Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-05

One constantly hears In the talk of old
Calilornans, and reads in the books
written during the pioneer period, Of
the almost fantastic respect in which
the Californian of the flfties held wo''
men.
There are stories Of how miner came
In some way or other into the possess
sion of lady's slipper, small and dan-
ty. and how, after the heat and burden
OF the days work was done, he would
allow his comrades to look at this sa-
cred article, even pass 1t charity from
>hand to hand. while he stood by Jealous.
~ watching It, In the northern mining
district, one OF the authors of the fifties
tells us that band or minW's once came
upon q woman's sun bonnet lying In the
middle OF the road, where II had evil
gently fallen from an emigrant wagon.
Inere Is nothing sentimentally suggest
I've about sunbOnnet. One could weave
about well shaped slipper, but a sun
bannet only speaks of the tanned. un-
lovely face Of the slab-sIded frontiers
woman. Yet the miners are reported as
having snatched 1t up-kissed il, almost
Wept over 1t, and carried II away with
them, as knights Of old carried their
lady's favor when they rushed into the
fury of the fray.
yet 1t was in this very period, when
the woman, as rare feature Of contem-
poraneous life, stlll stood on an exalted
pedestal, that one, young and handsome.
was openly, and by the consent of a
crowd of several thousand men, lynched
In the mining camp Of Downievllle. /
am not certain. but | am under the i'm
preston, that this is the only white wo-'
man ever lynched In the United States.
IL certainly was the only white woman
ever lynched In the cool light of day for
crime for which an impartial judlS
would have found mediating circum-
stances, and after trial, in which those
few who had the temerity TO attempt
to defend her, were kicked and hustled
out Of the court.
1t Is difficult to find information on
the subject. Whether the historians of
that and later periods decided that the
matter had best be passed over in ST.
lenoe. or whether II was regarded as of
insufficient moment to be carefully
chronicled, am not able to say. l first
read Of It in one OF those curious little
hooks the tottings of obseryant travel
ers. or amateur miners, of.whlch 80 and
'bl were so prolific. ] have forgotten Che
names OF author and volume but am
under the impression that the writer
was an eye witness TO the AFFAIR. After
that a living eye witness described IT 10
me. Bancroft has something to say OF
1t; SO has Ittell but TO the major
ity Of Callfornans, who were either not
here at all, or who were too young nj
the time to be interested in anything
outside the nursery, the matter Is un.
known history
The story Is one OF the most dramatic
and savage in the annals of the settling
Of the west, rarely in modern times
never, perhaps-was such deadly ami
mostly shown towards a woman, Young
and apparently entirely defenseless. She
was u Mexican by name Juanlta, "a
years Of age, and standing not quite five
feet nigh. She was also pretty, with the
dark skin and eyes. and the shining
black hair Of her race IL Is said that
her character was not of the best, but
at the time the story opens she was llv-
ing quietly at Downleyille with q monte
dealer--whether as wife or mistress, no.
body seemed TO know. or care--whose
name has not come down TO us, and
who. apparently, stepped back and let
the law take its course" without pro-
test.
on the evening OF July 4. 1851. there
was great celebration in DownIoville.
John y. Weller, then stamping the state
as candidate for Congress, had ar
rived. and made speeches on the plat
form raised In the center Of the town,
close to the hotel Miners had come IN
from camps and dgglngs for miles up
ana down the muddy length of the Yu-
ba, II was said that there were 5000
men In Downieville that night, and az
may be imagined the hilarlty was great.
Among others who became exceedingly
merry was Joe Cannon, an Australian,
who, together with two kindred spirits
ranged through the camp. drunk and jo-
vial
Cannon was one OF the most popular
men OF the district. lie Is described as
q cheerful easy-going giant for he was
over six feet IN height and weighed 240
pounds. In their riotous course through
the camp they arrived at the cabin of
Juanita and the monte dealer. Here.
dark and silent, the little shanty pre-
sented no sign OF life or light Such
friends as the unfortunate Juanita had,
tried 60 win the clemencv OF her Judges
by stating that Cannon, with brutal
language, had attempted to break down
the door OF the cabin. His friends. the
next day, persisted that all he had done
was TO strike the door In o spirit of tip
sy revelry, and 80 powerful was the
blow of the giant that he burst II from
its frail hinges OF leather. After this
they departed unconscious OF tragedy
to arise from the unprecedented stroke
Of n drunkard's fist.
The next morning when Cannon had
recovered his senses. he was told Of the
DAMAGE he had done. His friends de-
clared thai when he heard Il he inlme-
dlately announced his .ntentlon Of re-
pairing 20 the monte dealers cabin and
paving for the broken door No one. ac-
cording 10 the Downleville miners had
ever known Joe Cannon to do an ungen-
erous thing. II was said by the Mexl-
cans that whether he had gone to The
cabin for the prose Of payment or not,