Today in History: from the Redding Record Searchlight February 1900 6th - the coroner's jury in the case of Mike Griffin, a man who died of a gunshot wound near the Mitchell Brothers' wood camp on Flat Creek, declared the wound was self inflected. 7th - the wife of Billy Button, the man who carried mail between Redding and Baird, choked to death when she was unable to clear her throat. The circumstances surrounding her death were called "very peculiar." 8th - two highwaymen, Joe Smith and R. Diller, landed in jail for allegedly robbing an acquaintance of $11 near Keswick. They also claimed they were going to rob the Monte Carlo theater in Keswick that same night around closing time. 9th - one of the finest gold nuggets ever seen in Redding was brought to town by J. Schiling, the landlord of the Woodward Hotel. The nugget was valued at $315 and was dug out of the earth near Brandy Creek. 10th - Redding liquor dealers were having a hearing before the board of supervisors to protect a new license ordinance that contained unfavorable conditions surrounding a $1,000 bond required to sell liquor. 11th - plans changed, altering the structure of a bridge to be built over the Sacramento River at the mouth of Spring Creek near Keswick. The bridge would be built in the Pratt truss style instead of the Howe truss style to make it more stable. 12th - James Hall, a well-known character around Redding, narrowly escaped death at his own hand at the county jail. Hall accidentally ingested a dose of sleeping medication and fell into a deep sleep. His stomach had to be pumped and powerful restoratives used to save his life. 13th - Albert Norred, James Billings and Frank Read, alleged cattle thieves, were taken to Anderson to appear for a preliminary examination before Justice Keeler. 14th - prisoner James Brown escaped from the chain gang that had been working on the grounds of the courthouse. 15th - the Chinese New Year was celebrated in Shasta's Chinatown. Many residents witnessed the festivities. 16th - Redding resident Charles Herzinger was going to Washington, D.C. to accept the position of compositor in the government printing office. 17th - Willard Wood, 18, Of Big Valley started out for home on foot after spending the day in Bieber. He became sick along the way, fell into a river and drowned. 18th - arrangements for a big game of baseball between Redding and Chico's high school teams at a recreation park in Redding were complete. The teams were to play on Washington's birthday. 19th - Principal A. White of the Redding school was arrested upon complaint of the mother of Andrew Brignon . The boy was severely whipped by the administrator the week before. 20th - the inmate crew of workers engaged in beautifying the Shasta County Courthouse grounds was so weakened by the illness of four of its members that the rest were not even taken from the jail. 21st - one of the windows of the Presbyterian Church Sunday school annex was smashed in with a rock while the room was filled with an audience. Flying glass fell on the heads of women and children setting nearby. 22nd - Dan McCarthy sold the stock and fixtures of Hotel Keswick to J. W. Brace. Brace came to Redding from Oakland and also owned hotels in Nevada City. 23rd - C. Behrens, W. Bickford, Sam Brackens and L. Dennis moved to the Cow Creek Mining District in Shasta County. They intended to prospect their claim with a view of developing oil and/or gas. 24th - a constable brought Miranda Mitchell of Castle Crags to Shasta for evaluation of her sanity. She apparently hallucinated that her neighbors wanted to kill her children and destroy her property. 25th - James Lewis, a young man working with McGregor's crew of railroad men, was killed when he stumbled after jumping off his engine to run ahead and open a switch. He fell and the engine ran over him. 26th - a new church was to be built in the growing city of Redding on the West line of Oregon Street between Butte and Yuba Streets. The Saint Agnes Guild of the Episcopal Church in Redding was to provide funds for the building 27th - the baseball season opened with a game between Chico Normal School and Shasta County High School at Recreation Park in Redding. The Chico team won the game after the Redding team made several costly errors in the seventh inning. 28th - Isaac McCandliss sold the stock and leased the building of his well-known resort. The Port near Iron Mountain, to William Collins. The price of the stock was $1,200 and the lease called for a monthly rate of $110. 29th - John Wooden well known in the Redding area, was again under arrest in Seattle on a charge of robbery. He had only recently been released from prison for a robbery committed in Redding.