The San Francisco call., 1896-08-30
Round Valley and Lone Ridge
Factions Join in Saving
Property.
FEUD OF THE CATTLE KINGS
FORGOTTEN.
George White and Yes Palmer Bear
The Altar From the Burning
Edifce.

WEAVERVILLE. CAL, Aug. 29.-Tht
trial of Joe Gregory for completely in the
lynching of Jack" Littlefeld in Round
Valley last September was interrupted, to
day by the pealing of the Weavervillt
frebelI. For two hours court officials, wit
nesses and habitues forgot the Round
Valley feud and battled side by SHE tc
stay a con6agration. When the bel
sounded al II 20 o'clock, it was discovered
tnat the rectory of st. Patrick's Church
(Roman Catholic) was on fire, and in q
few minutes the church itself was wrapped
in flames. A strong wind was blowing
from the east, and the principal business
blocks of WeaverVille were in danger Of
destruction. a bucket brigade was hastily
formed, extending from hydrant to the
church (for fire engine is an unknown
device in Trinity County, and TN pals,
oil cans and vessels of every description
were pressed into service and passed
rapidly along the line to the fire.
1t was the first serious fire that has oc-
CURED in Weaverville for years, and the
excitement among the residents was in
tense. Men, women and children joined
in the common fight against the conflagra-
tion. Along the bucket line could be
seen Cinnamon, negroes, white men and
Indians passing the buckets from one to
another, but the remarkable part was the
sight of the Lone Ridgers and the deni-
zens of Round Valley standing side by
side. passing the water, along the line
with feverish haste, apparently oblivious
OF the mortal enmity that has existed be-
tween them.
Tom Henley passed pals to "Hi'' VIII
burn, who gave anything but testimony
palatable to the former few days ago, and
Buck Lacock, who is out on bail, stood
between two witnesses and urged them to
make all possible haste.
But the grand coup of the day was when
Yes Palmer and George E. White, the
leaders of the two powerful factions now
battling at law over the life or death of
Joe Gregory at Weaverville, rushed into
the burning church and emerged there
from bearing the sacred altar between
them, which they removed to safe dis
tance beyond the devouring flames. They
were closely followed by Alec Perry OF
CoveIo, friend of White, with life sized
statue of the Savior on his right shoulder.
The church was built in 1859, and was
considered one of the finest edifices in the
northern part of the State at the time of
its construction. Many thousands of dol
lars were contributed toward its erection
but in those days everything cost dearly
here. Around the church was an old
graveyard, the graves being for the most
part marked by wooden head boards, for
the enormous expense of transporting
granite or marble tom bstones by wagon
over the steep summit of the Trinity
Mountains, distance of fifty-six miles
from Redding, the nearest railway town,
would be beyond question except to the
wealthiest. This graveyard was swept by
the flames, and the boards that identified
the graves destroyed, leaving nothing to
distinguish one mound from another.
The first witness to testify for the de-
tense this morning was George E. White,
the cattle king, at whose door a portion of
The conspiracy to kill Sylvester Palmer
and Jack" Littlefeld is laid. Throughout
the brief examInation he was non-commit-
tai and diplomatic in his replies. It would
have been impossible for his worst enemy
to have taken umbrage at his suave an
swers. Doolittie had told the witness that
Palmer had taken all his cattle, and had
now taken a mule, and he had replied
he would not let him take all he had -
He family remembered having said some
thing about giving the lawyer a lien on
the mule in preference TO 'planking up
sound money" for his professional SER
vices. White had inferred from the con-
versation with Doolittle that Palmer's
taking of the cattle was quite within the
color and sanction of the law as it was
construed in Round Valley.
Charles Gregory, brother of Joe Greg
ory, next went on the stand. He stated
that he had been at the Vinton cabin on
Septem Der 27, with Joe Gregory, Fred
Radcliffe and wife and Peter O'NeilI. They
! - c
noon, and while there saw Bayles Van
Horn, John Crow and Jack" Littlefeld
going up the Wylackie ridge about 5
o'clock in the evening. His testimony
was at variance to that given by Peter
O'Neil and Mrs. Radcliffe, and many of
his statements as to distance and time
conficted sadly. The vital point of the
testimony was the time that Joe Gregory
and Radcliffe had returned to the cabi
that evening, it being OF the utmost i'm
portance TO the defense to prove that they
returned home before or at sundown. To
this the witness swore positively, and also
tnat the mule which Radcliffe had ridden
had been shod tive days before with
smooth shoes, as was also the horse which
was ridden by Joe Gregory. Its name was
Caehunk, and it belonged to George
White.
George Liehtfoot, uncle of Joe Gregory,
was next sworn. Lightfoot's memory was
obscured and hazy on all points save that
the mule ridden by Fred Radcliffe was
newly shod, and that Peter O'Neill had
held said mules head while he was being
shod. O'Neill testified that the mule was
barefooted.
Lawyer Rohrbough, nephew of John
Rohrbough and also of White, who is a
partner of and manager for George E.
White, was the next to occupy the wit
ness chair. His examination had Just be-
gun when the fire bell rang outside the
courthouse, and with one accord witness
and jurors grabbed their hats and made a
rush for the door, the Judge shouting a
parting admonition to them as their coat
tails disappeared through the threshold.
Court was again called at 2 o'clock, but
as many of the jurors were wet from fight
ing fire, and as the Judge had not recov-
cred his breath, which he lost while sprint
ing home ward to protect his residence, it
was decided to take recess until 10 O'Clock
Monday morning.