The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-07-25
CAREER OF WARREN.
FATHER OF JOSIE MANSFIELD A PiO-
NEER ~ CALIFORNIA.
How He Killed q Rival Editor In Stockton.
Got Into Jail For Life and Was Pardoned.
A m Adventure with d, oOO. 900
- the Central Figure.


- the Central Figure.
Josie Mansfield. whose gay career in
Gotham a generation ago is we'll remem-
bered, had o father whose career was
also remarkable-a mixture of the he
roio and tragic. Said a California forty
miner the other day in a reminiscent
mood: Mansfield Warren came from
New Orleans to San Francisco in the
early fifties. He came after gold, like
the rest Of as, but, as he was q small,
sickly, consumptive looking fellow, he
did not pan out we'll as a digger in the
mines. So he went to editing a weekly
newspaper at Stockton. No sooner had
he started up than the other editor went
for HMM his paper.
'In those days personal journalism
was the thing, and in California the ed
itors spoke right out, calling each other
all kinds OF names not used in society.
Warren replied. but in q gentlemanly
way. While this newspaper war was
going on n Of the merchants attacked
Warren for some alleged slight, and
Warren being small and physically
weak got the worst of the one sided
fight. He was SO badly used up that he
stated, III soon as he got out of bed, that
he would kill the next man who attack
ed him. Accordingly, he purchased a
long bowie knife. 1t SO happened that
the editor of the rival sheet again
abused him, and before Warren's paper
cornn ar1t no mo atfoclol ON Tho ctroafc
by his opponent. He knocked Warren
down, jumped on him and was beating
him numerically. Warren succeeded
in ~unsheathing his bowie knife, when
he stabbed the aggressor to the heart.
ION the trial it was proved that War
rem had threatened to kill the next man
whom he might fight; also that he had
bought the bowie knife Immediately
after making the threat. The defense
argued that Warren did not have the
rival editor in mind at these times, and
furthermore that he acted in self de-
9ense, which was the truth. However,
he was found guilty and sentenced to be
hanged. The governor committed the
sentence to life Imprisonment, and in a
year or two Warren was pardoned.
1.-The family removed to San Francis
CO, and here Josie began to assist in the
elevation of the stage.
las soon as she became prosperous
she left the family in their old age and
poverty and fitted eastward to become
notorious as the cause of the murder of
Jim Fisk.
Il lost track of Warren until 1869. /
met him in New Orleans. He showed
me the first issue of The True Jefferso.
MAN, a redhot Democratic paper that he
had just started at Carrollton. q suburb
Of New Orleans. He spoke very little
Of California and C~alifornians, and
what he did say was rather uncompli-
mrnIary, and l do not censure him for
it. He died a few years afterward about
the time Of the tragedy of which his
hayward daughter was the central fig
ure. He visited his daughter in New
York during the height of her career
and was very coldly received, l am told.
At any rate, he lived poor and died as
poor as he had lived.
II may mention an instance in his
career which will show that he was not
) a coward. 1t was the custom of the min
ers to ship their gold dust by steamer
from Sacramento to San Francisco.
About 81, 600, 900 was made in one ship
ment, guarded by Warren and a half
dozen assistants. About so roughs en-
barked on the steamer under the guise
OF cattlemen and ranchmen en- route to
Frisco on business. The treasure room
was amidships on the lower deck. The
steamers in those days carried a small
cannon at the bow, which was dis
charged on landing, SO as to notify the
settlers. 1t also frightened the savage
Indians, who soon came to regard the
floating houses with fear and supersti.
ton. Warren suspected q move on the
part OF the roughs and fixed the gun ON
q pivot, 10 that it would command the
stern OF the boat and the approach to
the treasure room. He heavily loaded
the gun and then threw in a handful Of
nails for scattering shot. The attack, he
was informed. was to- be made at sun
down, just as the boat was rounding
the Pirates cove, about 80 miles above
San Francisco. Warren and his men as
sembled in the bow and soon noticed a
number Of men forming on the stern of
the boat and others joining them from
the cabin above by coming down the back
stairway. The cannon was Immediately
reversed, and Warren and his men drew
their %revolvers. 60 up stairs, or I'll
turn her loose and NOW you down like
wheat!' shouted Warren as he stood
ready to let 'er CO.
The roughs, seeing that they were
o~utfanked, reooiled in disorder, and
some ran up stairs. Just at that mo-
ment the boat ran on q sand bar and
was keeled over, nearly upsetting her.
The roughs were panic stricken, doubt
less thinking this was part of the pro-
gramme, and some of them jumped
overheard. The cannon also went over
board. In q few hours, fortunately, an
other boat came along and hauled rs of
the bar, and we arrived safely at San
Francisco with our 81. 900, 900 in gold
dust. No; those who jumped overheard
did not get back. We would not let any
body board US at that stage of the pro-