The record-union., 1891-10-03
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
An Exciting Afternoon at the State
Fair Races.
How Police Court Judge Disposed of
a DisagreeabIe Case-Practical
Joke on a Bridegroom.

Bidleman, the lively fireman. who cap
Jured secession flag from Major Gillis
one evening in front of the st. George
Hotel, was at the races. He had been i'm
bibing rather freely, and while pretty
drunk pulled the Confederate emblem
Irom his inside pocket and began to ex-
plain to a crowd how he captured it.
Political feeling was at boiling heat in
chose days, and the sight of the little flag
drew a big crowd around Bidleman.
Each new man that came up would ask
what was the cause of the excitement,
and someone would reply, "That man
has a rebel flag"
Then someone would shout, Hang
nim - ''Throw him over the fence ~
and so on, until the thousands present
became greatly excited. Only the few
who were close to Bidleman understood
The situation, while those on the outskirts
of the crowd grew frantic in their efforts
TO get at him and tear the flag from his
hands, supposing him to be a secession
sympathiZer.
Old Colonel Gift, the Kentucky turf
man, who was himSelfa rabid fire-eater,
was in the reporters stand, and when he
heard that somebody had been waving a
rebel flag he loudly denounced the act,
and in his usual emphatic manner, en-
s.
that the fellow ought to be nobbed.
The crowd surged about beneath the
stand for some time, and pistols were
drawn, but before anyone was seriously
hlIrt Bidleman escaped through the sa-
loon with his flag. A friend then eX-
plained the situation to the crowd, a
shout of laughter went up, and the sports
again gave their attention to the races.
........A good joke was played on a
newly-wedded young man at Marysville.
They were married in an adjoining
county and left at once for Marysville,
where reception awaited them.
A merry evening was enjoyed, and
when it became time to disperse some of
the waggishly-inclined young people got
tbe bride to consent to having a little
trick played on the groom They fixed
up a dummy bride with the aid Of pill
lows and the real brides choicest under
wear and placed it in the bed, the bride
herself hiding with friends in an adioin-
ing room.
In due time the impatient groom was
notified that he might retire. He was
Oashful young fellow, and eXtinguished
ais candle as soon as he got into the room
and had taken nasty glance at what he
supposed to be his bride with her face
Iimidly turned toward the wall.
In about five minutes a demonac yell
startled the guests in the hotel, and
bridal chamber and went down the stairs
four at jump. While some of the men
grasped the frightened groom and rushed
nIm into the barrOom below q committee
Of both sexes inspected the room and its
contents They found the dummy bear
ing the imprint of a tight squeeze about
The waist, which squeeze seemed TO have
mad the demoraliZing effect upon the
groom referred to.
AS soon as he could be quieted down
he joke was explained to him, but he
did not take kindly TO it and wanted to
hight. He finally yielded to the brides
appeal and retired.
About that time Thomas !. ThebO and
Mary \. Hunter were married at Yankee
Jim's, Placer County, and it is barely
possible they can tell something about
the occurrence, if they are yet living.
........A report gained currency that
David ;. Terry, Dan Showalter and a
few other leading lights of the secession
Democracy had gathered in the San Joa-
quin Valley and foOthiu counties adjoin-
ing several hundred desperate men and
started overland to join the Southern
troops.
1t turned out that the report was pre-
mature, although a little later body Of
men did leave by way Of Arizona for the
south, and Terry did go and fight for the
Southern cause.
Judge Terry w5s one of those who in
1856 fell under the ban of the san Fran
cisco Vigilance Committee, and for some
lime 1t was expected that he would be
Danished from the State The Executive
Committee held a meeting to consider
The matter The vote had been stated as
sixteen in favor of Punishment and nine
leen for unconditional release, and when
It was submitted to the members there
were lZ1 present, of which eighty favored
release, and he was accordingly allowed
20 go.
The following evening a reception was
given TO Judge Terry on his arrival in
sacramento, and there was a grand old
fashioned howl by the Southern element
OF the Democratic party, who stood by
Terry.
There was a Sunday law in force
or rather, on the statute bCoks-thirty
years ago, and once in while an effort
was made TO enforce it. w. j. Cady, pro-
prietor Of the Orleans Hotel Saloon. was
arrested for violating the law, and l.. -
Taylor was engaged to prosecute the case
before Justice Barr in the Police Court.
Cady had James w. Coffroth and J. c.
Goods to defend him.
The trial must have been farcical pro-
ceedIng. The defendants council asked
The court to instruct the jury that it must
acQuit him and assess the costs to the
prosecuting officer, although il was al
ready clearly shown that Cady had sold
liquor on the Sunday in question.
After considerable urging" remarks
one Of the local papers, 1.-THE Judge, who
was too drunk TO comprehend the propo-
sitIon, or any other portion of the busi-
ness before the court, gave his assent
hough he made no attempt TO repeat il TO
he jury" The jury acquitted Cady, and
assessed the costs to the prosecution.
........ OF Mrs. Jessie Benton Fremont
who is still living and a resident of Los
Angeles, an Eastern paper said, thirty
Fcars ago, when Fremont was at the
mead of one OF the Union armies:
The name Of one woman is recorded
who, without making fuss or having it
published in the newspapers, is doing
ler dutysat her husbands side and does
not find st necessary to leave him and go
20 fashionable watering-places or keep
posted on the doings of the fashionable
world. This honored name is that of
Mrs. Fremont-our Jessie of long ago,
he wife of a Presidential candidate, the
admired of the highest circles in London
and Paris, as well as in America, and
low the active and industrious secretary
Of her husband--his confidential adviser,
mis- Invaluable reporter. That is wife
worth cargoes Of the pulled and painted
and bedizened women who are fit only
lor models for fashionplates."
......A resident of Marysville recently
came across copy of the California E:c-
press, published in that city in 1856. The
paper was then owned by Luther Laird.
-. ". Bloor and Richard Rust. Levi
tiite was Mayor, and George c. Gorham
City Clerk. Considerable space is de-
voted To vindjcatiOu Of the character OF
one James Buchanan, then a candidate
lor the Office OF President Of the United
Ary.a4 NTg,t4