The morning call., 1894-02-02
ROUGH CITIZENS AT VIVA.
Government Officials Had Been
on Their Guard.
PREPARING FOR AN OUTBREAK.
The People at the Big Ranch Were
on the Lookout for an Attempt
to Destroy Property.

SACRAMENTO. Feb. 1.-The sensational
dispatch from Vina, published in this
mornings CALL concerning the attack
upon the private car of Mrs. Leland STAN
fords has caused great deal of comment.
However, feeble attempt has been made
to discredlt the story and to give out the
Impression that the shooting in the vicinity
OF Mrs. Stanford's car was done by a
crowd OF roySterers, who had been ont
during the night, and who had no evil in.
tentions.
There is very hard gang of fellows in
ana around VIna. capable of doing almost
anything. 1t Paving been for long time
paradise for tramps. acts of disturbing
the peace are of daily occurrence.
Last fall it was learned that there waQ
plot under way to destroy lot of pron-
erty on the great ranch. particularly abone
the wine cellars and warehouses. The
Govern ment secret service got hold of the
matter In some way and informed tbe
Treasury Department at Wasbineton-
The Secretary of the Treasury Denart-
ment Immediately telegraphed to Colonel
ID. w. Byington, internal revenue CoI-
lector Tor this district. Of the information
which had been received, and Instructed
him to use extreme vigilance and spare
no expense in protecting the buildings
which were in charge of the Government,
aud which contained enormous quantities
of wine and brandy.
Colonel ByiDgton instructed his repre-
sentatives accordingly, and if any attempt
had been made in the direction of the de-
stroying OF property there would undoubt-
edly have been plenty of work for Te-
hama COunty's Coroner.
In the past few months many men have
been discharged at the Stanford ranch be-
cause there was no work for them, and
also because 1t was found necessary to
curtaii expenses just as other large insti-
tutioDs have been compelled TO do during
the recent striDgeDcy. This created a
great deal OF i'll feeling among the rough
element and the widest sort Of threats
were made by the drunken mobs.
few days ago Mrs. Stanford received
letter from mau named Blake, informing
her that the big brandy warehouse was to
be blown up with dynamite. Since the re-
ceipt Of Blake's letter extra precautions
have been taken to prevent any outrage.
George w. Flcks, who is deputy under
Collector Byington, and who has been
Sacramento this morning, and was seen by
a Bee reporter. "The dispatch published
this morning did not tell all about the
outrage" said Mr.. Ficks. 81 took the
trouble to investigate the matter. and
found that it was entirely true. The
drunken mob howled like lot of savages,
and fired several volleys from their re-
volvers, aud the people who saw them say
that the flashes of powder indicated that
bullets were flying in the direction of
Mrs. Stanford's car. 1t is not known,
however, that any of the bullets struck the
car. The gang marched past and fired
fusillade, and howled like a band of
Apsches. In few minutes they re-
turned and repeated the outrage"
In concluding his remarks Mr.. Ficks
said that he could not be too severe in de-
nouncing the wild acts of the oh.