The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-02
RIDDLED WITH BULLETS.
" Jack" LittIefield Killed While
in the Hands of an
Officer.
HAD SLAIN a CovELo MAN.
Ranohers Took the Law Into Their
Own Hands to AVenge
the Crime.

UKIAH, CAL, Oct. News reached
here to-day of the lynching of Alfred, alias
"Jack, Littletield of Round Valley, Sun
day evening. Both the lynching and the
murder which led up to it occurred just
across the line in Trinity County.
While j. M. Vinton, resident of Covelo,
was driving some cattle along the highway
on Saturday he was suddenly confronted
by Littlefeld, who stepped out from be-
hind tree and commenced shooting at
him. Vinton fell and making sure that
his victim was either dead or fatally
wounded Littlefeld fed. young man
in the employ of Vinton Immediately mott
fed the Sheriff of Trinity County, who was
soon on Littlefields trail, and had over
taken him short distance from the scene
of the shooting.
A party of ranchers, to the number of
about twenty-five, who heard of the affair at
once took it upon themselves to punish Lit
tlefeld for his latest crime as well as for
many others he was suspected Of They
started after the Sheriff and his prisoner
When they approached Littlefield he
sprang from his horse and made break
for the brush. Then the reports from a
score of Winchesters rang out and "Jack''
Littleield's career of outlawry was at an
end.
The lynching party rode up, and after
all preliminaries had been arranged, passed
rope around the neck of the corpse and
hung it to the limb of a tree, from which
place it was soon after recovered by the
Coroner.
Yinton, the victim of Little6eld, died
last night at the house of Tom Hayden, on
Red Mountain, to which place he had
crawled on his hands and knees after be-
ing shot. Vinton was known as "bad
man." He came westward after deserting
ship, on which he was second mate, for
some trouble be had with one of the crew.
He went to Humboldt County, where he
was known as Clark Melville When he
came to this county some eight years ago
he resumed his right name. He was in the
employ of George White, the cattle king,
and partner to some extent in his bust
ness affairs, sharing that position with
John Rohrbough.
Littletield was rider in the employ of
Yes Palmer. The mob of lynchers con-
sisted of about twenty-five men heavily
masked, and over the heads of the horses
they were riding were drawn grain sacks
so as to complete the disguise. 1t is
claimed that Littlefeld was only wounded
by the vigilantes' volley. and that he really
died by strangulation.
The shooting of Vinton and the lynching
of Llttle6eld is in the opinion of many,
the signal for an outbreak between the
White and anti-White factions, and it is
hardly possible that trouble can be
averted. Under-sheriff Hendy and sew
eral deputies are now at Round Valley,
ready to quell any disturbance that may
arise.
Littlefeld was, at the next term of the
Superior Court, to be tried on the charge
of grand larceny, he having stolen some
cattle He was also at the same term of
court to be the prosecuting witness in the
case of the people VS.. Joseph Gregory, in
which the defendant was charged with
having attempted to kill Littlefield.