CALIFORNIAN.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 271, 13 June 1868, Page 2

CALIFORNIAN.

The Killing of Sheriff Cochran. —The lied Bluft" Independent, lSth April, gives the following account of the assassination of Sheriff Cochran, previously announced by telegraph : It becomes our painful duty to chronicle one of the most heart rending homicides that has ever taken place in this part of the State. Sheriff Cochran, of Trinity county, arrived here on Monday's stage, from Weavervillo, having in charge an adjudged lunatic named James McDermit, of Trinity Centre, whom he was taking to Stockton. The Sheriff decided to remain here awaiting the boat, and as his charge seemed rational and quiet, ho was allowed his liberty in great part, not being restrained by incarceration as is the usual way, while those who were aware of his condition and of his sensitiveness on this point, took special care not to let him perceive it. At about 7 o'clock last evening he came into the saloon, where the Sheriff was in conversation with Mr Bettis, and told the Sheriff he was going home to Trinity Centre to see his wife and children. (He has a family). The Sheriff answered he guessed not, when the lunatic rejoined that his wife was dying, or would die, and he was not going to Stockton but right home. The Sheriff told him he thought his family would do well enough, and he had better go on to Stockton and see the doctor, who, no doubt, would soon send him back. Immediately the lunatic seemed intensely excited, and fiercely questioned, " Do you pretend to say you are going to prevent me from going to see my wife and children? d you ! I will have your heart's blood," and before his intentions could be suspected suddenly sprang upon the Sheriff with abowie knife in his hand ; the Sheriff grappled with him and Bettis endeavored to assist the Sheriff by beating the lunatic on the head with a box, when he turned upon him •with the knife upraised ; Bettis retreated, andthelunatic, after a moment's consideration, turned and ran into the street with the Sheriff in pursuit, who called to the bystanders to stop him, but upon running the width of the street the Sheriff fell ; persons hastened to his aid, and discovering his bloody garments, at once carried him to Doctor Cradway's drug store where an examinaiion showed he had been stabbed in the heart. He was speechless, and expired in 15 or 20 minutes. A Coroner's inquest was held by Justice Rahney, when the main facts related above were elicited together with the fact of the lunatic having a knife during the day. The body was taken in charge by our fellow townsmen Comstock, Loomes and others, and forwarded to his family in Weaverville. He leaves a wife and two or three children. The lunatic after committing the deed, fled, and so sudden was the whole transaction that pursuit on the instant was not thought of, but Sheriff Johnson shortly succeeded in arresting him. He is now lying in jail at this place. The deed has cast a gloom over our town, for the deceased was a very worthy man. His untimely death will be severely felt in Trinity county. On Thursday night, the sth instant, the actors at the Metropolitan Theatre sent out for a package of violet powder to dress the wigs in which they were to appear in the opera of the '* Grand Duchess of Gerolstein." By a mistake of the druggist's clerk, a package of some poisonous powder supposed to be caustic potash, or an arsenicated mixture, was sent, and the consequence was that all who used it were attacked with swelling of the parts with which it came in contact, violent inflammation, and severe pain. Several of the victims were made seriously ill, including Mrs Thompson, whose condition is very precarious. A terrible snow slide occoured at Keystone, near Gounieville, by which five men were killed. The Keystone Avalanche publishes the following account of tho accident : —Keystone, March s.—We had a terrible snow slide yesterday, at half-past ten o'clock a.m. Seventeen men were covered up, five were killed, and the other twelve men escaped without any serious injuries; one man having his leg broken, that being the worst case. It is impossible to estimate the amount amount of damage done. The amalgam room, and part of the mill, is all broken in to-gether with the boarding house and two cabins. The wood pile split the slide and saved the machinery. The above was written by a man who was covered up in tho slide. A large party of men will start out to bring down the killed and those injured. The Hon. Anson Burlingame, Envoy Extraordinary and minister Plenipotentiary from the Chinese Government to the treaty Powers; Chih

TajenandSon Tajen Chinese Ministers, John. McLearyßrown, First Secretary of Legation, Monsieur Edo Champs six student interpreters, two of whom have studied to speak English with considerable facility, two have studied French and two Russian ; two writers, a native doctor and about fifteen servants, arrived at San Francisco by the Pacific Mail Steamship Companye's steamer China, and took up their abode at the Occidental Hotel. Their Excellencies Chih Tajen and Son Tajen, are High Ministers of the second rank, attached to the Mission to learn and qualify themselves in the modes of diplomatic intercourse, and to assist Mr. Burlingame in his communications with the Chinese government. On the Ist some of the party appeared on the streets, and the two Ministers attraced some attention by their dress—the single red button and peacock's feather. They expected to leave by the " Golden Age," on the 6th of April. It does not appear that the Embassy are provided with an Imperial flag, as the stars and stripes were flying over the hotel in their honor. The British ship Viscata, Captain Drummond, drifted ashore at South Bright near San Francisco on the 7th of April and will probably prove a total loss. The Viscata was beatiug out under charge of a pilot when getting too near land, she got caught in the back eddy, missed stays and went ashore. The San Francisco Times of 9th says:—So far all attempts to get her off'have failed, and the sand has banked up around her, and is still banking up so much that the task of floating her becomes more difficult every tide. Up to a late hour last night she had made but very little water, but was pounding heavily at times, and had lost her starboard quarter boat. There was a fresh breeze, and a swell was rolling in rendering her position more and. more critical. She draws twenty-one feet of water, and at low tide has nine feet by her stern, showing that she is embedded twelve feet in the sand. The Viscata is an iron ship, and owned by Jos. Steele, of Liverpool. She was built at that port in 1864;. Her tonnage is 1065 tons, and her length from stem to stern 204 feet. She is registered at Lloyd's in Class 2, model N. Her consignees are Messrs. Faulkner & Bell, who loaded her. Her cargo consists of 82,731 sacks of wheat, valued at $90,885. All of this will doubtless be saved, with the exception of that which was as many believe needlessly thrown overboard. The pilot who had charge of her, Mr Jolliffe, is the same who was in command of the Oliver Cutis when she went on Alcatraz. No doubt an investigation will beheld to determine the causes which led to the disaster, and ascertain who is to blame for it. That some one was in fault can scarcely be doubted, and in such weather, in broad daylight, there should be no excuse for putting a vessel where the Viscata now lays.