Year: 1861

than wood and earth, whereupon he called
all hands together and went off for shovel,
the witness pointing out where one could
be had. As soon as the shovel was obtained,
we set ourselves to work, and soon came
across the body of man rolled up in blank
cts, with clothes and boots upon his person.
Decomposition had long since set in and,
consequently, it was impossible to recognize
the body. The witness declared, however,
that he could recognize the blankets, clothes
and boots as Daschers. The witness was
| perfectly jubilant over the discovery of the
body At times he would stand and look at
it, and weep bitter tears of anguish then
again he would say, /" Thank God John,
you have been found. will avenge your
fellow, and Shattuck shall give his life for
yours" 1t was really heart-rending to wit
ness this interview between Adriance and
the deceased, and therefore we hastened to
put an end to it. We obtained some old
boards which had foated down the river,
and lodged with the drift wood among the
rocks, made sort of box, deposited the re-
mains of the dead man in it, dug hole and





ter's, arriving there few minutes before the
hour fixed for convening Court.


large crowd again assembled at the
Justices office. Not word had been told,
either to the Justice or anybody else, of the
result of our search. No questions were
asked, for we had been instructed by the
Justice not to disclose anything which we
might discover, until we were required to do
|
closely, but whether he learned anything
| from our countenanceS was never known to
me.


At four o'clock Court was called to order,
and the parties who had been to the canon
were called upon to be sworn. Every fact
hereinbefore stated was detailed by each
witness as he was called to the stand final
ly Adriance was again placed upon the
stand, to prove the identity of the body
found as that of Dascher. He swore that he
could not identify the body as Dascher's !;
that it was so much decomposed it was i'm
possible to tell; that he had no doubt it
was Dascher; that he could swear posi-
lively that the clothes on the body and boots
on the feet were Dascher's, and the same he
had on the morning of his disappearance
and that the blanket in which the body was
rolled up was Daschers.


Here ended the testimony Shattuck was
asked by the Justice whether he had any
thing TO say. He replied, No,"-wbere
upon the Court went into review of all
the facts as sworn to, and closed by saying,
" be should hold the prisoner to answer to
a higher Court for the murder of John Das-
Cher


On the following day Shattnck was de-
liyered over to the Sheriff of Yuba County,
and placed in the Jail, there to await his
trial in the District Court. Judge Stephen
j. Field was employed to defend him. In
due course of time a bill Of Indictment was
found against him, and his case called up
for trial. By the shrewdness of his very
able lawyer, a postponement of the trial was
obtained until the October term of the
Court, 1851. At that term another post
ponement of the case was had, and not until
the winter or spring of 1852 was the de-
fendant ready for trial. When he declared
himself, through his counsel ready for trial
The State was not, for neither Adriance nor
any other of the material witnesses could be
found. The result was the discharge of the
prisoner, and the entrance on the records OF
the Court of a nolle prosequ.


Such, Mr.. Editor, is the history of the
murder of John Dascher. If my story is OF
any interest to your readers, am content
If not, / will only regret my inability to do
better justice to the subject. 1t serves, how
ever, to show what California justice was in
1851, and the slight causes which at that
early day, led to the taking of life


Shattuck was still in California in 1855.
Adriance have not seen or heard from since
1851. Shattuck was at the time | saw him
last residing near Marvsville, on ranch,
and living an exemplary life. l doubt not
he has repented his foul deed in sackcloth
and ashes. If God can forgive him for his
great crime, l can see no reason why man
should condemn him, especially when he is
living life of contriton and repentance
If this paper should fall into the hands OF
Henry H. H. Adriance, or anybody who
knows his whereabouts, letter directed to
G. II. D., North San Juan P O., informing
me where he can be found, would be most
acceptable.