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Career Of Warren

Career Of Warren image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
April
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Josio Mansfleld, whose gay career in Gothama gcneratioa ago iswellrernfiínbere'd, had a father whoso career was also reinnrkable - a mixture oí the horoio and tragio. Said a California fortyuinef tho other day in a remiuisceut mood: "Alansfield Warren carne frora Now Orleaus to San Francisco in tho early fifties. Ho oamo aftor golcl, like thorcst of us, but, as he was a small, siokly, consninptive looking í'ellow, lio did not pan out woll as a digger in tlie mines. So lio went to oditing a weekly nowspaper at Stockton. No sooner had no started np than tho other editor went fur him - in his paper. "In those days pcrsorjal 'journalism was tho thing, and in California the editora spoko riglit out, calling each other all kinds of liamos not used iu society. Warren replied, but in a gentlemanly way. ' Whilo Ibis newspapcr war was going ou CEO of tho merchauts attackcd Wtirren for somo allegcd slight, and Warren bciii3 sniail and physically weak gofc tho worst 'of tho ono sidcd fight. 'Ho wns.so badly used np that he fetatcd, as sooh as Iiq got out of bed, that he would kill tlio nest man who attaoked him. Accordinyly, bo purebased a long bowio knifo. It so liappened that tho editor of tho rival sheet again abused him, and boforo Warren 's paper camo out howas attacked on the streets by his opponp.njt. Ho knocked Warren dowu, jnmped on him and was beating him unmcrcifully. Warren eucceeded in unshcathiiig his bowio kuife, when he stabbcd the aggressor to tho heart. "On tho trial it was proved that Warren had tbreatened to kill the next man whom he might fight; also that ho had bought tha bowie knife immediately after making the threat. The dofense argucd that Warron did not have the rival editor in rnind at these times, and furtherniore that ho acted in self defense, which was tlie truth.. However, he was found guilty and sentenceel to bo hanged. Tho governor commuted tho sentenco to lifo imprisonment, and iu a year or two Warren was pardoncd. "The family removed to San Francisco, and Josie began to assist in the elevatiou of tho stage. "As soon as she becamo prosperoiis ahe li'ft the family in their old ago and poverty and flitted oastward to becomo iiotorious aa tho cause of the murder of Jim Fisk. "I lost track of Warren until 18G9. I met him in New Orleans. Ho snowcd me tbo flrst issue of The True Jeffersonian, a redhot Democratie paper that ho had just started at Carrol Hou, a suburb of New Orleaus. He spoko vcry littie of California and Californians, and what he did say was rather uuoomplimentary, and I do not censure him for it. Ho died a fewyears afterward about tho time of tbo tragcdy of which his wayward daughter was tho central figure. He visited his daugbter ia New York the height of her carcor and was verycoldly received, I am told. At any rato, he lived poor and died as poor as he had lived, "I may rnention an iustanco in his career which will show that ho was not acoward. Itwas thecustomof thominers to ship their gold dast by steamer from Sacramento to San Fraucisoo. Abotit $1,000, 000 was made inoneshipruent, guardad by Warren and a half dozen assistauts. About 50 roughs embarked on the steamer under tho guiso of cattlemen and rauchmen en route to Frisco on business. The treasuro room was amidships on the lower deck. The steamers in thoso days carried a small caunon at the bow, which was discharged on landing, so as to notify the settlers. It also frightened the savage Inrtiaus, who soon came to regard the 'floating honses' with fear and superstitiou. Warren suspected a move on the part of the roughs and u'xed the gun on a pivot, so that it would command the storn of tho boat and tho approach to the treasure room. He heavily loaded the gun oud then threw in ahandful of nails for scattering shot. The attack, ho was informeel, was to be made at sundown, just as the boat was rounding the Pirate's cove, about 00 miles above San Francisco. Warren and his men assombled in the bow and soon uoticed a uuniber of men forming on the stern of the boat and others joiniug them from tho cabin above by coming down the back stairway. The canuon was immediately revorsed, and Warren and his men drew their revolvers. 'Qo up stairs, or I' 11 turn her loóse and mow yon down like wheatl' shouted Warren as ho stood ready to 'li;t 'er go. ' ' 'Tho roughs, seeing that they were ontflanked, recoiled in disorder, and some ran np stairs. Jnst at that moment the boat ran on a sand bar and was keeled over, nearly upsetting her. The roughs wero panio stricken, doubtless thinking this was pare of the programme, and some of them jumped overboard. Tho cannon also went overboard. In a few hours, fortunately, another boat came aloug and hauledus off the bar, and we arrived safely at San Francisco with our $1,000,000 in gold dust. No; thoso who jumped overboard did not get back. Wo would uot let anybody board us at that stage of the proceediugs, especially as wa knew who they wera. Thoy may havo swum nshoro, though, " coücludéd the forfy-niner in a rather doubting tone as to tho

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News