The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-03-02
A Suit at Law Which Recalls
an OId-Time Tragedy
THE PASSING OF LACHENAIS
He SHOT and Killed Jacob Bell in a
Land Quarrel
A Lynctng Bee Which VIII Be Recalled
by a Number Of Old Citizens.
The Coroner's Jury


fore Judge Shaw, in Department Five o
the Superior Court, which brings bach
recollectons OF twenty-five years ago-i
time when lynching was not an unusua
proceeding in Los Angeles.
The cause was that of Seraiina Reyes
Lachenais against A. n. Feldschan and
others to quiet the title to nearly three
acres of land, constituting lot $, in the
Reyes Vineyard tract. as designated in
the probate distribution and partition OF
the real estate of Maria Antonio Machado
de Reyes. The allegation OF plaintiff was
that this lot had been set aside by parti-
ton commissioners. Messrs. Christobal
Aguilar, ]. J. Warner and George Hansen,
to her mother, Maria Reyes y Reyes de
Lachenais.
The defendants denied that Maria Reyes
v Reyes de. Lachenais was the mother OF
the plaintiff, Serafna, who is very dark
young woman of u pronounced Indian
type. They also claimed possession of the
land in dispute through an admins
traitor sale, confirmed by the court in
1878, to B. Cohn deceased. The lot was
part of Maria Reyes y Reyes de Lach-
enais' estate, who died in 1869
Serafina Lachenais testified that she was
small child when her mother died, but she
had perfect recollection OF the event.
She also remembered being sent for by
her father, Michel Lachenais, when he
was in the calaboose. He wanted to Sc
her before he died. He gave her the keys
of his house and told her to engage a
man to take care of his belongings until
she was able to do so herself. Her father
also impaired to her that he had wanted to
settle his business before he died, but his
custodians would not let him.
This hripps MS down tO the reason of
Laohenais' Incarceration. He was an ex-
ctable man. a native of France, and at
the time of his death on the 18th of De-
cember. 1870 was Just AZ years old.
In 1861 or 1852 Freedman died in Los
Angeles and two of his countrymen vol
unteered to hold wake over his body
during the night. There was plenty Of
aguardiente in the mortuary chamber,
and it resulted in the watchers drinking
too much Lachenais was one of the men.
His irritable temper got the better of him,
he quarreled with his companion and
killed him. The two corpses were left to
each Others care, Lachenais Immediately
departing for Lower California, where
he remained until the storm blew over
and the matter was patched up. Then
he came back to Los Angeles and once
more resumed the tilling OF his land on
Main street, near Agricultural Park.
His neighbor there in 1870 was an in
dustrious capitalist in a small way, named
Jacob Bell, who, by thrift, had accumu-
lated a competence. He had been an as
sistant to Surveyor Hancock. Between
his land and that of Lachenais there lay
strip which was in dispute. Both thought
themselves entitled to it. This was the
again.
They met at the store of John Shoe
maker, where the Shoemaker block on
Spring street now stands, and Lachenais
was terribly excited. He raved and swore
that Bell wanted to take away his land
Jacob Bell told him not to be foolish and
quit quarreling. He disclaimed wanting
any land that was nothis own, and added
that if Lachenais thought he had right
to the strip he ought to know where to
go. 1t was then arrnged that the matter
should be submitted to the arbitration of
John Shoemaker and Major Horace Bell
and after little more parley tempers
were smoothed down
In the afternoon Lachenais went to the
office of lawyer, now long retired from
practice, and once more started harping
on his land dispute with Bell. The at
torney was heard to say that the only
manner to settle the matter was 'Por la
ley de rifles by shotgun law. This fired
the excitable Frenchman again and he
left for his ranch.
Joseph Scheible, who worked for Bell
told at the inquest what happened next:
Michel, " said he, ''came from his side
OF the fence and picked quarrel with
almost Immediately, and taking a shot at
me told me to 'vamos.' l left with the
horses, and the Frenchman then advanced
toward Bell who was about thirty yards
away, shooting at him two or three times
Bell stood his ground and fired back,
but at last he fell, I saw him fall and
went to tell Mr.. Zobelen. We both re-
turned and found Bell lying dead in the
field.
Lachenais was arrested and placed in
the calaboose, where the Philips block
stands now, and DR.. Joseph kurtz, then
coroner, impaneled jury consisting of
Messrs. Henry Dockweiler John Collier,
Thomas Leahy, John Benner and G. H.
Springer. They found that Jacob Bell,
native of Pennsylvania, So years old, had
been killed on the 18th of Decemer, 1870,
by gunshot wound inflicted by Michel
LachenalS.
The town and neighborhood was in a
ferment. Nearly everybody advocated the
culprlts Immediate execution and on the
evening of the 18th meeting was held
presided over by a well-known infuen-
tial citizen who still is among u.s. Lach-
enais' fate was decided. His sentence was
death on the morrow.
Before o'clock on the 18th, an armed
mob, consisting of 200 or 300 irate men,
one OF whose principal leaders was
Methodist preacher with shotgun, went
to the jail and demanded Lachenais
from Sheriff Thomas Sanche and the taller
nj V. Davis. They refused to give him
up. The citizens opened the cell by force.
took the prisoner out and led him to a
corral on New High street, where the Uni
versty Bank building now stands.
A gentleman since deceased, mounted
dry goods box, and appealed to the mob
to let justice take is course. His speech
was cut short by some one kicking the
box from under his feet and he djsap-
peared from public gaze, like a iack-in-
the-bo when the cover is pressed down.
Plenty OF willing hands put the moose
around fachenais' neck and tied the other
end to the beam over the gate OF the cor
raj lie was picked up placed on the
same dry goods box from which the adj
vocate of law and order had been
bounced, gentleman, still hale and
hearty today, with great gusto, pulled it
away again when all preparations had
been completed, and Mr.. Iachenais was
choked to death.
Then followed the inquest, as matter of
course, without which the proceedings
would have been incomplete, and it so
happened that the gentlemen selected for
that duty were some of the very men who
had taken prominent part IN aiding
Monsieur Lachenais to shuttle off his NOR
tai coil. One of the witnesses said that he
had seen almost the whole population of
the city and many of the county come to
the JAIL that morning to claim Michel
Lachenais for execution
When he impaired that valuable infor-
nation to the jury h winked his eve and