The Last Word on Juanita
by Grace Ahern
Only Living Man Who Witnessed "Shame of the Yuba" Says Girl Hanged Was Maligned
"THE Shame of the Yuba" has long passed into history. Yet for seventy years it has been the subject of more conflicting opinion and more diverse views than any other incident in California annals.William MacDonald of Oakland is the only living man qualified to speak of the hanging of the woman at Downieville during the days of the gold rush. He saw the beautiful Spaniard executed. Further, he saw the events that led up to the lynching - the stabbing of the white man that stirred the wrath of the miners, eventuating in what has long been called the greatest blot on California history.
For years there raged a controversy in printed volume and in the press concerning the lynching, the character of Juanita, the victim, and the circumstances that led up to the hanging.
William MacDonald, who will soon celebrate his 97th birthday, has the last word to be said about Juanita.
He declares shé does not deserve the bad reputation given her at the time. She was quiet, orderly, had never been the cause of trouble.
Yet when she stabbed the gold miner who was a general favorite on the Yuba the wrath of the Forty-niners knew no bounds. They demanded her life as forfeit.
They drove out of camp every man whose voice was raised in protest against the taking of the life of a woman.
They mobbed the gambling hall in which she took refuge, and they forced those who had given her a place of hiding to bring her forth 'to the improvised scaffold.
MacDonald resides with his daughter, Mrs. S. L. Ayre, 4670 Edgewood avenue, Oakland. He tells the story thus:
"In March, 1851, my partner, Bill Ivey, and myself, with a number of followers, went to Downieville to stake claims. We stayed in Downieville until the following September, when we moved to Goodyear Bar, about seven miles from Downieville.
"On the 5th of July, 1851, Ivey and I witnessed the stabbing of Jack Connor, a Scotchman, a popular favorite in that section of the country, by Juanita. The Mexican woman had accused Connor of insulting her.
"There was talk about drunkenness on the afternoon and evening of the Fourth - one story to the effect that Connor had gone to the home of the woman and stumbled through the door into her presence.
"Connor first learned of her allegation on the morning of the 5th, when he was washing clothes down at the river. He immediately went to the house. He told the woman that she was mistaken and must have the wrong man.
"As Ivey and I walked down the street we saw Connor standing in the doorway talking to the woman. When we were opposite the door the woman drew from her blouse a knife and stabbed Connor.
"He fell dying into the arms of Ivey. Ivey and I carried him into the house of Dr. Aiken, who lived next door.
"The streets of Downieville in the mining days were lined with gambling houses. The largest was Craycrofts.
"At the time of the stabbing the street was well filled with people passing to and fro. The woman ran to Craycrofts for protection. The gamblers tried to protect her. But the miners threatened to tear down the gambling house if she was not surrendered. The gamblers gave assent and the miners dragged her into the street, where a jeering crowd had assembled.
"A jury was selected and the impromptu trial followed. Dr. Aiken, friend of Juanita, tried to defend her, but it was of no avail. The doctor was given just two hours to get out of town. When the time was up he was nowhere to be found. He returned to Downieville as soon as the excitement quieted down, however.
"Another man, a San Francisco lawyer, put in a word for the woman, speaking from a barrel. The crowd kicked the barrel from under him, threw him about and ordered him out of town also. He went.
"From the time the woman was sentenced she had two hours to live. During this time a scaffold was erected on a bridge. Juanita was allowed to go home, under guard. A rope was stretched and greased.
"In all directions from the hills came scores of gold diggers. How they heard of the news so soon has always been a mystery to me. There were about 4000 people in the street.
"When Juanita returned from her home she looked beautiful. She was a young woman only about twenty-five years old. She was not the least bit excited and quickly stepped up on the platform. Taking off her pretty Panama hat she handed it to a large miner known in Downieville as 'Oregon.'
 |
| William MacDonald, Oakland gold pioneer, last living witness to full details of "the blot on California." |
"The hour was about 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Men stood about with pistols. Finally came the signal pistol shot.
"In a very few seconds the rope was cut. It was rumored that her neck wasn't broken and that her friends might have saved her had they taken her down immediately."
Such is the story told by William MacDonald, last survivor who saw the crime and the penalty exacted. There have been many other versions, somewhat similar, but differing in detail. Among these is the narrative of William Downie, after whom Downieville was, named. The incident is related in "Hunting for Gold," "The Bench and Bar of California" and many other publications.
The settlers of the early days in Downieville, peculiarly enough, looked forward to the 4th of July as the day of startling events. Unusual incidents happened often on that day. A man was flogged for stabbing another with a knife on the first national holiday celebrated in Downieville. On another occasion one of the speakers of the day, Trevis, candidate for Congress, was called a liar and a slanderer by Lippencott. Trevis challenged Lippencott to a duel, and Trevis was killed. The hanging of Juanita also grew out of a Fourth of July celebration.
The story as told by some writers follows:
It was after California had been admitted to the Union and Downieville was celebrating its second Fourth of July. One of the main events of the day which attracted miners and settlers from all parts of the country was an address delivered by Mr. Weller, who was later a governor of California, After the address the men started drinking and when they became intoxicated they ran through the streets shouting and hammering on doors.
According to some versions, among the celebrators was the Scotchman, Jack Connor, and with him were two companions, who like the rest, were causing much disturbance. Connor attacked the house where a certain Mexican and woman, who was known as Juanita, a friend of Connor's, lived.
William MacDonald, 97, Saw Connor Stabbing and Subsequent Lynching of the Mexican Beauty
In front of the adobe house, Connor, who was more intoxicated than the rest, seemed to stumble; and in doing this the door flew open and he fell in the room, making a great deal of noise. But with all this commotion there was not a sound from the occupants of the house.
The following morning. Connor's friends told him about the happenings of the night before. He appeared very much surprised to learn of it. With his friends they went to Juanita's house to apologize.
At the door he was met by the Mexican, who after talking for a moment grew very excited and appeared to be very angry with the Scotchman. The loud talking brought Juanita to the door and Connor was heard to address her vulgarly. She re-entered the house and when she returned she drew from her blouse a knife, stabbing Connor.
After the stabbing Connor's friends carried him to a tent nearby and then hurried through the streets shouting the news of the murder. There was much excitement; mobs of men, women and children assembled and ran through the streets shouting to hang her. At the house they learned that she had gone to Craycroft's saloon for protection, but the crowds went there and dragged her out into the street.
She was taken at once to the main plaza of the town for trial and placed on a platform which had been erected the day before for Weller's address.
A jury, judge and counsel for the people were selected at once. An attorney volunteered to defend Juanita and was received with hoots and jeers from the crowd. He made no effort to shield the woman for killing Connor, but tried to argue with the people not to hang a woman. They paid no attention to his arguments and decided that she must hang. There were a few that agreed with the attorney, including a doctor named C. D. Aiken. The result was that he was run out of town. The jury was not long in passing a verdict of guilty and the judge sentenced her to be hanged.
There was no mercy for anyone in those days, not even a woman, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life," quoted from "The Bench and Bar of California," is a good example of this.
In some respects the version differs from that of MacDonald.
Juanita had just one hour to live from the time she was sentenced. During this time a scaffold was erected on the Jersey bridge spanning the Yuba river. It was a crude arrangement, but would serve for the purpose, and that was all that was necessary. A rope was tied on one of the upper projecting timbers and a plank nailed to the floor of the bridge and pushed out over the stream.
When the hour was up and Juanita returned she appeared not the least bit troubled; in fact, she looked beautiful. She was dressed in her gayest native colors and her whole manner and appearance would lead one to think, not knowing the circumstances, that she was on her way to same gay party or ball.
Another slight difference from the MacDonald version:
As she approached the gallows she bowed to her acquaintances, bidding them all good-bye with a smile on her face, and handed her hat to a Mexican whom she bade adios (good-bye).
Juanita's time had come. She stepped up on the plank, a rope was placed around her beautiful, shapely neck, and she adjusted it. Two men with axes stood close behind her waiting for the pistol shot which was the signal. At the sound of the shot the axes fell, cutting the rope, and Juanita dropped about three feet and hung suspended.
Thus ended another Fourth of July tragedy which is an example of lynch law that helped to leave a blot on the early history of California.
The first settlers to arrive in Downieville after gold was discovered were of a law-abiding class, attending to their own affairs and respecting other people's property.
As times went on and more was learned of the great gold discovery in California immigrants from all parts of the world flocked to the West.
Among the new arrivals, like in all great bodies of people, there came numerous undesirables of both sexes, and these people began to make life miserable for the first settlers. They were a class who did not care to work themselves, but sought to derive their wealth from the labors of others and live a life of ease. It was to rid the community of all such that the Downieville residents early united, according to MacDonald. Thus they became hasty and intolerant of all crime. The hanging of Juanita was one result of this sentiment.
The Last Word on Juanita
TO BLOG Sun, Nov 26, 1922 – Page 74 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com
Comments
Post a Comment