Hanford Journal Hanford, Kings Co., California Tuesday, 10 DECEMBER 1895 ************************************** DEATH -- Another Pioneer Gone -- The Last member of the DONNER Relief Party Is Now Laid to Rest -- Daniel RHOADS (or "Uncle Dan" as he was familiarly known) died suddenly at his residence in San Francisco on Wednesday of last week. He was one of California's most respected pioneers, coming to this coast in 1846. Uncle Dan was born 4 miles south of Paris, Edgar county, Illinois, Dec. 7, 1821, and was therefore 74 years of age lacking 3 days at the time of his death. When the RHOADS family, consisting of Thos. RHOADS, wife & 11 children, left Ray county, Missouri, and consequently the journey in wagon trains, drawn by oxen was a dangerous one and it was necessary to join in with other immigrants to secure safety from probable attacks of hostile Indians. The party crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph on April 7, 1846, and arrived at JOHNSON's ranch in the Sacramento valley Oct. 4th of the same year. It is needless to say that many scenes and varied were the experiences of the journey in that early day. California's history is replete with tragic and startling events, one of th e most mournful of which was the scenes of horror and despair which transpired in the snowy Sierras, at Donner Lake, in the winter of 1846-7, when men, women and children starved to death, while others of stronger vitality survived them and devoured their flesh to sustain life until a party could be summoned to their rescue. Uncle Dan RHOADS was one of the rescuers who first reached and witnessed the awful scenes of suffering. He spent 11 years in the northern part of the State and came across the mountains from San Jose in 1857 with his band of stock and located on Kings river, about 2 miles north of Lemoore, where he has lived ever since until he took up his residence in San Francisco about 1 year ago. Uncle Dan grew from a poor boy to be a very wealthy man, and has aided many in their struggles for maintenance. His policy all through life has been that of honesty, and it is believed that if he ever wronged any one it was unintentional -- an error of the mind and not of the heart. Conscious of the inevitable, he made preparations about 2 years since by building a substantial vault for the reception of his body when he should be laid away to his final rest. He also distributed his property among his children, giving each their portion of the estate. Only 3 of his 8 children survive him -- Mrs. KEIFER, John W. RHOADS and Mrs. DAWSON. The remains of the deceased arrived in Lemoore last Saturday morning and the funeral took place on Sunday at 2 o'clock p.m., from his residence 2 1/2 miles NW of Lemoore. The funeral was attended by a large concourse of people. The services were conducted by A.G. PARK of Hanford. Over 200 carriages, containing friends and relatives, followed the remains to their last resting place near his old home, in the substantial mausoleum which the deceased had had erected on a high piece of ground. Deceased was the pioneer President of the Bank of Hanford, which position he held up to a year ago, and he was Vice President of the Bank of Lemoore from the time of its organization until the date of his death. ------------------------------------------------------- AN UNFOUNDED CHARGE -- A Jury Finds a Verdict For the Defendant -- Blows and a Foot Race -- Several weeks ago Young CHOW, the leading Chinese merchant of this city, lost or claimed to have lost a purse containing $51 and a gold ring. His story is that he had the purse with him while doing business about town; that he laid the purse down in the Hanford Agricultural Works, and when he went back for it, it was gone. Through Charley TALBOT, he brought suit against Fred MOORE, proprietor of the Agricultural Works, for $96 for conversion of property, with costs of suit. The case was tried in Justice Fassett's court yesterday before a jury. M.L. SHORT appeared for the defendant. The plaintiff, through his attorney, presented one of the flimsiest cases ever in a court room in this city. The defendant, a reputable young business man, was virtually accused of larceny -- with stealing a purse containing valuables, and yet not the least scintilla of evidence was presented to prove the guilt of the defendant, except the testimony of Young CHOW, who could not at first remember where he left the purse, but finally felt sure that he left it at Mr. MOORE's. The brilliant (?) attorney for the plaintiff, Chas. TALBOT, made a most labored argument to the jury, in which he stated that Fred MOORE had stolen the purse and then perjured himself on the witness stand, and that Felix MOORE (honest old Felix MOORE, whom everyone respects) had also perjured himself on the witness stand. The jury at once returned a verdict for the defendant, thus completely exonerating him. But this was not to be the last of the case. Felix MOORE had been boiling with indignation at the course of TALBOT and his remarks, and as TALBOT came out of the court room, the aged blacksmith dealt the robust attorney a blow with his right and another with his left, knocking TALBOT over onto the railing of Justice Randall's private office. Constable Bernstein then interfered, and held Mr. MOORE while TALBOT made a cowardly escape out of the back door. As soon as Mr. MOORE was released he gave chase to TALBOT and ran him down the alley to Douty St., then around a buggy, and was about to catch up with the burly attorney and give him some more punishment, when Deputy Sheriff McCORD seized and stopped him. TALBOT disappeared from the scene. Although the verdict was for Fred MOORE, he had to pay the jury, etc., as Young CHOW is an insolvent and does not do business in his own name, hence the costs cannot be made out of him. There is great indignation in the community over the prosecution of this case, which savors of maliciousness or blackmail, and it seems that there should be some way of protecting honest men against such attacks as these on their character and purses. -------------------------------------------------------- LOCAL PARAGRAPHS -- -C.L. GREEN last week received news of the serious illness of his mother, at Woodland. -Wm. WORSWICK is now a guest at the Hotel Artesia and will make Hanford his permanent residence. -Mrs. B.A. BATEMAN left Hanford last Saturday for England, where she went to spend Christmas with her aged mother. -A new kind of widower has been developed. E.D. JONES of Dudley says he is a foxtail widower, his wife having gone on an extended visit to her old home in Tennessee. -Kirk CLARK fell out of a tree at Wildflower yesterday and broke his right arm, just above the wrist. He was in Hanford this morning and Dr. MUSGRAVE set the broken limb. -E. PICKETT spent a few days last week with his family, near this city. He has been employed for several moths at Fresno. -S.C. LILLIS is a guest at the Artesia. -John SCOTT has entered the employ of the 'Journal' and is learning the art preservative. He takes the place of Fred COOPER, who went to San Francisco last week. -Byrd LEONARD, accused of battery on John KOWALSKY, was tried in the Justice Court last Thursday. The jury failed to agree, standing 3 for acquittal and 7 for conviction. -Frank WYRUCK, of Twin Bridges, Mont., is visiting his cousins, the WYRUCKs, near this city. -2 children of Rev. DONNEL are down with scarlet fever. A strict quarantine of the case has been established. A family living in the Emma Lee colony had the disease, but did not know its character, and attended the Baptist Sunday school, and in this way the disease got into town. PETER TERRE and Minnie MEYERS, while under the influence of liquor last Thursday night, raised such a disturbance by using vile language at TERRE's house on Fourth St., that both were arrested by Night Watchman HICKS and Deputy Constable COLLINS. TERRE plead guilty to using obscene language and was fined $20. Minnie MEYERS, who has been a nuisance in the town for years, plead guilty and paid a fine of $40. JOHN E. BARGION was in Hanford last week, on a visit. He now holds the responsible position of engine inspector on the Tucson division of the Southern Pacific railroad. Mr. B. is an old and experienced engineer and mechanic and is holding down his position in good shape. I.P. ALCORN has gone back to his old home place, 4 miles north of Hanford, and taken possession of it. The Sacramento Bank, which had a trust deed on Mr. A.'s farm, began foreclosure proceedings and Mr. ALCORN moved off of it. The Bank put no one in possession and Mr. A. has now moved back and will make a fight for the property. His attorneys, LAMBERSON & MIDDLECOFF, of Visalia, hold that the trust deed to the property is illegal. FRANK McCARTY, a young man who has been employed by Porter MICKLE for several years, was arrested last Saturday on a charge of petty larceny, for having stolen a pair of tapaderos from his employer. He plead guilty and was given 90 days in jail by Justice Randall. Mr. MICKLE has lost many small articles and suspected McCARTY, but this is the first time he was able to catch the thief. SOME OF THE RESIDENTS of Harris St. now call it Ku-Klux St. Last Friday W.S. DELK, under instructions from the City Trustees, began grading the street between 4th & 5th Sts. That night some one took his scraper, which had been left in the street, and removed all the loose dirt they could find, to grade up to the track, so that teams could cross. The citizens of Harris St. have long desired a crossing over the railroad on that street and the City Trustees have ordered the S.P. Co. to place one there, but the S.P. Co. objected to doing so, and evidently some person or persons made up their minds to make a crossing. ----------------------------------------------------- GRANGEVILLE GLEAMS -- -Mrs. M.A. HORLOCK entertained a few of her friends at dinner last Wednesday. -J. LaFORTUNE had a severe attack of cramps in his muscles, caused from over lifting, last Wednesday. He suffered terribly for awhile, but has nearly recovered. -Bob HARMON, who left here some 4 months ago for an extended trip to various parts of the State, arrived home Thursday. Bob is so much improved in health that his friends scarcely know him. FRAZER ITEMS -- -Frank McCORD is out with a new buggy. We wonder what that means? -Miss Anna DAVIS of Visalia is visiting with Misses Bernetta and Zenoma MOFFETT. -Miss Grace CLUTE was elected organist for the Lyceum club Saturday night. LEMOORE LOCALS -- -Frank HARDWICK has been quite low with typhoid fever. -E.L. HUBBELL of Hanford, proprietor of the Golden Rule Bazaar, was in town Thursday afternoon, accompanied by his brother. -Mrs. W. UNDERWOOD went to Coalinga Tuesday after her mother-in-law, who was reported sick. She was accompanied by Miss Daisy FORBES and Mr. BERt JENNINGS. They returned Thursday. -Reginald FORBES, Tom EPERSON, Joe MILLS and Bud BARKER set out for Owens river via Walker's pass on Friday last to drive back a band of cattle just purchased by John HAYES and Went MILLS. They expect to be gone fully a month. Tom EPERSON will preside over the skillet and hash box. -Jeremiah CASEY of San Luis Obispo county some time ago brought suit against Charles KREYENHAGEN of this county to obtain damages in the sum of $299 for the taking and conversion, by KREYENHAGEN, of 6 head of steers. The case came up for trial Thursday before Justice Bullard and a jury. The evidence was conclusive that KREYENHAGEN had bought the steers from one Henry NEWTON and that NEWTON was the agent of Jeremiah CASEY and had authority to sell the steers. The jury brought in a verdict in favor of the defendant for costs of suit. Transcribed by Dee Sardoch To see more old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/