Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-20
THIRTY YEARS ago.
THE TERRIBLE CRIME ooMMiTTED BY
WELLS, THE MURDERER.
Deeds of Blood that Shocked the Coun-
try-sutter's Dicker with the RuA-
sian Government.

sian Government.
A horrible and brutal murder was com.
mitted at Tenth and ] streets, in this city,
on the 10th of July, 1860, by some person
then unknown. The victim was Matthias
Wetzel, who had for several years kept a
saloon in that locality. Wetzel was found
lying dead on the floor of his bedroom at
an early hour in the morning, and the
appearance of the room indicated that a
desperate struggle had taken place. Wet
zel's body bore several knife wounds. J.
A. Griesel, who knew the deceased well
and was familiar with his affairs, said that
the murderer must have secured about
$4,000 in money which Wetzel had kept in
his room. including $500 belonging to him.
self(Griesel.) Suspicion rested on stranger
who had been noticed hanging about the
place for some days.
A few days afterward man was arrested
at Virginia City on suspicion of being the
murderer of WetZel. He gave his name as
William Wells. This was the man who
killed the officers and men returning with
him to this city to be tried for the Wetzel
murder-a deed SO horrible that it created
sensation all over the Union, and the
remembrance of which will never be effaced
from the minds of all Sacramentans of that
time.
On the afternoon of Wednesday. july
25th Deputy Sheriff Wharton of Sutter
county and George Armstrong of Virginia
City left Marysyille with the prisoner EN-
route TO this city. When they reached
Nicolaus they were met with the news
that a large mob of Wetzel's friends were
waiting for the arrival OF the party by
stage for the purpose of lynching Wells
The officers then decided to wait till q
posse from this city should come to their
aid, but when Captain Deal arrived at Mic
CLAUS be learned that Wharton and Arm
strong had engaged man named w. C.
Stoddard to drive them to Sacramento in
an open wagon.
This party lett Nicolaus on Wednesday
evening by the river road, hoping to elude
the mob. At half-past 10 o'clock they ar
rived az point about half-mile from
SwifFs bridge, at the mouth of the Ameri.
can river. Stoddard was driving and
Wharton sat beside him. In the bed of
the wagon sat the prisoner, while Arm
strong vas lying asleep beside him. Just
then Stoddard remarked to Wharton that
they were near the city and he had better
awaken Armstrong. As Wharton turned
to do so he saw Wells make quick move
ment, and at the same instant received a
pistol shot in his right side, which threw
him off the wagon upon the horses heels.
In another instant the driver was shot
dead and he also fell from The wagon.
Then, with the rapidity of lightning.
Wells fred upon and killed Armstrong,
who had just been awakened by the noise.
By this time Wharton had recovered him
self somewhat, and although faint and
weak he fired upon Wells, who had started
to run away, but who returned the fire as
he ran, one bullet striking Wharton in the
thigh. The murderer managed to escape
into the brush, but is thought to have been
wounded by Wharton, and there are not a
few persons who believe that he died in the
underbrush in that locality.
The story at the time was, however. that
he had been tracked to the river, where he
stole boat and descended to a point near
the scene OF the tragedy; that he then
rified Armstrong; body of the money and
other things taken from him (Wells) when
arrested, and that he worked his way into
thu 1city and was for time secreted.
Soon after the terrible tragedy Wharton
managed to reach the city and gave the
alarm, and several officers fastened to the
spot and brought in the body of Stoddard
and Armstrong, who was not then dead.
He lived only about an hour. however.
The bells OF the city were rung, and great
crowds of people began to gather at the
police station, and soon the news of the
horrible crime had spread throughout the
city. Men went out in all directions to
look for the triple murderer, and many
times il was reported that citizens were on
his track, but Wells was never caught.
That was thirty years ago, and IN these
years scores of men have been arrested in
various parts of the Union on suspicion of
being Wells, the murderer. but the right
man was never caught. - Some years ago a
Santa Barbara man, who claimed to know
Wells, insisted that he saw him there, but
when the Sheriff came to look for the out.
law he could not be found If Wells did
escape the bullets from Wharton's pistol,
he has doubtless long since died on the
gallows or in some prison, as he was
creature who could not long keep from the
commission of crime. Wharton finally
died OF the wounds received at the time
referred to above, making four victims, SO
far as known, of the Murderer Wells'
......... There was considerable discussion
then going on in the press over the facts
attending the sale of Russian possessions
Oh tDe CodSt near bOCega, S0nOnd county,
to Captain Sutter, in 1871, and an enter
prising San Francisco paper, the Telegram,
unearthed the following original agree
ment between the Russian agent, Pierre
Kostromitinoff, and Sutter. 1t was written
in French. and reads, as translated:
We, the undersigned, Pierre Kostromitnoff,
Agent of the Russian American Company a
citizen of Upper California, being duly author
lied as Government Agent on the banks of the
Sacramento river, and Captain j. A, Suffer, in
accordance with a previous understanding,
have signed the following articles of agreement.
Article /. II is agreed that the Russian Amer
can Company in evacuating Ross, with the full
consent of his Majesty, the Emperor of all the
Russies esdes to NJ. de Sutter all the establish
m nts that exist on the coast of New Albion,
at the port of Rodega, and to the northward at
the said port at Ross, excepting the land accord
ing to the inventory duly signed by the two per-
sons above mentioned.
Article II is agreed that the price of all
these establishments shall be $4,000, to be
paid by NJ. de Suffer within four years, reckon
ing from the year 1872.
Article 8. II is agreed that the payment of
the said sum shall be made in country produce
for the fret three years, to wit 5000 each for
the frs. and second years, $4,000 for the third
year, and for the last $4,000 in cash.
Article 4. II is agreed that NJ. de Sutter will
have ready and on hand, in the time specified
in Article 2, during the first two years, country
produce in the quantities below mentioned:
1000 fan. of wheat, at 81 200
100 fan. of peas, at 81 250....-.............. $50
. fan. OF beans, at as
% Quints of soap, at tSi4.................... 200
200 arIobs of lard, at ts2..................... 4C
2i0 arrobs Of tallow, at 81 5O--.-........... 37s