Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-03-13

bondlZa on FEBRUARY oln, Ieidllfe
to the lynching of one John De-
Roach, a French-Canadian, charged
with murder and the subsequent
driving of "Old Kit John B. Kit
trel) from the state of Nevada, the
latter, in a communication addressed
to the Bonanza, from Fresno, Cal,
gives the following, believed to be-
a true version of the history of that
lynching:
Fresno, Cal, March 8, 1911.
Llitor Tonopah Bonanza:
An old friend of mine, whose az
quaintanee | formed at Hamilton,
Whit Pine county, Nevada, as far
back as the beginning of 1869,
when White Pine was rushing
mining camp, has sent me cory
of yonr paper of the date of Eco
ruary Sth, in which appears a
communication headed Murder of
Old Bodie-601" telling a story of
past experiences.
1t is so full of misstatements,
made either by design or lapse of
memory, that | propose to correct
the errors and state the truths con-
corning the affair about which
"31S" writes. In January 1SS0-S1
one John DeRoach, Canadian
Frenchman, ruthlessly murdered a
Cornish miner at the corner of Main
and Mill streets, in the town of Bo-
die, Mono county, California.
He was Immediately arrested and
lodged in the city jail and on the
same night he effected his escape,
the iailer, it was reported, being
dead drunk at the time.
About a week afterwards a posse
in command of a young gentleman
named Burkit, a man of nerve and
action, discovered the absconding
fugitive at wood ranch few
miles away from Bodie, and return
ed him to the jail. This was on
Saturday morning at an early
hour.
The killing of the miner aroused
the feelings of the entire commu-
nifty and the mob spirit prevailed
to an alarming extent.
But for the persuasive eloquence
of Hon. Pat Reddy, DeRoach would
have been lynched by the mob on
that Saturday Their rage was cool
cd, however, by Reddy agreeing to
prosecute the murderer to the ex-
tent and limit of the law. -
SO on the Sunday next, at {
O'Clock in the morning, was com.
menced the preliminary examination
Of DeRoach on a charge of murder
Mr.. Reddy appeared for the prose
cution and | appeared for the de
Tense. Up to that date never hat
seen DeRoach to know him, ant
never had spoken to him until hi
engaged me to defend him.
The examination continued all O
that Sunday until far into the small
hours of the succeeding day, wher
court, counsel and witnesses were
exhausted, and yet the examination
was not completed. So court wa!
adjourned until 8 o'clock on Mon
day. At this juncture l said tt
my client: tomorrow morning al
soon as the preliminary trial il
ended, | shall introduce no evidence
and you must hasten to the count!
jail at Bridgeport, with all posi-
Bile speed. To this he said: you will
not see me tomorrow at 8 o'clocl
unless you see me dead | hooteC
at the idea and told him that ht
was in no danger from the mol
because all of the multitude tina
had besieged the court room durins
the day had dispersed and quietnes
reigned He still insisted that HI
would be hanged on that night
Leaving the court room, | went Il
my Office but had not been Their,
many minutes before | heard thu
clatter of hundreds of feet on tn,
plank sidewalk making for the jail
Then it was that | knew tina
DeRoach was doomed
Slipping on heavy beaver-skil
overcoat, l awaited the return o
the mob. l had not long to wal
before l witnessed the return o
the human tide with DeRoach il
their midst. l followed them unit
they reached the exact spot at tn,
corner of Main and Mill streets
where the miner fell At this poin
the mob had placed blacksmith
derrick, and on this DePoach wa
choked to death.
When | reached the scene of hi
execution saw dimly a colIectiOl
of men, may be a hundred or more
Immediately surrounding the der
rick, while others with guns AM
pistols in hand served as patro
to keep back the crowd which, Xix,
myself, had followed the mob.