Milford chronicle., 1895-04-05
CAREER OF WARREN.
FATHER OF JOSIE MANSFIELD A Plo-
NEER IN CALIFORNIA.

MEEK lN CALlrChNtHs
How He Killed Rival Editor In stockton.
Got Into jail For Life and Was Pardoned.
Steamboat Adventure with sI,Ooo,oOo
as the Central Figure.
Josie Mansfield. whose gay career in
Gotham a generation ago swell remain-
bsred, had father whose career was
also remarkable-a mixture Of the he
roio and tragic. Said California forty
miner the other day in reminiscent
mood; Mansfield Warren came from
New Orleans to San Francisco in the
early fifties. He came after gold, like
the rest Of Us, but, as he was a small,
siokly, consumptive looking fellow, he
did not pan out well as 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 him-in his paper
''In those days personal journalism
was the thing, and in California the ed
jtora spoke right ont, calling each other
all kinds OF names not used in society,
Warren replied but in a 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, he purchased a
long bowie knife It so happened that
The editor Of the rival sheet again
abused him, and before Warren's 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 unsheathing his bowie knife, when
he stabbed the aggressor to the heart
"On the trial it was proved that War
rem had threatened to kill the next man
whom be 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-
Tense, which was the truth. However,
he was found guilty and sentenced to be |
hanged The governor oommuted 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.
CAS- 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. 1
met him in New Orleans He showed
me the first issue Of The True Jefferso-
nian, a redhot Democratic paper that he
had just started at Carrollton, a suburb
of New Orleans He spoke very little
of California and Caifornians, and
what he did say was rather uneompl-
and I do not oensure him for
it. He died a few years afterward about
the time Of the 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, I am told.
At any rate, he lived poor and died as
poor as he had lived.
''I may mention an instance in his
career which will show that he was not
D coward. Itwas the custom Of the min. 4
srs to ship their gold dust by steamer
from Sacramento to San Francisco.
About 81, 600, 900 was made in one ship
nent, guarded by Warren and a half I
lozen assistants. About 90 roughs en- {
barked on the steamer under the guise Z
If oattlemen and ranchmen en- route to {
Frisco on business. The treasure room
was amidships on the lower deck The 1
steamers in those days carried a small
lannon at the bow, which was dis
charged on landing, so as to notify the 9
ettlers. 1t also frightened the savage
Indians, who soon came to regard the G
floating houses with fear and supersti- q
ion. Warren suspected a move on the s
,art of the roughs and fixed the gun on I
pivot, so that it would command the q
tern Of the boat and the approach to
he treasure room. He heavily loaded a
he gun and then threw in handful Of a
rails for scattering shot The attack, he i
vas informed, was to be made at sun
lown, just as the boat was rounding b
he Pirates cove, about 80 miles above a
ian Francisco. Warren and his men as e
embed in the bow and soon noticed
lumber Of men forming on the stern of d
he boat and others joining them from n
he cabin above by coming down the back Il
The cannon was Immediately
eyersed, and Warren and his men drew y
heir revolvers. Go up stairs, or I'll a
urn her loose and NOW you down like
7heatp shouted Warren as he stood I
eady to let or go, il
The roughs, seeing that they were p
recoiled in disorder, and g.
ome ran up stairs. Just at that mo- v
tent the boat ran on sand bar and B
'as keeled over, nearly upsetting her. o.
he roughs were panic stricken, doubt Il
lss thinking this was part Of the pro- "
ramme, and some Of them jumped
verbOard. The cannon also went over So
oard. In few hours, fortunately, an
Iher boat came along and hauled us off al
70 bar, and we arrived safely at San
with our 81, 600, 600 in gold d.
ust. No; those who jumped overheard
ID not get back. We would not let any lu
'dy board us at that stage of the pro-
ledings, especially as VS. knew who N
icy were. They may have swum ashore, OF
Iough, - concluded the forty-niner in te
rather doubling tone as to the ulti-
ate safety Of the roughs. -Philadel- th
iia Times. I'll
THE CHILDREN GET THE GRAVY br
1t the Father Of the Family Gets the Fun !.
Of Giving 1t to Them. y