The record-union., 1891-01-11
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The Rush for Legislative Positions in
Other Days.
One Days crimes-The Murder of kate
Gerken-Failure of the Lady
Adams Company.

large number of aspirants for each po-
sitlon OF Importance. Those who wished
TO be President of the Senate were: Pablo
0e la Guerra of Santa Barbara Robert c.
clark of Sacramento, II. p. Watkins of
Yuba, Richard Irwin of Siskiyou, and
James I. Ryan of Humboldt. De la
Guerra was chosen. For Speaker of the
Assembly were mentioned: Zach Mont
gomery, n. Green Curtis, Of Sacramento;
John Conness of FL Dorado, 3. S. Lippen-
eott of Calaveras, j. Powell of Sacra-
mento, p. II. Harris of Butte, Frank F.
Fargo OF Alameda. John Conness was
elected. The list of candidates for Sar-
geant-at-Arms recalls many old-tiine
politicians. On the Senate side We're w.
f. Williamson Of San Francisco, T. j.
Bowers of Sierra, w. II. Prentiss of Sac
ramento, George Madeira of Amador, G.
w. Stanton OF Yuba, w. c.. Webster of
Nevada, George Stevens and w W. Ho-
bart, of Butte; ID. B. Nye OF Placer, w. L.
Gibbs and G.. d. Bonestel, of Ell Dorado:
Charles Fl. Uhrig of San Francisco, John
II. Houseman, Charles Duret and j. w.
Day, of Sacramento; William McLaugh-
lin of Calaveras, J.. AckIey of Yuba, and
Edward Boyle of Sacramento. Those
who Were willing to do the honors in the
Assembly were \. King of Amador
Samuel b. Wallace of El Dorado, Mike
Gray Of Sacramento, James Finnegan of
Calaveras, A. NJ. Winn Of Sutter, w. S.
Lofland OF FL Dorado, III. r. Myers
OF Butte, II. B. Thompson of Ne
vada, n. Reynolds of San Fran
cisco, L. y. Moore of Yuba, c. r.
Roberts Of Nevada, Barney Mulligan of
Sacramento, n. q. Covarrubias Of Santa
Barbara, \. Reynolds of Los Angeles,
Dave Morgan of Sacramento, H A
Lea ~ of
mcnto, Feni Fisher Of Solano, John c.
HALEY of Sacramento and J. w. Lock
wood of Nevada. There were about an
equal number talked of for the other
positions.
In those days the position of Sergeant
alarms of either branch of the Legisla-
ture was regarded as a very lucrative one.
AT the meeting of each session that officer
had to buy new furniture, carpets, etc,
for the chambers and committee-rooms,
and the commissions on these purchases
We're very large. Most OF the furniture
usually disappeared between the adjourn
ment Of one session and the meeting of
the succeeding one. The writer once
made out an inventory OF furniture and
other property for a retiring Sergeant-at-
Arms OF the Senate, and when the next
session was about to meet that officer
took the list and went to hunt up the
stuff to get it in order. He had stored
IN a large room belonging to bill" Hunt
the goods and chattels Of the preceding
Senate, but when he got there, the place
like Old Mother Hubbard's closet-was
bare. Somebody had helped himself to
the stuff during the interim.
But little things like that did not dis
turb the equanimity Of Legislators in
those days, and when the Legislature
met it generally authorized the Sergeant
alarms to get more furniture.
Tragedy was the order of the day
in I1n
that evening u woman named Kate Ger
ken, who lived on l. street, near Second
was found murdered III her house and
the latter plundered. She was supposed
to have had a considerable sum OF money
beside some valuable iewelry A cook
in her employ Charles Wilson, made the
discovery and informed Chief OF Police
WATSON, who went to the house and
found the woman on the floor, Strangled
by a red sash such as the Mexicans usu-
ally wore. A neighbor of the murdered
woman said the sash resembled that worn
10y man named Heinrich Harmon, who
had a few nights before visited her
place and threatened her life. The police
then set to work on the mans track and
finally discovered him playing cards in
Father Rhine House.
Harmon was arrested and small por-
ton of the woman's property found on
him. But it was afterward discovered
that he had failed TO find SS04 in coin, $500
worth of jewelry and a bank certificate
of deposit for $1,000, which his victim had
secreted in her house. On the way TO the
police station mob collected and wanted
to hang the prisoner. The latter proved
TO be an escaped convict, known as Louis
1lahl, who had been known also as Crest
Under the latter name he was once en-
ployed as a nurse to Louis Moser, an in
valid. Moser was found dead the next
Cav and his house plundered. While the
for l,o
fastened on Crist, he was convicted of
grand larceny and sentenced by Judge
Robinson to the State Prison. When
rrrested for the murder of Kate Gerken
q small vial of strychnine was found on
him, and it was supposed that he was
ever ready to take the life of any person
whom he suspected Of having money.
1.-THE following brief item from the
UNION of January 10th QS6D will doubt
less recall TO the memory of old-timers
an event that produced considerable of a
sensation in colored society circles at
that time: Martha Green and Anna
Humphreys, two colored women, VIII be
tried in the Police Court to-day on u
charge of malicious mischief. The alleged
oflense consisted of mixing croton oil
with the salad served at the supper at the
colored ball held over the Pacific Stables
on Second street some two weeks ago.
The salad was eaten and the ball was
broken up. Stampede from the hall was
so general and so sudden that a blockade
occurred mt the street door, and the stair
way leading thereto was filled several
deep with panic-stricken guests"
1.-THE future of the Lady Adams
Company was announced on the 10th of
January. ON the preceding day the Pres
ident of the company, \. L. Stockfieth,
committed suicide in San Francisco.
The Lady Adams Company was the old
est business house in Sacramento, the
members having come here in '49 from
Hamburg on the vessel Lady Adams.
The building occupied by the company
still stands on the north side of X street,
between Front and Second, on the west
side of the alley.
.........On the same night that the Gerllen
woman was murdered man named
Clement Antoinovich was dangerously
stabbed atthe office of. Arcega, on First
street, near the Slough. He declared that
his assailant was one Richard Fragillo,
and the latter was soon arrested. The
wounded man said he was sitting on a
chair at the time of the assault
The other case of violence that
completed that days record was the muir
der of AN infant, which was found in the
river few miles above the city. Allen
Reeve reported that he had seen wagon,
containing man and two women, driven
to the river and return, and there was no
doubt that it contained the childs muir
derers.
.........San Francisco was daily expect
ing from New York her first steam fire. .
engine, and the old volunteer firemen
We're wondering what sort Of a concern it
was that would pretend to compete with
their '.masheens." Another thing that
puzzled them was, WHO was to do the
lighting when there would be no one to
man the ropes?''
.........Lawrence Matthews was drowned
in Willow Slough, in the northeastern