Mountain Democrat Newspaper Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 Pg. A-11 Murder at Sutter's Mill led to bigger Massacre Gold Rush's first killer turned into mass murderer By Anthony M. Belli Special to the Democrat In 1997 the homicide rate for the city of Los Angeles was 33 murders per 100,000 population, over three times the national average. During the height of the Gold Rush, in 1855, 538 murders occurred in California. Adjusted for today's standard this is an annual rate just over 179 per 100,000...more than 17 times the national average today. One could easily say it was fate-for in the very place where James Marshall discovered gold, the first murder of the Gold Rush occurred. Only eight months after Marshall made his discovery, Peter RAYMOND, an Irish miner, murdered John VON PFISTER at Sutter's Mill. On the night of Oct. 1, 1848, several men lay sleeping in Sutter's Mill. A drunken, 21 year old sailor from Dublin, Ireland, named Peter RAYMOND pounded o the sawmill's door. Inside the men awoke, one of them being RAYMOND'S mining partner, Peter QUINN, also a Dublin sailor and deserter from the U.S. Navy. The two had failed to strike pay dirt along the American River. RAYMOND staggered into the mill drunk, volatile and demanded liquor from the awakened men. Another miner, John VON PFISTER stood, shoved a knife into his waistband, then approached RAYMOND. VON PFISTER did not intend to fight. He thought he might be able to quiet the drunk so everyone could get back to sleep. VON PFISTER was able to calm RAYMOND and got him to sit on a bench. Extending his hand in friendship, VON PFISTER asked "if they now were friends?" RAYMOND extended his hand, taking hold of VON PFISTER'S while his other hand pulled VON PFISTER'S knife from his waistband, and then RAYMOND plunged it into his new friend's heart. The next sound the men heard was when VON PFISTER'S corpse hit the floor. The men caught RAYMOND as he tried to flee. He was transported downriver to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento, where he was held prisoner awaiting trial before the Alcalde, a quasi-justice of the peace as California was not yet a state. Within several days RAYMOND escaped, aided by his friend Peter QUINN. Colonel MASON, military governor of California, placed a $500 bounty on the killers head. During this period in history, California had no law enforcement to investigate crime or pursue the outlaws responsible. The Alcalde system left over from the Mexican regime was in effect the only law in the settled regions of California. In the yet unsettled Mother Lode Country, there was no law. Many Californians had some foresight into the anarchy that would soon infest this territory. The editor of a San Francisco newspaper, the Californian, on Oct. 14 wrote: "This tragic event brings very forcibly to mind the present condition of California without law, without any regular authorized government of power for the protection of life and property, and yet holding out unparalleled inducements to desperadoes, escaped convicts and the scum of the Pacific to come to her shores." RAYMOND and QUINN passed through the San Joaquin Valley, then the coast range on foot. Following the El Camino Real, the pair arrived at the Mission Soledad, less than two months after the murder. It was here where they met three more outlaws, Sam BERNARD, alias Sam BARNBERRY, a seaman who jumped ship, Joseph P. LYNCH, alias Joseph FISHER, a 28 year old German, and an Irish sailor known only as "Mike." The three boasted of the men they had murdered days earlier near Sacramento for their gold and a man they'd killed by "shooting his face off," before stealing his horses. The five desperadoes banded together, and along with a 20 year old Indian guide named "Juan," they departed the Mission heading south. On the afternoon of Dec. 4 they arrived at the Mission San Miguel. Ten people were staying at the mission, Mr. REED, his pregnant wife, Maria Antonia VALLEJO, their 3 year old son, her younger brother, Jose Ramon VALLEJO, and mid-wife Josefa OLIVERS, whose 15 year old daughter and 4 year old grandson were in her charge. Live-in domestic staff were an elderly Indian shepherd, his 5 year old grandson, and a black youth who worked as the cook. That evening, REED invited the six strangers in for supper. After the meal Mike and LYNCH sold the gold, taken from the miners they had murdered some days before. REED boasted of his own rich strike, then paid his guests in silver coin. The following morning the six left the mission, continuing their journey along the El Camino Real. It didn't take long for the conversation to get around to REED'S gold, or for them to decide to go back for it. Upon returning to the mission the men confessed they'd like to rest up one more night before resuming their journey. REED welcomed them, and in exchange for their keep the men fell two trees and chopped them into firewood. After supper they sat around the fire as Reed entertained his guests in conversation. The women and children retired for the evening. Around 8 p.m. Sam BERNARD got up from a bench to stoke the fire. He passed behind REED'S chair, stooped over, picked up an axe, then split his host's skull open. As REED fell to the floor, the Indian guide, Juan, thrust a knife into him. What occurred next was a massacre. Peter RAYMOND entered the kitchen, killed the cook with an axe, then led the men to the sleeping quarters. Mike entered first, armed with shotgun and sabre, as the other desperadoes passed quietly through the door. The room was dark...silent as they began hacking away at the women and children with their knives and axes. REED'S 3 year old son hid under a bed with the Indian boy. Mike pulled the toddler from the bed and ended his life. Meanwhile, the 5 year old Indian boy was dragged from under the bed by Peter QUINN, who sunk an axe into the boy's head. One woman ran screaming for her life as Mike slashed her with his sword, killing her. Mrs. REED, her unborn child, along with Josefa OLIVERS, her teenage daughter and grandson were then most brutally murdered. The old Indian was asleep in the carpenter's shop. RAYMOND kicked the door in as Sam BERNARD, armed with REED'S shotgun fired the first shot. Slightly wounded, the Indian rose to his feet, when LYNCH fired the second shot into the old man's head. RAYMOND then walked over to the fallen man and buried a hatchet into his skull. The killers return to the house where they dragged their victims bodies out to the carpenter shop. BERNARD found young, Jose Ramon VALLEJO hiding inside. He forced the boy out to the carpenter shop, where Juan killed the youngster. In the house, the six butchers begin to drink wine and ransack every room. REED'S money chest was broken open, the gold and silver seized. From out of a silent, still winter night, the hoofbeats of a rider approaching startled them. They hid in a back room as Jim BECKWOURTH, a noted mountain man, tied his horse in front of the mission. He entered the mission, and later described what he saw: "I walked about a little to attract attention, and no one coming to me, I stepped into the kitchen to look for some of the inmates. On the floor I saw someone lying down, asleep, as I supposed...This seemed strange, and my apprehensions became excited; for the Indians were numerous about, and I was afraid some mischief had been done. I returned to my horse for my pistols, then, lighting a candle I commenced a search. In going along a passage, I stumbled over the body of a woman; I entered a room, and found another, a murdered Indian woman who had been a domestic. I was about to enter another room, but was arrested by some sudden thought which urged me to search no further. It was an opportune admonition, for that very room contained the murderers of the family, who had heard my steps and were sitting at that moment with their pistols pointing at the door." BECKWOURTH secured his mount and galloped five miles to the nearest rancho of Petronilo RIOS. As BECKWOURTH gathered a posse of vaqueros and Indians, two prominent citizens, John M. PRICE and Francis Z. BRANCH, stopped in at the mission. [part II coming next]