Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-11-02
CAREER OF WARREN.
FATHER OF JOSIE MANSFIELD A PIO-
NEER IN CALIFORNIA.

How He Killed Rival Editor In Stockton
Got Into Jail Tor Life and Was Pardoned.
A Steamboat Adventure win 81 100000
as the Central Figure.
Josie Mansfield. whose gay career i'll
Gotham generation ago i5Toll remon-
bered, had a father whose career was
also remarkablc-a mixture Of the he
roic and tragic. Said California forty
miner the other day i'll reminiscent
mood: "Mansficld Warren came from
New Orleans to San Francisco in tho
early fifties. He came after gold like
the rest Of Us, but, as he was small,
SICILY, Consumptivo looking follow, he
did>nOt pan oIt we'll as u digger in the
mines. So he went to editing weekly
newspaper at Stockton. No sooner had
he started up than the other editor went
for HMM his paper.
I'm 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 i'll society.
Warren replied, but il II gentlemanly
way. While this newspaper war was
going on one 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, as soon as be got out of bed, that
he would kill the next man who attack
ed him. Accordingly, 10 purchased a
long boWio knife 1t SO happened that
tho editor Of tho rival sheet again
abused him, and before Warrcn's paper
came out he was attacked on the streets
by his opponent. He knocked Warren
down, jumped on him and was beating
him numerically. Warren succeeded
in unsheatning his bowie knife, when
he stabbed the agGrcssor to the heart.
'On 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 tho 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-
fenso, 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
AS 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.
81 lost track Of Warren until 1869. l
met him i'll New Orleans He showed
me tho first issue Of Tho True Jeffcrso-
MAN, a redhot Democratic paper that he
had just started at Carrollton, a suburb
of New Orleans. He spoke very littio
of California and Californians, and
what no did say was rather uncompli-
mentary, and | do not censuro him for
it. He died a few years aftcrward about
tho time Of tho tragedy Of which his
wayward daughter was the central fig
ure. He visited his daughter in New
York during the height Of her career
and was very coldly received, [ am told.
At any rate he lived poor and died as
poor as he had lived.
81 may mention an instance in his
career which will show that he was not
a coward. twas the custom of tho min
ers to ship their gold dust by steamer
from Sacramento to San Francisco
About 81, 000 coo was made in one ship
ment, guarded by Warren and q half
dozen assistants About so rouehs en-
barkcd on the steamer under the guiso
of cattlemon and rauChmen Ell route to
Frisco on business. The treasure room
was amidShipS on the lower deck. The
steamers in those days carried a small
cannon at tho 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 move on tho
part of the rOughs and fixed tho gun on
a pivot, so 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 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 Pirate S cove, about 30 miles above
San Francisco. Warren and his men as
sembled in the bow and soon noticed
number of mon 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 revOIvers. 60 up stairs, or I'll
turn her loose and NOV you down like
wheat! shouted Warren as he stood
ready to let 'or s..
Tho roughs, seeing that they were
outllanked, recoiled i'll disorder, and
some ran up stairs. Just at that mo-
ment the boat ran on a 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 few hours, fortunately, an
other boat camo along and hauled US off
the bar, and we arrived safely at San
Francisco with Cur 81, 900, 900 in gold
dust. No; those who jumped overheard
did not get back. Wowould not let any
body board US at that stage of the pro-
ceedings, especially as we knew who
they We're, They may havo swum ashore,
though" concluded the forty-niner i'll
a rather doubling tone as to the ulti-
mate safety Of tho roughs. -Philadel-
phia Times