The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-02-27
LAST SURVIVOR DEAD.
Convict Was with Fremont fn fsfs ON
the California Expedition.

the CALIFORNIA Expeoition.
The other day an old man died In the
stats prison at San Qusntin. IL WAS not
an unusual event; It was not attended
with any unusual ceremony. The rs
mains were placed In . plain redwood
boz. The box was hoisted into heavy
prison wagon; then the convict driver
and his convict assistants, under the
supervision Of q prison oficiaI, fastened
over the intervening half mile Of bsrren
WASTE Z, the prison burial ground. where
the convi,t laborer whose duty II was to
dig graves had mate ready the allotted
| six feet Of earth.
Tie wagon followed devious path
through the jutting headstopss. The
stones wers simple. and many were
marked with the eloquent inscription,
"Died OF gunshot wounds" the spitaph
of those who had made fatal attempt to
escape. The wagon was unburdsnei, the
box was lowered, and the few simple
words Of the prison chaplain, with the
drone OF the brief orthodox prayer, con-
ciuded the incident.
The man was so years old.
Twenty OF these years he had spent on
the barren island within prison walls. In
expiation of q crime which with bis
dying breath he swore he did not commit,
The crime vita which the people of
California charged Frank Calmel was
that Of murder, and the verdict that the
jury found was guilty" The degree
was fixed first degrees and the sentence
lifo imprisonment. That was In the year
1879.
Frank Calmel had q comfortable little
home on the banks OF Fish Greek, In
Kern County, his prosperous charcoal
claim, which he had located during ete
period ae was engaged In charcoal min
ing for Senator Jones, who had sent hi IN
there in 1850.
On July he went hunting, and re.
turning with his gun, observed man In
the act Of leaving his houss. Frank
Calmei had a store OF good whisky In bis
cabin, and the motive Of t,e intruder he
Immediately sscrib.d TO theft
He rushed up the doorsteps, dragging
his gun altar him. The man, who had
darted back into the house, rsappsared In
the doorway, and as he did so there was
loud expiosion and the intruder droppsd
dead. Ths law said Frank Calmel snot
him.
frank Calmel said the gun was e.
ploded by an accidental touching Of hia
foot against the ham er Of the gun which
he had dragged behind him.
The verdict Of the law was enforced
and the accused was sentenced TO impris-
onment for as many years rs he shout
live. The mum Der ohanceds % be twenty.
Tue other sixty years Of Frank Calmel's
life were replets with historic adventures.
He was q FIenchmAn, and at the age OF
Il went into the French Revolution as
drummer boy In the days OF Chsr.es \.
The delight Of his after years was to re-
late bis boyisL adventure - the French
army.
At the age Of "a he came to America
and follow ed the business OF trading
with the Indiana, among whom he was
well known and very popular. The tall,
energetic Brenohman gathered about him
o number Of COMPANIONS and organized
. company for the purpose OF driving bull
teams to Mexico In the interest OF traffic
In the wild, gay life OF the frontiers
man and cowboy Calmel prospered and
bsoame n leader among his fellows.
John g. Fremont, who was then at the
head of an exploring party In Mexico, met
him and prevailed upon him co join the
expedition. They became fast frlsnds,
and when on the famous August Is. ls46,
General Fremont. with Commodore
Stockton, captured Monterey, Calmel
was among the foremost In the company.
he remained with Fremont until the
startling discovery OF 1s4s infussd the
fever Of gold hunting In his veins. Then
be went fortune seeking in the foothills
of the Sierras-in to the placer digsings
of Mariposa County.
With the rest Of the old "fcrty Miners
he made and lost fortunes, sought for the
precious gold dust. and with his findings
paid for -four at $40 per sack, participate
ed In the swift dealing OF early lynohing-
bee justice, and dropped into obEcprity
when the fever had subsidized and the gold
fame OF California bad given plaos to an
active appreciation of its fertility In other
lines.
He went iAto the charcoal diggings OF
Kern County ana settled down to daily
labor and quiet thinking. lie WAS somR
what reticent and Kept 10 himself, hut
there were none who could bear witness
to single act of unkindness or cruelty
on his part. He wos known as
"Frenchy," and was held In high respect
by those who knew him.
Then the misfortune Of unhappy cir
cumstanoss came to him. His life among
the oaks of Kern was changed for that of
the monotonous prisonyardi and his COM
Portable rural garb for that Of hideous
convict stripes,
The years dragged on until he ta1
been an inmate of Fan Quentin for eleven
years; then one DAY n letter CAME to him
aud the htart OF thH prisoner was DuOyeu
up with hope, for 1t was from his old
friend, General Fremont. who fa1 only
then b. ard of his misfortune. The letter
brought promise OF help, aud coming
from so Influential n source b 10 a strong
hope 10 the sa1dened and uncommunita'
tive prisoner.
Bat circumstances onos more PLAYED n
oil as trious Part In the affairs of Fraok
Calmei. The letter was da'ed ea.ly In
July, 1890, aud ON July ID, 1850, General
Fremont died. and with his dtath van
lshed All hope for the unfortunate
Calmel.
That wal nine years ago, and no doubt
they lad dragged "a very weary length
for Frank CalmeL A stroke Of paralysis
brought the tinal releaye, and he now
rests in his allotted srase In the crimi-
nails csmetery ON the lone island which
tai been his homs for the last twenty
ysa-s.-San Francisco Call.
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