San Mateo County Gazette News
May 7, 1859, Vol. 1 No. 5.
(Transcribed by Chris Havnar, December 2004)

MARRIED
At Woodside, San Mateo county, on Sunday, 1st inst., by Rev. J. EMERY, Mr.
James O. SHAW of Redwood City to Miss Tel'tha TEIGUE, of Woodside.

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Monday, May 2d, 1859
Regular meeting of the Board. Members all present.
Edward l. JOHNSON, J.C. MAYNARD, and John P. EDINGER, appointed to
view out and locate a road petitioned for, from Crystal Springs, along the
San Mateo creek, to the bridge near SHAFFNER's hotel. County Surveyor to
be called on to survey the route.
S.M. MEZES, C. BOLLINGER, and A.T. CASTOR, appointed to view and
locate a road from Belmont to Condon's through the HARRINGTON ranch.
Report of viewers on both of the above roads to be made on or before
the first Monday in June next.
Bills were allowed, amounting to $252.50
Ordered, that public notice be given for proposals to cement the
exterior brick-work of the Courthouse.
The Assessor was authorized to procure a new book for the present
year's assessment.
Adjourned to the first Monday in June.

HOME SUMMARY
During the month of April there were six hundred and sixty-five
arrests made by the police of San Francisco, of which two hundred and fifty
were for drunkenness; and no doubt nearly all the balance were for offences
directly attributable to a too free use of the "ardent."
Samuel BOOKSTAVER and Robert GEDNEY, two butchers of San Francisco,
amused themselves by shooting at each other on Merchant street, Saturday
last. The only part injured was an unfortunate horse that happened to
witness the tragedy. Cause - fickle woman.
In the case of Ianocencie ROMERO, who claims five square leagues of
land in Contra Cost county, near Martinez, Judge McALLISTER last week
delivered an opinion, affirming the decision of the Board of Land
Commissioners, which tribunal rejected the claim.
The opening lecture of the annual course, in the Medical department
of the University of the Pacific, was delivered by Dr. COOPER, Professor of
Anatomy and Surgery, at the Hall of the College, on Monday last.
Miller's steam wagon was tried at Marysville, last week, and worked
exceedingly well.
It is said that nineteen hundred passengers came out on the last
steamer.
The crops in Shasta are reported to be suffering from droughts.

CHEAP AS DIRT. - D.S. COOK recently sold sixty acres of his beautiful farm
at San Mateo for three thousand dollars. Taking the location into
consideration, this is the cheapest sale of land we have heard of this many
a day.

OUR TOWN - In our article upon "Our County" wherein we referred to the
several towns, we unintentionally omitted to mention one or two places,
which though small, are still worthy of a moment's notice, either on
account of their present or prospective importance as business-centers.
One of theses is Ravenwood, a little point near the southeast corner of the
county, which at one time bid fair to be the leading business place between
San Francisco and Santa Clara. For business, it seems at present
comparatively forgotten; but it in not wholly so, it is possessed of
advantages which will yet make it a flourishing little town. It is a point
easy of access by water, and has already one of the finest and most costly
wharves in California, not even excepting those of San Francisco.
The Seventeen-Mile House, so called from its distance from San
Francisco, is also a point of some business, with one store, a hotel,
blacksmith shop, etc. Here is also an embarcadero, whence the farmers in
the vicinity ship their grain, and from which a large amount of charcoal is
shipped to the city.

SENTENCES FOR MURDER. - On Saturday last, Judge HAGER, of the Fourth
District Court, performed a duty of no ordinary character. His honor had
been busy for nearly a month past in trying different persons for the crime
of murder. Four of these persons had been convicted of some grade of this
highest crime known to our code, and on Saturday last it became the painful
duty of the Judge to pronounce sentence upon them.

At ten o'clock the four prisoners were brought into court. The
courthouse was densely crowded with spectators, anxious to look upon the
culprits. After making several decisions, the Judge called William MORRIS,
who had been convicted of the murder of Richard H. DOAK. This prisoner was
the one known as Tipperary Bill, and is perhaps one of the most hardened
wretches that ever stood in the felon's dock. He arose, cool, and
apparently unconcerned, and in answer to the question whether he had any
legal cause to show why the sentence of the law should not be pronounced,
replied that he had, and proceeded to make a speech of some length, wherein
he complained that he had not been permitted to see his friends, had no
opportunity to prepare his defence, had not been properly defended by his
counsel, that witnesses had sworn falsely against him, etc. The Court
interrupted him and remarked that these complaints, if well founded, should
have been made before, but that the Court had seen no cause of complaint -
the whole trial had been properly and legally conducted; and after
reviewing the history of the case, said, "the jury have found that you
committed the act with premeditation and deliberation, and in cases of this
kind, the punishment is the highest known to the law." Here MORRIS again
interrupted the Judge, and asked that the execution might be fixed as early
as possible; he wished, if he must died, to died within a week, as he could
repent of all his sins in that time, and he preferred that to living any
longer in jail. Judge HAGER stated that the law provided that the
execution should be fixed at not less than thirty days after sentence; that
he had no disposition to accommodate him in this respect; and after some
further remarks, pronounced the sentence of death, to be carried into
effect on Friday, the tenth day of June next.

George GILMAN, for the murder of S.S. RUSSELL, was next called. In
this case the prisoner had been found guilty of murder in the second
degree, and recommended to the mercy of the Court. After reviewing the
history of the case, the Judge sentenced him to ten years in the State
prison, the lowest punishment allowed by law.

John REYNOLDS, found guilty of murder in the second degree, for
killing Charles MULLOY, was next called. He complained of the prejudice
which had existed against him from the first, acknowledged the killing, but
protested his innocence of any deliberate murder. The Judge, after
reviewing the facts, stated that the circumstances were such as to warrant
the infliction of the highest punishment provided by law, and thereupon
sentenced him to be confined in the State prison for life.

Henry WAPPNER, found guilty of murder in the first degree, for
killing Louise VOLLMER, was next called. Through an interpreter he
protested his innocence of any intended murder - that the woman was his
friend, and he had no desire to injure her; that he was drunk, and supposed
he must have done the fatal deed during his intoxication. The Judge
reviewed the facts in the case, commented upon the evidence of the fact
that the crime was committed for the purposes of gain, etc., and finally
pronounced upon him the sentence of death, and appointed Friday, the
seventeenth day of June next, for his execution.

After sentence, the prisoners were returned to the jail, and after
having reached that dismal abode, MORRIS, with a degree of recklessness
almost unparalleled swore that he would yet be revenged on John EVANS, the
principal witness against him - that he would pursue him to the very gate
of heaven to seek revenge. The prisoner manifested throughout a perfect
indifference to his fate.