Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-11-07

the cabin. Suddenly from the corner
where she sat Juanita rose and rushed
upon him, drawing from her clothing
a long knife. The attack was so uneX-
pected that before Cannon could move
she had driven the knife hilt deep into
his chest. The force of the blow for
one so small and fragile was amazing.
Cannon fell where he stood, stricken
to the death. He was carried away
and laid on the puncheon floor of
half built shanty in the middle of the
camp. From here the news of the at
tack flew like Wildfire through the
town and up and down the banks Of
the Yuba. Such miners as had not at
tended the Fourth of July celebration
dropped their picks and shovels and
turned their faces to DOwnieville. By
the hundreds they stood round the
body of the dying man, by the hun
dreds they filed in and out, taking a
last look at him as he drew his labored
breaths. He lived an hour. At IL
o'clock he was Dead and 2,OOO men
walked through the camp to the house
of Juanita.
She was ready for them, made no at
tempt to plead for mercy and showed
not the least fear. One of the most re-
markable things in the whole remarka-
BILE story is the demeanor of this wo-
man. She unquestionably killed Can
non in return for real or imagined in
suits. Having killed him, she seemed
quite satisfied to pay for her revenge
with her own life. There was a stoical,
almost cynical, calm in the manner
she faced the situation that added a
last touch to the grisly horror of the
whole performance She asked for
moments delay in order to arrange her
dress and make her will. This she did
verbally; then, calm and tranquil, sur.
rounded by the 1000 miners, she
walked to the platform that had been
used the day before for the Fourth Of
July exercises.
Here travesty Of trial took place,
Juanita sitting, ever calm and some
times smiling, in the midst Of her
judges. The camp was by this time in
a frenzy of excitement There were
men who realized that one of the most
barbarous acts in the history of the far
west was about to be perpetrated and
attempted to stem the tide. DIR. G. d.
Aiken rose up and testified that she
was not physically in fit condition to
be hanged. He was hOwled down and
driven from the platform. A Mr.. Thay
10 III oh
the mob by standing on barrel and
began to make a speech in her defense.
The barrel was kicked from beneath
him, his hat and glasses fell off, and
he was hustled through the crowd.
In the hotel overlooking the scene
was John B. Weller the candidate for
congress. Some one rushed in to him
and pleaded with him to address and
try to quell the fury of the mob. But
the gentleman, evidently feeling his ell
oquence not equal to the occasion, re-
fused He had probably seen the treat
ment awarded the two champions Of
Juanita and deemed the moment one
where silence was golden. So, left to
her fate, Juanita was tried, found
guilty and led to execution.
The four hours that elapsed between
her conviction and death were spent in
her own house saying goodby to her
friends and making her toilet for her
final appearance upon this earthly
stage. Her accusers occupied the time
in arranging scaffold for her in the
middle Of the bridge across the Yuba.
Two posts had been left standing in the
center of the bridge, and below these
they dashed two planks, which extend
ed out over the rushing stream.
When the hour arrived Juanita ap-
peared, walking among an escort of her