally landed him on terra firma'
They each and all loved Charley, but not
one had the courage 10 approach him at
this critical moment, and shey skulked
away IN the darkness, leaving him to find
his way out OF the plaza alone. Somehow
he reached his home, but his friends did
not see him upon the street for several
days. When he did make his appearance
he wore the same clothes he had on when
he took that awful plunge. He had had
them washed at home, and aired for
three days, and as everything had
smelled the same to him since
that eventful night, he could detect
no odor from the garments. But the pub
lie could and it did not require formal ac-
ton by the town authorities to give him the
freedom of the city" 1t was accorded
him by the mutual consent of the people,
and for about a week Charley Van Pelt
virtually owned the town.
Marks slowly recovered from his injuries
Whitton escaped serious punishment, and
the town settled down to its usual quiet
But let anybody mention Charley Van
Pelts name to one of the old.timers in
Napa to-day and he will ask: aBy the
way, did you ever hear of what befell
Charley the night he volunteered to guard
the Jail from mob ?"
THE sixth annual fair of the State
Agricultural Society opened in this city on
the 14th day Of September, 1859, and the
published reports of the exhibits show
that California, thirty years ago had
made considerable progress in fruit
growing, as well as general farming. ].
Warren Osborn's Oak Knoll Farm, in
Napa valley (now the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Drury Melone) was represented by
great dieplay of fruit-upwards of 125
varieties in all. General Vallejo of
Sonoma had large exhibit,
as also had George G. Yount, the old pio-
neer who settled in Napa in 1886 Even
Placer county had fine display of fruits,
the principal exhibitors being j. r. Gran.
dali of Auburn and J. r. Nickerson of
Coon Creek. Santa Clara, Yolo, Calayeras,
1uba, FL Dorado Sacramento, San Joaouin
and various other counties were well rep.
resented in the fruit display. Among Sac
ramento exhibitors in various departments
were d. II. Quinn, Mrs b. f. Hastings,
ID. w. Welty, J. L. Polhemus, S. Cohp,
]. G. Almond, w. Fern, t. Mitigate. r
Olson, A. Runyon, E. B. Jones. L. w.
Hooker, c. Green, DR.. ]. N. Frey. Il. Van
Every, ]. r. Ray, L. Warner. Z. B. Jones.
+. Woodward, II. NJ. Bernard, Stevenson
q Cleaves, A. Aitken, ?. J. Devine, D. w.
Clark, Charles W. Adams, Armstrong q
Gillin, a. 7. Nelson, A. NJ. Stetson' n
Wilcox, F. Rabel, George Schmeiser, II. T.
Holmes and many others. Some of these
are exhibitors at the fair Just held, and have
been regular exhibitors for thirty wears mast
At that fair Charles A. Sumner, the we'll.
known steDographer, had an odd exhibit
II was a case OF specimens of shorthand
writing. and included the original notes of
Broderick's campaign speeches, Edmund
Randolph's Music Hall speech, ex- Senator
Gsrter's anti -Broderick speech and ]. G.
McKibbin's Georgetown, El Dorado
speech. These were some of the more SEN
sationsl speeches of the campaign which
had closed but q week before. Broderick
was then lying on his death-bed.
There was great shooting match in
Sacramento on the 18th of September,
1853. The contestants included Major L.
z. Hammond, Johnny Teurs, Charley
Fairfax, w. Hume, C. Esiy, E. W. Cohea,
John B. Gallo, George w. Stout, C. H HUFF
man, w. B. Farwell, Buck Harrigan, s.
starbuck, ii. n. Wilson, o. II. Bogart, D.