Showing posts with label California. Show all posts
Showing posts with label California. Show all posts

Friday, March 8, 2024

Horrific assault prompts suicide at old Amador County Courthouse



For several months there has been talk of paranormal tours taking place at the old courthouse in Jackson. For the record, I am not a part of any sort of paranormal tour at this location, but it came to my attention that some of the history being discussed on said tours was not accurate, and it bothered me that erroneous history was being shared. 

Thankfully, one of the persons involved in the tours has reached out to me and seems sincere about revising her tour to depict a more accurate telling of the courthouse's history. However, there are still a few people out there, who are also advertising paranormal tours, whom I worry may continue to share  inaccurate information not only regarding the history of the courthouse but also around Jackson itself. This is worrisome to me, because I actually care about the true history of this beautiful area and I am a firm believer in facts. Please remember, anything you read online or hear from another person regarding local history, I strongly urge you to take with a grain of salt unless they can back their story up with documented facts to suppor their story. I am a huge believer in facts, not sensationalism. Why create fictitious stories about our beloved historical landmarks when these locations have plenty of real history all on its own?

I had planned on sharing this story solely in my upcoming book, "Stories of the Forgotten III: Tales of the Mother Lode," but given the fact the old county courthouse has been the focus of many posts lately on Facebook and other social media platforms lately, I decided to share my research on a factual story that did take place there, and I can back up my story with sources.

On Monday, February 22, 1909, a man by the name Joseph Coholich committed a very heinous crime. Now, the newspapers reported his last name as Chahalich or sometimes Chachalich, and even his Find-a-Grave memorial spelled his name as Choalich, but his death record in the California Death Index was recorded as Coholich.

Per the Amador Dispatch, dated February 26, 1909:

"Early in the afternoon of Monday a horseman, greatly excited rode into town and notified Sheriff Gregory that Mrs. Lintillac had been shot by Chahalich. Gregory and Leverone immediated started for the Lintillac place. Upon their arrival there they found Chahalich gone and questioned the woman, learning from her the following particulars: Mrs. Lintillac shortly after dinner, was hanging out clothes near the house, and Chahalich, who had worked about the place, approached her carrying a shot-gun and demanded of her $25.50 which he claimed was coming to him for wages.

She replied they did not owe him that much as he had not worked for a time during the rainy weather, and also that he was indebted to them for baord in the sum of $20, besides $2 for brandyl that all he had coming was $7, and told him he had better see her husband about it. Chahalich, who was standing about six feet from the woman, raised his gun and shot her in the legs twice."

The article, which is lengthy, goes on to state that the Sheriff went on to the Campanola's cabin where the suspect had been known to stop by for the past two weeks. The authorities found the shot-gun and a blue short that the suspect had been wearing, and so they knew he had stopped there before moving on. When questioned, Campanola denied any knowledfge of the situation. It was ascertained that Joseph Coholich had walked across Campanola's property, through the fields approximately seven miles, all the way westward to Jackson, avoiding roadways.

By the time Joseph Coholich reached Jackson, he made the steep trek up Summit Street to the old Courthouse. According to testimony by eye-witness Thomas Lemin, Coholich was walking back and forth in front of the courthouse at about 5 p.m. that evening. The two men struck up a conversation, as Coholich sat down on the steps and began eating an orange.  Shortly thereafter, Coholich belted out a painful groan and fell backwards into convulsions. When the onlooker tried to help him, he shook his head and stated that it was "too late." Still, two doctors arrived to the scene, Dr. Sprague and Dr. Gall, who both realized that he had been poisoned. They moved Coholich to the courtyard of the jail, and he expired within about 10 minutes. 

When the body was searched, they found a vial of strychnine in his pocket and about 25 grains were missing. They believed he had put the poison in the orange that he ate, committing suicide instead of facing the legal consequences for his actions. Joseph Coholich had no family in the states, and it was assumed his wife was still home in the "old country." The newspapers stated that he was originally from Austria, yet his Find-a-Grave states he was from Italy. It is obvious that he may have been from Austria, having travelled to the U.S. by way of Italy, but by the spelling or pronunciation of his name it is obvious he was of Serbian or Croation descent. 

Joseph Coholich was buried without a marker in the Jackson City Cemetery just next door to the Catholic Cemetery.  

While continuing my research, I discovered that Mrs. Lucie Lintellac was forced to have her limbs amputated due to her grave injuries;  one limb being amputated just below the knee, while the other just at the ankle bone. Sadly, it appears that her wounds never healed properly that her health continued to decline. As of the March 12, Amador Ledger, her funeral notice appeared. Although the newspapers stated she was buried in St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, I have been unable to locate her gravesite as of yet. I am still avidly searching for that piece of the puzzle, as I would really like to pay my respects to this innocent victim of this very wicked assault.

In my line of work, I stumble upon some of the saddest stories. I share them for one reason, so that their names and their lives will not be forgotten. Mrs. Lintellac, and even Joseph for that matter, have been forgotten in the pages of archived newspapers and old dusty death indexes that have been shelved for over a 100 years. My effort is to bring back those people's stories, to give them back a voice. To share their story for them, since they obviously can no longer share it on their own. 

I hope that although this history was a bit dark, and unfortunately did not have a happy ending, that you can appreciate it is still a part of local history, nonetheless.  Thank you for taking the time to read this and to remember the stories of the forgotten."  (J'aime Rubio, Copyright 2024)

Some of my sources: California Death Index, Amador Ledger, 3/12/1909; Amador Dispatch, 2/26/1909; Bluelake Advocate, 2/27/1909; Stockton Independent, 2/23/1909; Union Democrat, 2/27/1909; San Francsico Call, 2/23/1909. 



Monday, February 5, 2024

Historic Roseville slaying offers insights to ‘cursed’ family

 

Los Angeles Herald

26 Feb 1876

Do you believe that death and tragedy seem to follow certain people?

In the case of David Turley, they indeed seemed to follow him, leading him straight to the gallows. The question for modern history lovers is, why?  It was April 1, 1875, and a group of men were headed back to Roseville on horseback, returning from a race at a ranch several miles beyond the city limits. 

Among the group was William H. Shaw and David Turley. Several newspapers reported both men, who worked in Roseville as Sheepshearers, were intoxicated when they started to quarrel nearby the 12 Mile House, once located at South Cirby and Old Auburn Road. Other newspapers claimed the incident took place on Old Marysville Road, 12 miles from Roseville. Today, it is hard to be certain of the exact location.

What words were exchanged still remains a mystery. Some accounts even suggested that it was an April Fools’ joke gone wrong. Whatever was said, it prompted Turley to challenge Shaw to a duel — a threat designed to make the other take back whatever negative remark was said. Shaw refused to duel Turley and tried to get away from him. Turley pulled his pistol out and fired two shots in Shaw’s direction, hitting and killing him.  

The trial was held in Sacramento and became highly publicized, making headlines in papers all the way to Los Angeles. One of the witnesses, Creed Haymond, stated for the defense that Turley was too intoxicated to have known what he was doing, therefore he believed it wasn’t his fault. The other four witnesses together confirmed that Turley did in fact shoot Shaw as he was attempting to leave.

Turley insisted that his actions were caused by an inherited mental illness. He also claimed that this inherited psychosis contributed to many deaths in his family; however, Judge Ramage did not allow this information in the trial. When all was said and done the jury found Turley guilty of murdering Shaw. The defendant eventually took his appeal to the Supreme Court, alleging errors were made during his trial. The Supreme Court came back unanimously on November 16, 1875, deciding that the initial court ruling was correct, and that Turley’s conviction would remain the same.

So was the story Turley claimed about his family true, or just a desperate attempt to spare his own life?

Extensive research into the matter reveals that David Turley’s tragic family background was stranger than most would imagine. His father, Jesse Turley, was a wealthy and well respected farmer. According to Missouri historian Rhonda Chalfant, Jesse Turley was the first landowner in the Pettis County to free his slaves due to his support for the Union during the Civil War, prompting his own neighbors to engage in two attempts to murder him. Both times he was shot and survived. Sadly though, Jesse Turley’s life ended at his own hand, after his own gun discharged by accident while he was mounting his horse during a stint in the Missouri State Militia. He was hit in the abdomen and died shortly thereafter. 

David Turley’s mother, Lucy, was also killed by an accidental bullet — shot by one of her other sons, William, while he was sleepwalking with his gun. Like David Turley, William Turley was also in the state militia, and was never the same after killing their mother. William was later done in during a raid in the Civil War involving Confederate General Joseph Shelby. One of David Turley’s sisters had a stroke, rendering her brain damaged for life, while his other sister couldn’t handle the bizarre death of their mother, and literally went insane. She also died in a relatively short period. A third brother, John Turley, was killed in Kansas around 1875, while a fourth brother, Thomas, was shot in Texas the same year.

 David Turley had left Missouri to California in 1857 after getting into some sort of “trouble.” Following his father’s death, he inherited a large amount of money and so he moved back to Missouri. He opened a saloon in Georgetown and moved in with a well-known woman of ill-repute. David’s surviving brother, James, had tried to convince a doctor to have him committed to an asylum at Fulton due to erratic behavior. The Sedalia Bazoo Newspaper stated that besides being his own best customer at his saloon, David Turley was known to get into fights at the drop of a hat and quick to draw his blade or his gun — often times shooting at people for “imaginary offenses.”

It was after getting into too much trouble in Georgetown that David decided to head back to California. 

James Turley, a.k.a. “Sedalia Jim,”  was a former policeman who ultimately spent his entire savings, an estimated $2000, to help with David’s defense for killing Shaw. James tried to prove that his brother was mentally ill.  It was James who wrote Colonel John F. Phillips, asking him to help gather affidavits to prove David was insane, a danger to himself or others, and that he needed to be committed rather than executed.

Even after a petition was sent to California Governor William Irwin with numerous signatures begging for a reprieve, nothing was done to explore if David Turley suffered from mental illness. By 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, 1876, David Turley was given notice that Irwin was not going to grant him clemency.

The Daily Alta California newspaper chronicled the last hours of David Turley’s life in detail, including his request to meet with Father Patrick Scanlon to be baptized as a Christian and be read his last rites. It was noted that people were lined up outside the building in hopes of catching sight of the hanging. At 2 p.m. Turley was marched up to the scaffold, a large shroud was placed over his clothes and a hood over his head. After a short prayer, it was documented that Turley shouted, “Mother, mother I am coming!”  as the rope dropped.  Although his neck was broken instantly, his pulse continued for another fifteen minutes until the doctor pronounced him dead. 

In the end, although Turley was not given a chance to prove his mental state to the courts, we now know that he obviously suffered from something that made him very violent. Whether the Turley family as a whole suffered from inherited bad tempers, some sort of psychosis or chemical imbalances, they all seemed to have been affected by it. Most of David’s brothers were shot in the same way that Turley shot Shaw: Death didn’t just follow the Turley Family, it seems to have chased after them with a vengeance. Yet, by the lifestyles that they chose, the male members of the Turleys died the very way in which they lived. As the saying goes, “live by the sword, die by the sword,” so all men are responsible to face the consequences of their own actions, just as David Turley did on that day in 1876.

 By: J'aime Rubio --

Originally published on March 27, 2015 in the Roseville Press-Tribune.  Reposted with permissions Courtesy of Gold Country Media.

 

 

Monday, August 30, 2021

Attack At the Maze Hotel - Modesto History


The Ross House, as seen in the book "One Hundred Years"-

In my line of work, over the years I have had to debunk many television program's so-called facts, in order to set a story or two straight, when certain paranormal programs have literally shared false history or inaccurate history of a certain person, place or thing. In a recent episode of "The Dead Files" the program featured a certain costume shop in Modesto that is purported to be haunted. I have known the owner of this shop, Dana Walters for almost a decade, and I have been friends with Eva Foreman, an employee at that shop for just as long, so naturally, when I heard about the upcoming episode I wanted to see what it was all about and just what the "show" was going to say about the location.

Again, I am not a fan of paranormal shows in general, because I can see through the smoke and mirrors, to view it for what it is: blatant sensationalism. Time and time again, as I stated above, I have literally debunked or "fact checked" many of these types of shows over the years, only to reveal the actual stories that they either told completely wrong, or set stories straight when various stories had been fabricated and hadn't even taken place to begin with. So, when the episode brought local history into the mix, I was intrigued to see if the television show actually got it right. (Which in 99% of the cases, they don't).

After watching the episode, and after having taken extensive notes, I went deep diving into the archives in search for the facts behind one particular story that the tv show mentioned regarding Andrew Sorensen. Sorensen was said to be the man who allegedly attacked his wife with a butcher knife and then slit his throat in the Maze Hotel in Modesto. According to this television program, that event was a "possible" cause for what could be the dark energy haunting the shop, since the stars of the show claimed this particular location where this horrific story had occurred was literally within feet of the costume shop itself.

After lengthy research, I have found that although some of the story they told was accurate (to an extent), there was a huge piece of information that was completely inaccurate: 

The Maze Hotel was not even remotely close to the costume shop!

The costume shop is on 7th Street, between L and M Streets, whereas the incidents that took place in 1910 involving the Sorensen's at the Maze Hotel, was located on the corner of 9th and I Street. 

Now that I have cleared up the misinformation that this event in history DID NOT actually take place anywhere near the costume shop, now I am going to give you the history of the Maze Hotel and share with you all the particulars surrounding the incident that took place on December 30, 1910.

History of the Maze Hotel



Originally, the first structure on the corner of 9th and I Streets was The Ross House, which was "for many years Modesto's leading hotel, and the scene of the town's big social soirees. It was built originally in Paradise City by Frank Ross, the man who gave it his name. In 1869, realizing that its days were numbered with the arrival of the railroad in Modesto, Ross sold out to James Cole, who formerly ran a stage station on the way to Sonora." -(A Hundred Years, Modesto 1870-1970)

As the book goes on, it mentions that Cole had the building moved to Modesto on November 20, 1870.  It was moved in two sections, with the second part arriving the following week. 

"The Maze Hotel, mentioned in the Modesto Irrigation Jubilee of 1904 as the headquarters of Governor and Mrs. Pardee and their party, was the name then given to the old Ross House at Ninth and I on the present site of the Claremont Hotel." -- (The Claremont is no more, and it appears that later the site was Mead's Bakery & Restaurant, and even later, it is now a parking lot on the southeast corner, across from McDonald's.)

Google Street View (looking East on I Street/9th Intersection)

The Maze Hotel was owned by none other than the Maze family, a prominent family in Modesto. When they purchased the property and changed the name from the Ross House is unknown to me. I couldn't find that in any of the records I searched. I did however find that the Sweet family managed the property around 1908, before Marie Sorensen decided to jump into the hospitality business and took up as the proprietor of the hotel sometime around 1909.

From the looks of everything I could find in records, newspaper clippings and census records, it appears that Marie Sorensen was very much the social butterfly, and (in my opinion) I believe she was more than likely the dominant one in the relationship. The newspapers noted she was "lively and vivacious", but what really gave it away was the 1910 census record. 

When the census taker listed the couple, they listed Marie as the "Head" of the household. That was not common for that time period. In fact, unless a woman was alone, such as a widow with children she wasn't listed as the head. The husband, or whatever man in the family was always listed as the head of the household, at least back during that time period, anyway. And in this case, Mr. Sorensen took the #2 slot on the census list for their "household." 

This listing alone gave me the impression that Mrs. Sorensen was a very independent person, and didn't think conventionally as the subservient sort of wife. All the newspaper clippings I could find relating to Andrew Sorensen spoke of him as the more quiet, reserved type. Although a later article threw in the idea that he was of the "jealous disposition." 

Marie came from one of Modesto's more prominent families, being the daughter of W. S. Stone. While Andrew also came from another prominent family, his father being M.I. Sorensen, the late Deputy County Recorder. 

Andrew Sorensen, was financially invested in the grocery business, having been working in that field for well over 10 years. By 1909, he was one of the owners of the A. Stiefvater & Co. Store, but sold his interest in it, as well as his interest in the Diamond Grocery Company, in order to help his wife manage the Maze Hotel.

It seems that perhaps they were having some sort of financial troubles, because by August of 1910, Marie Sorensen had decided to tell her landlady, Mrs. Maze that she was no longer going to keep the Maze Hotel open for customers, and instead was planning on running the Plato Hotel which was literally behind the Maze on the other side of the city block on 10th Street. Apparently, Mrs. Maze, the landlady had decided to raise the rent and Mrs. Sorensen decided that she did not want to continue managing the hotel. Still, by December, the Sorensen's were still there, going back and forth between the Maze Hotel and the Plato Hotel, literally having had an "annex" put in between the two properties that connected back to back. 

Interestingly, the Plato Hotel (823 10th Street) was once just an Opera House that was on the 2nd floor of the Plato's Menswear building on 10th Street (just south of I Street). In 1910, Marie Sorensen somehow managed to get proprietorship of this spot when the old hall was converted to a lodging house which consisted of 13 rooms.

It was on December 30, 1910, when the unthinkable occurred. 



According to the Modesto Bee, dated 12/30/1910 it stated:

“While Temporarily Insane Sorensen Makes Murderous Attack Upon His Wife and Then Cuts His Own Throat; Wife in a Critical Condition

Modesto was shocked out of all reason shortly after two o’clock this afternoon by one of the most ghastly tragedies which ever happened in this state, when Andrew Sorensen, one of the best known and most respected business men of this city, after a fiendish attack upon his wife, in which she was seriously wounded, slashed his own throat from ear to ear with a butcher knife, dying a few moments later.........

Undoubtedly Deranged

Sorensen, who was undoubtedly temporarily deranged, has been acting rather strangely for the past few days, but had shown no signs of violence before, so far as has been learned. Today, however, his mind appears to have been upset, through some little disagreement with his wife; but the attack this afternoon came without the slightest warning.

The assault occurred at the head of the stairs of the Maze Hotel. Mrs. Sorensen was met at the head of the stairs by her husband, who struck her several times, hitting her on the head and arms, using the large carving knife which he had taken from the kitchen. The act was witnessed by carpenters who were working nearby, and whose cries served to stay the assault. The screams of Mrs. Sorensen attracted others about the house, who appeared upon the scene immediately, and directed their attention to her.....

When Deputy Sheriff’s Dallas and Swatzel came to the door of his room they found it locked. The door was quickly opened by the men, and they entered the room to find Sorensen lying on the end of the bed in a pool of blood and still alive. Dr. F.R. DeLappe arrived at this moment, and an effort was made to get Sorensen to talk, but he was unable to do so, as his windpipe had been completely severed, the larynx being in plain sight. He died as he was lifted from the bed by Deputy Sheriff Swatzel and others.

 Head Almost Severed

From the position of the body on the bed, and the marks of his bloodstained hands on the foot and head of the bed, it was evident that Sorensen had made three slashes with the large carving knife, the blade of which was over 12 inches long. While he was still alive when the officers arrived on the scene, and probably conscious, he was unable to make any sound, and sank very rapidly."---

According to an even more detailed account by the Modesto Morning Herald, dated January 5, 1911, more pieces to the puzzle came to light.  According to Edith Simon, of Stockton (who happened to be Andrew Sorensen's cousin), Miss Simon stated that Andrew had just come back from the post office when he began choking his wife. Miss Simon struggled with Andrew to let her go, and he did, and walked away.  Mrs. Sorenson, being terrified of what just happened, locked the door to the room she was in and left out another exit to the hallway towards the room of Mrs. Leiter. At this point Andrew Sorensen had went to the kitchen to get the 12 inch butcher knife. As Mrs. Sorensen was standing at the head of the stairs that led from the street, her husband grabbed her at the waist and started slashing at her head.

Her screams immediately got the attention of Mr. Tucker and Mr. Dawes who were working on repairs in the hotel. Dawes grabbed hold of Andrew Sorensen and attempted to restrain him, while the latter attempted to raise the knife at him. Tucker yelled, and Andrew Sorensen was able to break away and run out the back towards the Plato Hotel "Annex" which connected through the back yard of the hotel. 

This was when Mr. Gullickson, a 33 year old Carpenter from Norway, who was working in the yard in the back of the hotel heard the commotion and rushed up the stairs of the hotel. According to the newspaper Mr. Sorensen retreated to the upstairs of the Plato, more than likely where the couple were actually staying, as the other newspaper accounts claim it was "his room."

This is where the story gets very strange. The inquest and all newspaper accounts claim that when Sorensen was found, in a locked room at the Plato Hotel, that he had slit his throat from ear to ear, and that the cut was so deep, he had nearly decapitated himself. 

According to Sheriff Deputy Swatzel, he knocked on Sorensen's door, and found that it was locked. He stated that he climbed up onto the transom (it is a small window that is above the door, usually used to allow air and light into the room) he could see that Sorensen was "kneeling at the side of the bed with blood gushing from his throat.....I tried again to gain entrance through the door, but failing in that, I forced an 'inside" window and entered the room. He was beyond all hope, however, as an examination disclosed that his head was almost completely severed from his body. Death must have been instantaneous, although I felt of Sorensen's pulse and detected a feeble action, which Dr. De Lappe, who arrived soon after I did, said was not unusual in a death of this nature."

As the newspapers started to report the story, and the inquest came out, more and more speculation arose. Was Andrew a jealous man who went suddenly insane? Or did he have an inherited condition that left him mentally deranged?

"It has been known to his family and friends for some time that Mr. Sorensen was mentally deranged, but as the spells were merely temporary, it was not believed that he would do any harm and his wife refused to have committed to an institution as was advised by some of her friends. To this state of mind can be attributed the tragedy on Friday. On two previous occasions, Mr. Sorensen attacked his wife, choking and otherwise maltreating her, but as soon as the spell passed he was full of remorse. He is said to have stated recently that should he harm his wife during one of these spells he would take his own life. Their four years of married life had been most congenial and Mr. Sorensen was greatly devoted to his wife.

A few weeks ago Mr. Sorensen's mother, Mrs. Anna Sorensen, took her son to the well known specialist Dr. Moffat of San Francisco. The latter told the mother that Andrew was suffering from paralysis of the brain and that it was doubtful if he would live more than two months. The physician also stated, it is said, that the nature of the disease would render him incapable of harming anyone. His father, who died some years ago, was a victim of the same malady."

Even with all of this information, the idea that Andrew Sorensen had the physical ability to slice his throat so deeply that it was nearly severed from his body made me want to dig deeper.

The medical report "Homicidal Cut Throat: The Forensic Perspective," details the differences between suicidal, accidental and homicidal cut throat deaths. It explains how in homicidal cases, when the assailant is behind the victim and restraining the head, that is how the deep penetrating gash would be possible. In a suicide, the person would not have the strength to penetrate as deeply, and a lot of the time they will have a spasm where they die with the knife in their hands. This did not happen with Andrew.



Although the newspapers claimed Sorensen had made 3 deep gashes and slit his own throat from ear to ear nearly severing his head from his body, this does not equate to the type of wound that would be self-inflicted. Like the medical journal reported, in order to have such a deep wound that literally nearly severs a head from its body, you would need sheer force of two hands, one holding the neck still while the other uses brute force to slash. A person, even in a fit of insanity, would have died long before he was able to inflict himself with such a deep wound (again, remember, this isn't a standard run of the mill throat cutting....all the reports say his head was nearly severed off!). 

This story just didn't sit well with me, and that is why I had to go back.....back to the story.

Now, normally I am not one for speculating, as I am always the one seeking facts. But in this story, we cannot bring Andrew back to ask him what happened. However, the physical evidence that was made available to the public was there to review all along. 

****It is the author's personal "educated guess" that one of the men that was working at the hotel that day, in a selfless act of defending Mrs. Sorensen after what had just happened to her, this person went back to where Andrew Sorensen was at the Plato Hotel (upstairs) and fought with him, held him down on the bed from behind and slit this throat. The person could have walked away, locking the door behind him without any blood on him, and even so, he could have easily stated it was Mrs. Sorensen's blood from coming to her rescue. By the time the Deputy Sheriff arrived, he found Andrew bleeding to death. With a gashed throat he would have never been able to tell him what happened, and so he died there on the bed.****

I believe that any question of what happened to Andrew, if they had initially suspected someone had attacked him in his room, was swiftly dismissed given the circumstances of what happened to Mrs. Sorensen, and since the perpetrator of the initial incident was now dead the coroner could rule it a suicide and be done with the matter. 

After the attack, Mrs. Sorensen was quickly sent to Evans Hospital where she was treated for cuts to her head and neck. She also had a severe wound to her wrist. Both the bone and tendons had been cut so badly, she nearly lost her hand, a severed finger, and she had two "split" fingers. She was listed in critical condition, but within a day the newspapers stated that she would survive. 

Saturday morning the inquest was held and it was determined that Andrew Sorensen's death was "caused by a knife wound inflicted while in a state of insanity." It was revealed that a note was found in Sorensen's room which was addressed to his mother. It consisted of two lines, which the coroner claimed was "illegible." 

Mrs. Sorensen was notified of her husband's death while she was convalescing at Evan's Hospital. The newspaper stated, "Although greatly shocked and grieved, she bore up bravely and showed a fortitude that was remarkable in view of her condition." 

Mr. Sorensen's body was held at Bowker & Wood, where a private service was held and officiated by Reverend J.J. White. The pall bearers were Native Sons and the Knights of the Pythias, where he was a member of both lodges. He was taken to the Odd Fellows Section of the Modesto Pioneer Cemetery where he was buried and forgotten.

Moving forward with her life, Mrs. Sorensen continued in her work as the proprietor of the Plato Hotel (despite the fact her husband died there, which is sort of creepy if you ask me!) She went on to travel with friends to Honolulu in 1913, attended weddings and events with friends over the years, and later went on to become a nurse. She ended up moving to Napa, where she worked as a head nurse for four years at the Napa State Hospital, where she met Thomas Carroll Foley, who worked as an Attendant at the hospital. The two were married in 1921. 

Sadly, Marie only lived four more years, dying on December 29, 1925. Ironically, her obituary was published on December 30, 1925, exactly 15 years to the day that her first husband had attempted to end her life. Marie was buried at Acacia Memorial Park which is in the same vicinity of where Andrew Sorensen is buried in the Odd Fellows Section. You see, there are several cemeteries that are combined on Scenic Drive in Modesto, so it is like one huge cemetery in all. 

Going back to the story

Sadly, I believe that something terrible was afflicting Andrew that caused him to attack his wife that day. Do I believe it was an evil entity that was influencing Andrew? Absolutely not! I believe it was something medical. Especially since it was within his own family history to have been afflicted with mental illness. I also do not believe that he is haunting the costume shop, as the television program insinuated.

Based solely on his injuries alone, I do not for one second believe that Andrew Sorensen
killed himself. Despite the fact that Andrew went off the rails and attacked his wife, which was ghastly to say the least, I do believe that someone killed Andrew Sorensen and it was covered up as a suicide.

What he did to his wife was wrong, absolutely. Still, the idea that all these years he has been labeled as having committing suicide feels wrong to me because the evidence says otherwise. I guess, though, we will never know who else was involved in this heinous incident in 1910. 

Just as I believe in sharing the stories of all the forgotten, I also believe in making sure each story is told accurately, and if I find something that doesn't fit, I will question it and ponder over it until I find a reasonable conclusion.  I have reached mine.


The grave of Andrew Sorensen

Happy History Hunting!

(Copyright 2021- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com

Sources:

Modesto Bee, 8/1/1908

Modesto Bee, 12/30/1910

San Francisco Call, 12/31/1910

Stockton Independent, 12/31/1910

Modesto Morning Herald,  1/5/1911

Modesto Morning Herald, 8/3/1921.

Modesto Bee, 8/8/1911

Modesto Bee, 6/9/1920

A big "Thank You" to Roland Boulware for allowing me the use of your book for photos and information: 

"One Hundred Years: Modesto, 1870-1970" by Jeanette Gould Maino, 1970.

Polk's Directory Co's Modesto, Volume 6 - 1915

"Modesto"- by Carl P. Baggese, Page 33

Census records, 1900,1910,1920.

Death records, 1910,1925.





Saturday, February 1, 2020

Roy Gardner -The Last of the Western Train Robbers






Roy Gardner -The Last of the Western Train Robbers

Not since the infamous ‘gentleman bandit’ Black Bart, had the west coast seen anyone quite like Roy Gardner. Although most people may not recognize his name today, in the early 1920’s, Roy Gardner was a household name, and one of the most sought after fugitives of his time. Known for robbing mail trucks and mail trains all over the southwest and his crafty escapes from the law on every turn, Roy Gardner’s nefarious adventures made headlines across the country and entertained millions along the way.

In 1910, after serving time in San Quentin for a jewelry store robbery, he was released early on account of saving the life of one of the corrections officers during a riot. After his release, he became a welder, working in a shipyard in South San Francisco. Not long after he moved his family down to Southern California to look for work, Gardner lost all his money gambling in Tijuana, Mexico. It was then that he had the idea to make a quick buck. After an ill-conceived robbery of a San Diego mail truck for $78,000, Gardner was soon after arrested. Convicted and sentenced to twenty-five years, he was put on a northbound train headed for Washington to serve his sentence at McNeil Island Corrections Center.


Swearing that he would never serve a day of that sentence, Gardner managed to steal one of the
Marshall’s guns right from under his nose. After forcing them to remove his chains, Gardner handcuffed the Marshalls together and robbed them. He then jumped the train and ran off into the night headed for Canada. After being on the lam for almost a year Gardner made his way back to California. “Roy Gardner’s story has all the ingredients of a Hollywood movie,” states Roseville Historical Society’s Vice-President, Ken Fisher. “It’s just a disappointment that his story has faded with time.” As someone who has been truly dedicated to documenting this unique story in Roseville’s history, Ken was kind enough to offer the details of Roy’s infamous stay here in 1921.


Although Roy’s criminal history did not start and end here in Roseville, it did set the stage for his biggest heist, on May 21, 1921. For days, Roy scoped out the train that headed up to New Castle, even riding the top of the rail cars to get an idea of the twists and turns on the track. He noticed that in the sharper turns that the hard rubber connections between cars would pull apart on a curve, which would allow him to slip in and make his way to the mail cart. After casing the train, he hopped off and made his way back to Roseville.

Porter House Hotel, Roseville, California
That next night, at 10:15 p.m. Roy snuck onto the Pacific Limited (No.20) train headed for New Castle. By the time the train had reached Rocklin, Roy had managed to sneak into the mail cart, startling Ralph Decker, the mail clerk. Although Roy pointed a 45 caliber pistol at Decker, he never harmed him. After stealing mail from about 50 different bags, he threw his bag off the train first, and then he pulled the emergency brake cord and jumped off the train as well. Unfortunately, he searched the tracks for most of the night, never finding the bag with the loot he had just stolen.

Eventually the authorities retrieved the stolen mail along with all the monies in it. By the next morning, Roy had made it back to Roseville, stopping at the Peerless Café to eat breakfast. It there that Roy believed that a waitress may have recognized him from a wanted poster. After eating, He went back to his room at the Porterhouse Hotel, which was located on the corner of Atlantic and Lincoln streets. It wasn’t until two days later, at a poker game inside the cigar store adjacent to the Porterhouse Hotel, that the authorities surrounded him and took him to Sacramento to face the Judge. After being sentenced to an additional 25 years for escaping and committing another robbery, Gardner was sent on his way, once again to McNeil Island.

His story doesn’t end there folks, as he made many more infamous escapes from the law before he was finally caught. After being incarcerated at various prisons, including Leavenworth, Atlanta and Alcatraz, he was later released at the age of 54. Having been institutionalized for so many years, the transition back to a normal life seemed to be too hard for him.


On January 10, 1940, the “last of the western train robbers”, as he was dubbed, took his own life in his San Francisco hotel room by way of cyanide gas. A man who lived his life on the edge and suffered the consequences of a lifetime of his own choices, made the last choice he had left, escaping the world one last time.

With a story that reads like a dime novel that could have easily come out of the days of the old west, his is one that is unforgettable. As Ken Fisher put it, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid certainly have nothing on Mr. Gardner. A man who thought it would be a marvelous idea to come to the little railroad town of Roseville in 1921, and rob a train.”

-- Previously published in the Roseville Press-Tribune in 2014, written by: J'aime Rubio

(Copyright 2014- www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Thank you to Ken Fisher for all your help on this article!

Publisher/Editor's Notes: This is one of a series of articles that I wrote for the Roseville Press-Tribune several years back when I used to write the historical articles for them.  According to my old editor, since I wrote the content I can repost the articles. I also obtained permission by Gold Country Media a few years back to republish my stories, too. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Deaths At The Kennedy Mine

Kennedy Mine, Jackson, California


Last year, I wrote a brief history of both the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines located in the historic gold country town of Jackson, California. I have lived in Amador County at different times in my childhood and teenage years, and even during my adulthood.  I have always been passionate about local history and Amador County is has plenty of history just waiting to be told.

A lot has been written about the Argonaut Mine, especially due to the Argonaut Mine Disaster of 1922.

To learn about each of the miners who are buried at the Jackson City Cemetery please check out the video below: 



Back to the Kennedy Mine

Because the Kennedy Mine did not gain a lot of publicity for any large mining disaster like the Argonaut did, most of the history written about it is brief. No one had ever written about the various deaths that took place there, besides the newspapers mentioning these events at the time they occurred, until I wrote a blog about it last year.

Even though there have been many deaths at the Kennedy, the only mention of some of these fallen miners are scattered between the pages of archived newspapers just waiting to be retold. I wanted to share with you some of the details of the deaths that I have uncovered over time, like I mentioned in my last blog, but this time with copies of those newspaper clippings so you can read the headlines for yourself. As my research allows I will continually update this blog with more names, newspaper clippings and photos of grave sites for these forgotten souls. So far I have uncovered 43 deaths and counting.


(Note: click on each photo to enlarge)


David De Ricci 

On March 15, 1902, miner David De Ricci made a misstep, falling backward down into the east shaft 2,600 feet. “In his descent, his arms, legs, the back portion of his head and every vestige of clothes were torn from his body.”—

Los Angeles Herald, 3/16/1902




Francisco Giovannoni 
May 26, 1902 -- "A miner named Francisco Giovanoni [SIC] lost his life at the Kennedy Mine shortly after midnight on the night of May 26. The fatality was purely accidental. It occurred at the 2300 foot level of the north shaft. There were from fifteen to twenty men around there at the time. A plank 18 inches wide was in position for the men to walk to and from the shaft, and below this was a chasm thirty feet deep, made by the excavation of ore. Deceased was in the act of carrying the lunch bucket to the station when he was seen to make the fatal step off the planking, and fell to the bottom of the chute.”—Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902.

Amador Ledger, 5/30/1902


Walter Williams

June 12, 1902 - 30 year old Walter Williams was instantly killed when about 200 feet from the top of the shaft, his body came in contact with a shaft timber. He was caught on it and dragged out of the skip. His head and body were crushed between the skip and timbers. His companions C. Parker and B. Allison could not explain how the accident happened because the shaft was so dark. Williams had only worked at the mine three weeks and was new to the area. No one knew where he came from and he had no family to contact. All that was known was that he was a member of the Knights of the Pythias and was living with Henry Osborne at Kennedy Flat.

Amador Ledger, 6/13/1902

Edward Hallam

March 6, 1905 – Edward Hallam was killed at the Kennedy Mine today. He was descending a shaft from the 2400 foot level when a skip came down in another compartment. It is believed he got scared and let go his hold. He fell, breaking his neck.” – Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

Los Angeles Herald, 3/7/1905
Luigi Reviera

December 7, 1909, Italian immigrant Luigi Reviera was crushed to death by several tons of rock falling on him while working at the 3,150 level of the mine with Fred Hicks. Engaged in placing a butt cap in the hanging wall above the tunnel timbers, the rocks gave way and a huge slab came down on him, killing him instantly.




Amador Ledger, 12/10/1909



James Baldwin

On February 27, 1911, James Baldwin was crushed to death while working at the 3400 level of the mine.  Baldwin and his co-workers were told to be careful working in the area that had been blasted earlier. While cleaning out the loose dirt a large mass of rock fell from above, crushing him.  Baldwin’s helper claimed he could hear Baldwin hollering that he was stuck, but given the massive amount of rock and dirt that covered him, the coroner felt death was almost instantaneous.


Amador Ledger, 3/3/1911
Janko Acimovich & Maksim Rupar


November 17, 1913 – Miners, Maksim Rupar and Janko Acimovich died from a premature explosion while in the mine shaft.  Janko Acimovich is buried at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery in Jackson.  To read more about this story please click on the link to the story here:  Explosion at 3000 ft.- Accidental Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Sacramento Union, 5/2/1914


Mike Vijovich

Mike Vijovich died in 1916, after falling 300 feet down a shaft. After straightening a mine can that had fallen on its side, he lost his footing and slipped. 

Sac Union, 6/14/1916


William Harvey & A. Targo

On December 20, 1915, the timber boss William Harvey and A Targo both met their death when they fell down the main shaft of the mine, a total of 3,900 feet.  According to the newspaper accounts, Harvey had been working in compartment 37 since 8 o’clock in the morning. As he was descending a ladder at the entrance of the shaft he became dizzy and slipped, falling. As his body was going down the shaft, just below was A. Targo, who was standing on the edge of the shaft. Harvey’s body smacked Targo’s knocking him off the edge and down the shaft with Harvey. Both died and their bodies were “badly mangled.”




Press Democrat, 12/21/1915



Peter Garcia, Liberto Mendez and Sam Martinez

On February 13, 1932, after setting up over 46 holes with dynamite (with too short of fuse) and not allowing themselves ample time to light the fuses and leave the area to safety, four men went on to spit the fuse, and by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off setting into motion an horrific explosion and ultimately killing three of them. Two were buried by the explosion, Garcia and Martinez dying immediately. Mendes was rescued along with the fourth miner, Felix Achavan, who were both taken to the hospital at the Preston School of Industry, but Mendez later died of his injuries. Achavan was the lone survivor of that terrible accident. 

Colusa Herald,  2/13/1932



(Copyright 2017 & 2018- J'aime Rubio, www.jaimerubiowriter.com  )


Sources: 
Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1902
Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902
Amador Ledger, June 13, 1902
Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905
Amador Ledger, December 10, 1909
Amador Ledger, March 3, 1911
Sacramento Union, May 2, 1914
Press Democrat, December 21, 1915
Sacramento Union, June 14, 1916

Sunday, August 20, 2017

History of the Argonaut and Kennedy Mines - Amador County






While traveling down historic highway 49 through Jackson you cannot miss the rusty remnants of the old Kennedy mine off in the distance. It is also impossible to ignore the towering shell of what is left of the Argonaut mine on the side of the hill as you drive down into Jackson as well.  Both mines share some pretty interesting and also tragic history. Here is just some of the history I have dug up over the years about these two amazing historic landmarks in Amador County. Enjoy!

ARGONAUT MINE


Discovery

The Argonaut Mine, which was originally known as the Pioneer Mine, was discovered around 1850, by James Hager and William Tudor, who according to the 1860 Census show were freed slaves living among the Chinese in Township 1, Amador County.  At some point around 1857, the property was acquired by George Stasal, Frank Hoffman, Peter Laubersima, William Slaughter, Charles Weller, Otto Walter and Louis Mentzlen to form the Pioneer Mining Company. It would later become The Argonaut Mining Company in 1893.

Infamous Robbery

December 1st, 1921--- According to the Sacramento Union newspaper, at approximately 1:30 a.m. the Argonaut Mining Company was robbed after bandits overpowered the two night watchmen, James Podesto and Reese Williams, blew the company safe and escaped with nearly $100,000 ($50,000 of which was in gold). The robbers wore red bandana hankerchiefs over their faces and carried pistols and shot guns.

“The mill safe then was wheeled to the convenient point and the bandits leisurely drilled a hole in the door, filled it with nitro-glycerin and blew it open. After removing all the gold inside they escaped in a waiting automobile…..Upon investigation it was found that the bandits had cut the telephone lines leading directly into the mill….The wheel tracks of a large car were plainly visible in the road to Ione, 12 miles distant. Rain began falling early, however, and when the posse reached that point it was forced to turn back.  Sheriff Lucot stated the robbery evidently had been planned by someone familiar with the methods employed by the company.”

It was believed that it was an inside job, and involved possibly eight men who worked at or were familiar with the mine. Two men were eventually arrested and at least one of men, Hiram Baker, was acquitted of the crime.  At that point Argonaut Consolidated Mining Company was owned by John T. Smith of New York, who was President, along with co-owners  E. A. Stent of S.F. and John Raggio of Stockton.

Mine Disaster

On August 27, 1922, the worst mine disaster in California history took place, when a toxic mix of gas and fumes caused a fatal fire 4,650 feet deep, trapping the miners below. There had been rumors that the fire could have been started by arson, from a rival employee at the Kennedy Mine, but there has never been any proof to substantiate the claim.  The fire lasted for 2 days, and rescue efforts lasted for weeks. All but one of the miner’s bodies were recovered and they were buried at the Jackson Cemetery. The 47th miner was not found until over a year later, when the mine shaft was being flushed out, the remains were accidentally discovered. It was the body of the man who wrote the message on the wall “3 o’clock, gas getting strong, Fessel.” The man was Edward William Fessel, and he was finally buried next to the other fallen miners. The fatalities of this disaster were Amador County residents, of Italian, Serbian and Spanish ancestry.

It was surveying work done years prior by Kennedy Mining Engineer, Walter Ephraim Downs that directed the rescuers to dig through to the Argonaut mine shaft in an attempt to rescue the trapped miners in 1922.  Although the effort was futile, his work gained national attention for giving the rescuers a fighting chance to reach the Argonaut shafts.  On another note,  Mr. Downs was the son of Robert Carleton Downs’ the superintendent of the Union Mine (later Lincoln Mine) in Sutter Creek and owner of the Hanford & Down’s stores which were located in Sutter Creek, Jackson and Volcano.  Walter Ephraim Downs’ brother, Fred, was the one who tragically drowned in the Preston Reservoir in Ione, in 1902.


Wife of Argonaut Mine Disaster Victim Attempts Suicide

Allegedly the widow of miner Charles Fitzgerald, attempted to take her own life on September 18, 1922, when she swallowed poison.  Amador County Physician, Edwin Eugene Endicott came to her aid and successfully saved her life. Interestingly though, it wasn't his wife that attempted suicide, but instead it was his mistress who did so after learning that her beloved had perished in the disaster. Learn more about the details of this story in Episode 3 of my Season 2 podcast on the subject.



Sac Union, 9/19/1922

Deaths At the Argonaut Mine



Besides the 47 miners who were tragically killed in the Argonaut in the Summer of 1922, there have been many others who met their demise at this infamous mine.  To date, I have found the stories of Raphael Giannini, Frank Goss, Claude Smith, Guiseppi Isarti and John Mitchell who all died in the mine at different times over the years of operation. I can guarantee you there are more that I haven't found, yet.....


CHARLES FRANK GOSS

Amador Dispatch, 5/20/1904

GUISSEPI ISARTI

Amador Dispatch, 6/16/1916



JOHN MITCHELL

Amador Dispatch, 3/1/1918


CLAUDE SMITH

Another Tragic Death – “The ill-fated Argonaut Mine, scene in 1922 of the disaster in which 47 men were killed, today claimed the life of another. Claude Smith, 22, was instantly killed when a dynamite cap he had set blew up prematurely because of a defective fuse. A companion, Harvey Jones, was badly injured.” – Healdsburg Tribune, March 17, 1930.


To learn more about that tragic death at the Argonaut Mine, Please click here to read:



RAPHAEL GIANNINI  

Amador Dispatch, 5/19/1932






KENNEDY MINE

According to Amador County history, the Kennedy Mine started in January of 1860, when Andrew Kennedy filed a mining claim along with four other men who were associated with the Oneida mine, to the north. Kennedy had dug a prospecting shaft approximately 100 feet deep, using a bucket attached to a winch. Within a year or so, Kennedy sold his interest in the mine for $5,000, due to the fact it wasn’t doing very well.  By 1869, the mine was sold to eleven businessman from Jackson in the amount of one dollar. The men formed the Kennedy Mining Company. 

“So named from its discoverer was developed by John Fullen, James Fleming and James Bergon, working the rock at the Oneida Mine. In 1871, it was taken by a joint-stock company, the Richlings being large owners. The mine has hardly been a success, and in 1880 it was closed down. The vein is close to the foot-wall and has pitched rapidly to the east, following a pitch of nearly forty-five degrees, which is considered very flat. It is believed that it will eventually join a vein about six hundred feet to the east, called the “volunteer.” The lode does not follow the rift of the slate and consequently is not a true fissure vein.” – Page 149 “History of Amador County” by Jesse Mason

July 1872- In a record 9 days, the Kennedy Mine made nine thousand dollars (equivalent to about $170,000 today). The mine made over $300,000 between 1870 and 1878.

“September 18, 1874 – Boarding House at the Kennedy Mine was destroyed by fire.” –History of Amador County, 1881.

The mine was sold in 1886, for $97,500 to bay area investors, and the company changed its name to “Kennedy Mining and Milling Company.” The mine operated until 1942, when all mines were closed by the U.S. Government to support the war effort. At that time, the Kennedy Mine was listed as the deepest gold mine in all of North America, with a vertical distance measured at 5,912 feet, and 50 miles of underground excavations. In 1961, Sybil Arata purchased the property to live out her retirement. She resided in the Manager’s Residence “Bunkhouse” for the rest of her life.  Her final wishes for her property were to keep the area open for wildlife to roam, and for the mine to be preserved for historical posterity.

An interesting tidbit -- In 1904, an escaped ward, Dan Gillette, from the Preston School of Industry made his way up to the Kennedy Mine property and tried to fit in with the employees there at the new boarding house. He managed to get himself a free meal and hide out for a while, and just as he was going to head down into the mine along with the other miners, Constable Kelly from Ione, who was hot on his trail, arrested him.

Deaths at the Kennedy Mine

Obviously this is not a list of every man who died at the Kennedy Mine, but here is a list of the few stories I have been able to dig out of the archived newspapers of the time period. So far I have found a total of 41 deaths, and counting. Obviously, I am saving some of the stories to publish at a later time, and on other blogs but here are just a few of the deaths I have uncovered during my research:


On March 15, 1902, miner David De Ricci made a misstep, falling backward down into the east shaft 2,600 feet. “In his descent, his arms, legs, the back portion of his head and every vestige of clothes were torn from his body.”—

May 26, 1902 -- "A miner named Francisco Giovanoni [SIC] lost his life at the Kennedy Mine shortly after midnight on the night of May 26. The fatality was purely accidental. It occurred at the 2300 foot level of the north shaft. There were from fifteen to twenty men around there at the time. A plank 18 inches wide was in position for the men to walk to and from the shaft, and below this was a chasm thirty feet deep, made by the excavation of ore. Deceased was in the act of carrying the lunch bucket to the station when he was seen to make the fatal step off the planking, and fell to the bottom of the chute.”—Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902.

June 12, 1902 - 30 year old Walter Williams was instantly killed when about 200 feet from the top of the shaft, his body came in contact with a shaft timber. He was caught on it and dragged out of the skip. His head and body were crushed between the skip and timbers. His companions C. Parker and B. Allison could not explain how the accident happened because the shaft was so dark. Williams had only worked at the mine three weeks and was new to the area. No one knew where he came from and he had no family to contact. All that was known was that he was a member of the Knights of the Pythias and was living with Henry Osborne at Kennedy Flat.

March 6, 1905 – Edward Hallam was killed at the Kennedy Mine today. He was descending a shaft from the 2400 foot level when a skip came down in another compartment. It is believed he got scared and let go his hold. He fell, breaking his neck.” – Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905

December 7, 1909, Italian immigrant Luigi Reviera was crushed to death by several tons of rock falling on him while working at the 3,150 level of the mine with Fred Hicks. Engaged in placing a butt cap in the hanging wall above the tunnel timbers, the rocks gave way and a huge slab came down on him, killing him instantly.

February 27, 1911- James Baldwin was crushed to death while working at the 3400 level of the mine.  Baldwin and his co-workers were told to be careful working in the area that had been blasted earlier. While cleaning out the loose dirt a large mass of rock fell from above, crushing him.  Baldwin’s helper claimed he could hear Baldwin hollering that he was stuck, but given the massive amount of rock and dirt that covered him, the coroner felt death was almost instantaneous.

November 17, 1913 – Miners, Maksim Rupar and Jako Acimovich died from a premature explosion while in the mine shaft. 

On December 20, 1915, the timber boss William Harvey and A. Targo both met their death when they fell down the main shaft of the mine, a total of 3,900 feet.  According to the newspaper accounts, Harvey had been working in compartment 37 since 8 o’clock in the morning. As he was descending a ladder at the entrance of the shaft he became dizzy and slipped, falling. As his body was going down the shaft, just below was A. Targo, who was standing on the edge of the shaft. Harvey’s body smacked Targo’s knocking him off the edge and down the shaft with Harvey. Both died and their bodies were “badly mangled.”

June 12, 1916 - Mike Vijovich also died after falling 300 feet down a shaft. After straightening a mine can that had fallen on its side, he lost his footing and slipped.

February 13, 1932 - Peter Garcia, Liberato Mendes & Sam Martinez  perished after a terrible explosion at the Kennedy Mine. After setting up over 40 holes with dynamite  with too short of fuses for each, not allowing themselves ample time to light the fuses and leave the area to safety, the three men went on to light each fuse one by one, and by the time they lit the last fuse, the first one went off setting off a domino effect of explosions and ultimately killing them. The three were buried by the explosion with Garcia and Martinez dying immediately. Mendes was rescued but later died of his injuries.


You can find some of the men mentioned above in the Jackson City Cemetery, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cemetery or the Catholic Cemetery in Jackson.


J’aime Rubio, Copyright 2017 – (www.jaimerubiowriter.com)

Some of my sources
History of Amador County, - Jesse Mason, 1881.
History of Amador County, - Federation of Amador County Women’s Clubs, April 1927
Los Angeles Herald, March 16, 1902
Amador Ledger, May 30, 1902
Amador Ledger, June 13, 1902
Los Angeles Herald, March 7, 1905
Amador Ledger, December 10, 1909
Amador Ledger, March 3, 1911
Sacramento Union, May 2, 1914
Press Democrat, December 21, 1915
Sacramento Union, June 14, 1916
Sacramento Union, September 19, 1922
Sacramento Union, December 2, 1921
Los Angeles Herald, December 7, 1921
Sacramento Union, December 9, 1921
Sacramento Union, April 20, 1922
Sacramento Union, May 13, 1922
Sacramento Union, August 29, 1922
Sacramento Union, September 19, 1922
Healdsburg Tribune, March 17, 1930
Amador Ledger, April 22, 1904
Amador Ledger, April 29, 1904