CALIFORNIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 698, 10 April 1852, Page 3

CALIFORNIA.

[From the Maitland Mercury, March 17.] The following extracts are from some Californian papers received by a late arrival; — Judge Lynch at Rich Bar.—From a gentleman recently from Rich Bar we learn that a man named David Brown was arrested, tried before a court of the people, and convicted of stealing 17,000 dollars, the property of two Germans, sentenced to death, and the sentence carried into execution by hanging him by the neck until he was dead. We further learn that the trial was conducted with the utmost coolness and impartiality—a jury of twelve men empannelled, judge selected, and counsel allowed the prisoner. The circumstances, as we learned them, were as follows :—The man

Brown had been sick some time since, and had been nursed and otherwise cared for bv the Germans. Boon after his recovery the theft was committed. Brown was suspected, brought before a court and examined. He denied the theft, and proof sufficient to convict him could not be obtained. On being liberated he left the bar, and remained away for several weeks, when he again returned. His movements excited suspicion anew that he was the thief, and a close watch was kept upon him. He was seen to visit a hole with a pick and pan, and after leaving it a search was made, and the purse which had contained the stolen treasure discovered. It was shown to him, but he denied all knowledge of it. The proceedings as narrated above were then had. and his guilt clearly proved. He made a full confession, after which he was taken out and hung in accordance with his sentence. Thus has another heartless scoundrel, who hesitated not to rob those of whose kindness and charity he had been the recipient when sick and destitute, been hurried into eternity, and another warning has been given to thieves and robbers that justice does not always sleep.— Calaveras Express.

Murder by Indians.—A man from Indian Hill Ranch, near the South Yuba called on us yesterday and stated, that the day before as he was on the road this side of the river, about nine miles from this city at noon, he heard a cry of distress, and immediately saw two Indians run into the bushes ahead of him. He raised his rifle to fire, but thinking at the instant the Indians might not be guilty of any mischief, he did not shoot. A few roils ahead he found a young man, nearly dead, with several arrows in his body. Our informant recognised him as a man who had passed his house on the ranch that day. There were several letters and a bundle of blankets laying round on the ground. The wounded man was speechless, and the other, hoping to get assistance in time to save his life, ran to the nearest house, about two miles off, and mustered several men. On their return the man was dead, his pockets rifled and blankets gone. What light the letters would give as to the identity of the murdered man, we are not informed, save that one cf them was directed to Marysville. Judge Doherty left here this morning to hold an inquest on the body.— Nevada Journal. A Man Shot.—We find in the Union the following item : —Yesterday morning, about 2 o clock, the residents in the neighbourhood of the El Dorado Saloon were alarmed by a noise which proceeded from without the saloon, and cries that a man was shot. The particulars communicated to us are these ;—Charles Turnbull and a party of friends, who were making a noise in the street, were met by officer Chandler, and ordered to desist. They afterwards came into the El Dorado, where they became engaged in conversation with officer Hayward, during which they informed him that they would not consent to be arrested by a policeman. A man named Barnes soon after struck Hayward across the face with a pistol, knocking him down and injuring him severely. Shortly after, Turnbull left the room by a side door, intending to go upstairs to his own room, when, on opening the door, he was shot from without by a person whose name has not yet transpired. The ball entered the left side, near the heart, and passed diagonally downwards, came out at the ribs, and entered the coat worn by a person standing next to him. The wounded man was instantly conveyed to his room, where he now lies in a very precarious condition, although the attending physicians have hopes of his recovery. The examination of Barnes will take place before the Recorder to-day.— Alta California. Melancholy Occurrence. —A most melancholy occurrence took place in Steep Gulch, about half-a-mile below this place, on Tuesday last. Three Frenchmen, Jean Paul, Foenan Paul, and Thuall Auguste, were cavoteing a hole into the bank of the adjoining hill, when about thirty feet of it slid into the gulch below m which they were working, killing one, Jean Paul, on the spot, and horribly bruising and mutilating the other two. A huge pile of rocks fell down with the bank, which so completely covered up Jean that he was not extricated till the next day. Foenan Paul has one of his legs broken above the knee, and his lower jaw entirely separated from the upper one, being broken in two at the joints. Thuall Auguste is badly hurt in several places, having his right ' shoulder blade shattered, and several of his 1 ribs broken. This unfortunate catastrophe is I not the result of carelessness, as is generally ' the case, for the men had not excavated more than three or four feet into the hill, and did not suppose the drift already needed timbering. A subscription has been got up among the citizens of this place, for the relief of the unfortunate sufferers.— Calaveras Chronicle. Another Shock of an Earthquake.— ' Earthquakes in San Francisco are getting to be ■ so much of an everyday matter, that half of I the people do not notice them.—On Friday, I between the hours of one in the morning and twelve at night, three distinct shocks were felt. ' They were, however, “ no great shakes,” as no material damage was done, that we heard of. This moining, however, about three o’clock, a severe shock occurred, waking up many of our citizens. The oscillation was to the north and south. This, we believe, has been invariably the direction of the shocks that have occurred in our city during the past two years.— Alta California, December 27. Sluicing.—The benefits of sluicing are beginning to be understood among the miners of this country, more especially between this place and Buckeye Ravine. Within a few days, on this latter gulch, a number of sluices have been placed, in preparation for a sufficiency of water, varying from 100 to 180 feet in length. Miners should remember that it takes earth averaging from one to two bits per pan to pay a cradle, but that one cent, per pan will pay a well conducted sluice when .properly worked.— Calaveras Chronicle. P