Free Press Semi-Weekly from Redding, California • 1

1 'V" Jiys5to i -S' v' VOLUME XX REDDING SHASTA COUNTY CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 29 1904 taken up at aald Sear chrest general agent for the lines In Portland system represents a mileage of 12000 miles covering states of the East and Middle West The territory covered by the seven lines is said to have as large a population as all the rest of the United States" DASTARDLY ATTEMPT TO WRECK PASSENGER TRAIN WITH STICKS OF DYNAMITE I made In favor of through the cars told the passengers RED RUT ALTER IRE FOUR DOCTOR8 ARE LAYING' THEIR WIRES FOR THEWfi-l APPOINTMENT j-'-'-i lCi The Fight for Hospital Steward j4aa Simmered Down to Two Aspirant "ahd' Each Claims Two Vs The New Chairman of live When the Board of Supervisors meets In January and organises the members are going to have a wi time over the appointment of hospital! steward and county physlclan A- plrants for those jobs are numerous and the Incumbents are action on their own behalf by' Barth The receipt was for 94 and paid dues from July 14 1904 to April 1 1905 DON'T LIKE NOTORIETY Barth Baid like notoriety and principally dislike this occurrence on account of my wife who Is now living at No 70 Seventh Street Chico She has lived there about three weeks For about seven months time table because ho wauled to be sure of the timo the train I Kcr-! wick expecting to leave that place! on the overland lie changed his mind however and walked out He secured the time table before ho lost his money BarLh soys he has never mluud and has never handled until Thursday night when he cut the dynamite from the rails The dynamite that was used was new and had not been handled It had evidently Just been taken from tbe sawdust In the box The detectives are now endeavoring to find out where the dynamite was purchased Barth put the dynamite on tbe rails the only logical explanation of his actions appears to be that he did so and then flagged the train hoping to place himself In Lire role of a hero in the eyes of the passengers who he thought would reward him liberally It was a risk but he may have taken It If his story Is true and he really did see the men placing the dynamite on the track there la work ahead for the detectives and Barth has been unjustly placed under suspicion Until the matter Is cleared up Barth will be detained In the custody of the sheriff The Chico Record says Barth is a laborer and has a wife residing on 7th street In that city Mrs Barth says her husband came north In search of work The Record says so far as Is known Barth has a clean record Barth received two letters Thursday One was from Long Beach and the other from the Protective of New York since April 10 1904 until about three Oakland" He occupied room No 41 that night ANXIOUS AS TO TIME Thursday evening at the Club saloon In Keswick Barth asked George Vogan what time It was Vogan looked at hla watch and told him It was about 8 o'clock Barth said that railroad and Vogan answered It is smelter time and there la some difference" Barth was noticeably anxious to get correct railroad time NICE APPEARANCE Barth Is a comparatively young man of pleasing appearance and Is well dressed- He gave the Free Press reporter an order on the postmaster to get all mall that may arrive at this office for him Sheriff Richardson and Constable Eldredge returned from the scene of the attempted wreck Friday morning They found no clew but picked up the two caps that Barth had thrown away The brakeman returned the caps that he took from the dynamite sticks TRIED TO ELUDE OFFICER After taking up the dynamite Barth rode to Redding In the smoker on the train that came near being wrecked When he alighted here he told Constable Eldredge that he would remain But when the train started Barth made a spring for a car step and nearly boarded The constable weeks ago 1 was employed by the Sierra Lumber Company at West Branch where I worked as sawyer and foreman to this I owned a transfer business at Long Beach having lived there about two years I was out of employment and heard that there was work around Redding I arrived In Redding Wednesday stopping at the Golden Eagle that night and I ate Thanksgiving dinner there Thursday afternoon I decided to walk to Keswick but when I arrived there 1 did not find much chance of very soon so concluded to return to Redidng" CANNOT DESCRIBE MEN When questioned as to the appear ance of the men Barth could not give a satisfactory description of the men He said would judge them to be middle aged men Both were dressed in dark clothes The smaller of the two men appeared to be the older did not turn around to see which way the men went" said Barth when questioned where the men went after Barth discovered them just kept on running until the train came In sight" Barth Is 26 years of age of a florid complexion weighs about 170 pounds and is about 5 feet 9 Inches tall at the very astrenuous fight being made outsiders for the job There Is a particularly hot chase after tbe job of county physician held by Dr Harper Tbe nameat! of four physcans are mentioned connection with -the county phyMdaaV job They are Dr Harper the lneom- bent Dr Bryant Dr ter and Stevenson Dr Btevesjj' son when interviewed on the subjeeC5' would not affirm or deny the report'' that he waa an aspirant for Hla friends however say that he la aJ aspirant and that he has two vote a his pocket Dr Bauter states that hep is after the position and after It redi hot He believes his chances are aaE good as those of the Dr friends have Inteeei hln) to get Into the fight'' and It claimed for him that he haa three Dr Harper could' not be ceeatg the reporter but his friends say that he will make a fight to retain hla po Won For hospital steward Almarin the present 1 steward and Welch are aspirants- Mr Wefch wpd formerly steward and was replaced by Baker Now he wants to retnfi? the compliment Baker and Welch each claim frrioi' votes Welch la banking an Bldwetf and Story while Houston and Sdatdll er are considered to be satisfied 'witfcj the management of Steward Baker! Each aspirant is on theanxfim edatl as to how Supervisor Franck wlll vot The chances are in favor of hieY0t being for Baker Who the chairman of the' new board will be is hard to conjecture- Soa-M who claim to be on the Inside that Supervisor Franck will be the seat while othera are just as' oon-pf fident that Chris Bldwell will rentaiift- in the post (Vj BARS HIDE Bll SIT III GOOBT EX-SUPERIOR JUDGE OF SHASTA IS AFTER THE APPOINTMENT Many Candidates Are Mentioned for the Plaeee on the Court of Ap-peale in the Sacramento District Aaplrante for the Honors Judge Edward Sweeny of this city ex-judge of the Superior Court of Shasta county Is an avowed candidate for appointment to the Court of Appeals In the Sacramento district Judge Sweeny told a Free Press representative Monday that he was an aspirant for the honor There will be three courts of appeal one holding sessions in Sacramento one In San Francisco and one In Los Angeles Each court will have three judges who are to be appointed by Governor Pardee and In each district one of the Judges must be a Democrat These appointments will hold until the next general election when all nine of the judges will be elected by the people After such election the three judges in each district will draw lots as to which shall serve the four eight and twelve year terms Judge Sweeny is considered among the foremost aspirants for a place on the Sacramento court Judge Prewett of Placer Is believed to have the Inside track as the Democratic Judge He has been indorsed by a number of Superior judges Among others who are after the appointment are Judge Buckles of Solano ex-Judge Doherty of Sonoma ex-Congressman Barham of Santa Rosa Mannon of Uklah ex-Judge Coco ran of Mariposa ex-Judge Grant of Yolo Minor of Modesto Superior Judge Shields and District Attorney Seymour of Sacramento are probable candidates Superior Judge Burnett of Sonoma has been freely mentioned as a likely candidate but he says that he does not desire to be appointed State Prison Director Devlin may be a candidate Governor Pardee's desk Is full of applications for the judgeships In the three districts He has not yet -determined when he will make the -appointments Should Judge Sweeny be appointed be will take up his residence In Sacramento TILED FOR RECORD The following instruments have 'been filed for record in the county office: John Franklin Marsh and wife Ida -Marsh of Larkin convey to George Jensen of Berkeley and George Frahm and Malcolm Matheson of Centerville mining district the Ida mining claim In the Centerville district lor a consideration of 925 Thomas Miller has conveyed to Clara A Young the west 76 feet of lot 12 In block 18 of Jones subdivision of South Park for 910 Ida Hill of Dana has for 915 conveyed to John Brown two acres of Up john Brown and Mamie Brown of Dana have conveyed to Charles English two acres of land with all Improvements on the same for 9150 Isabel Hill has sold for 9100 the northeast quarter of section 24 township 44 north range 7 east to Ben Hill English Isaac Booker of Fall River Mills conveys to Sophia Dollarhlde the south one half of the northwest quarter of section 18 township 87 north Tange 5 easL Henry Rickard transfers to Annie Rickard a one-fourth Interest In the Rickard No 1 and Rickard No quarts claims In the Dog creek mining district Railroad Interested Portland representatives of the New York Central lines have received notices that the seven railroads comprising the system Intend to do everything in their power to boom the Lewis and Clark Centennial The roads win advertise the fair extensively by means of folders and in newspapers and magazines have received notice from Jerome of Chicago general agent that the work will be Systematic Robbery Grilttner who spent Saturday at his summer camp at Sweetbriar says the thieves who broke Into and robber seven cabins In that vicinity last week did a systematic Job The Hurst' Grilttner Stabel DobrowSky and other places at Sweetbriar were robbed of blankets shoes and clothing and everything in the way of provisions was stolen At the Crocker place at Castle Crag about 950 worth of stuff was taken At the section house at Castella 150 in coin and checks was taken One of the checks for 950 was afterwards cashed at Delta but the man who passed It cannot be Identified The same day three planes and an edger were stolen from the Nelson sawmill above Dunsmulr The planes were afterwards recovered at a saloon at Duns-mulr THE CALF CASE IN SUPER! COURT TRIAL OF CLARENCE TURNER CHARGED WITH STEALING CALF A 8mall Army of Talesmen Appear In Court Monday in Obedience to a Judicial 8ummona Matlock Is Counsel In the Superior Court Monday morning the case of the People of the State of California vs Clarence Turner was called Turner Is charged with having on the 8th day of May stolen a heifer calf belonging to a man by the name of Armstrong The alleged theft was committed near Shingle-town Matlock of Red Bluff Is counsel for the defense and James Estep Is conducting the prosecution There are a great many witnesses on both sides and the case promises to be quite prolonged Following is a list of the trial Jurors summoned: John Apple Alex Clarke Franklin Fish A Straub David Covey Markham Harvey Leighton Dollarhlde David Whalen Charles Dlestelhorat Morris Dennis Lucey Treat Schroter John Dickey Branch Thomas McDonald Josiah Hoskins Wm Estep Crews Powers Gulll A Dunham Keeling Maxwell A Reed Adolph Bys-tle Abbott Merrill Felch Jeremiah Krane Gustave Wies Frank Richmond McClaskey Charles I Eaton Ai Vaughn Goodrich James Whalen Lowdon Wentworth John Shoup Milton Taylor Perry Dailey Moody Nightwine Michaud George Julian George Baker and Frank Horn-lien By three o'clock Monday afternoon there had been only seven jurors examined It is not at all likely that a jury will be selected today as there are none accepted Marriage License County Clerk Blodgett Issued a marriage license the 23d to Benjamin Lee Winters aged 21 and Sadie Klnyon aged 22 Both parties are residents of Round Mountain Died at Red Bluff Jasper Smith an old pioneer of Shasta county died at Red Bluff Saturday The funeral occurred In Redding Monday afternoon at 2 from the Presbyterian church Rev Mitchell having charge of the services The deceased was 73 yean of age and was a native of Illinois He had been a resident of the state over 50 years living the majority of his time on Brandy creek near Whlskytown The deceased had followed mining the most of his life He was placed to rest Monday afternoon In the Redding cemetery by the side of his wife who has been dead for many years Filed Their Bonds Houston and William Franck have filed their official bonds Each bond is for 92000 and tbe United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company Is surety on both bonds Reynolds one of the prominent sawmill men of 8hlngletown was an arrival in Redding Sunday DYNAMITE TIED TO THE RAILS AT A POINT A MILE SOUTH OF KESWICK Barth Says He Saw Two Men Placing the Dynamite and That One of Them Took a Shot at Him Flagged the Passenger Train and Assisted the Train Crew Remove the Barth in Jail Pending Investigation Officers Believe He Was Implicated Two armed men made a murderous attempt to wreck the heavily loaded south bound overland passenger train about a mile south of Keswick station Thursday night They placed dynamite on -the rails but providentially their plans were thwarted by the timely appearance of Barth who was walking from Keswick to Redding STORY According to Barth's story of the affair he had been to Keswick Thursday afternoon looking for employment and concluded that he would not be able to secure congenial work so between 9:30 and 10 he started out from Keswick to walk to Redding He bad Just passed the mile post out of Keswick and rounded the curve when In the darkness he saw two men bending over the track about thirty feet In front of him The men evidently saw Barth at the same moment for the smaller one sprang up and cried all off with us and started to run away from the place The other man pulled a revolver and told Barth to up your hands" and at the same time snapped the revolver at him Instead of following the injunction Barth showed a very active pair of heels As he ran three shots were fired all flying wide of the mark FLAGGED THE TRAIN Barth knew that the passenger train was due within a few minutes and hastened to flag the oncoming train as he felt sure by what he had witnessed that there was a plan on foot to wreck the train After running about a quarter of a mile he saw the train approaching Barth took a newspaper from bis pocket and set fire to It waving the flaming sheet to and fro In front of the fast approaching train and succeeded In stopping the train In a deep cut The train crew hurried forward to discover the reason for the hurried stop DYNAMITE ON TRACK When Barth had told the conductor his story the first engine was cut loose from the train and Barth and the track Just In front of the engine Armed with a revolver handed him by a member of the train crew Barth led the search for the miscreants When the place wad reached where they were last seen a lantern revealed the fact that four sticks of dynamite had been tied to the rails On each rail were two sticks of the dangerous explosive and in the end of each stick caps were Inserted the caps being pointed towards the train These deadly Instruments were removed from the track Barth says took my knife and cut the strings that were holding the powder on the rails and gave the dynamite to the conductor He took it Into the train and gave it to the Redding officials" BARTH DETAINED Barth was taken on board the train and brought to Redding Barth says that he told the conductor that his wife lived at Chico and that he was given permission to go to that place When the train stopped at Redding Barth says he went to the Golden Eagle hotel to arrange for shipment of some baggage to Chico Upon returning to the depot he was Informed that his presence would be needed so he was taken in charge by Sheriff Richardson and is now in his keeping awaiting further investigations BARTH IS AN ODD FELLOW To a Free Press reporter Barth made statements embodying the above mentioned facts At first he was quite reticent and did not wish to give his name but In response to an urgent request showed the Free Press man a receipt for dues in the Long Beach California lodge No 390 there was a holdup and advised them to bide their valuables The porters extinguished the jlghts ln the Pullmans and everybody expected to get robbed REGISTERED FROM OAKLAND Barth told the Free Press reporter that he was from Chico while on the Golden Eagle register on Wedsesday night appears the name Barth caught him and pulled him back Barth said ho only wanted to say good bye to a friend Barth says he has lived in Chico for three weeks but a peculiar thing in this connection Is that he can name but one person In that city and that one person Is a saloonkeeper Barth said that he used a Call to flg the trsin A portion of the paper unburned was found near the spot It proved to be an Oregon paper and a crumpled piece of the same paper was found In a culvert near by The mystery surrounding the finding of dynamite on the railroad track near Keswick and Victor connection with the affair Is as yet unsolved although Detectives Ahern and White are now working on the case Victor Barth was not In tbe best of humor Saturday when seen by the Free Press man He says that he should at once be liberated as he has not been guilty of commiting a crime On the other hand Barth said: Is the way a fellow gets thanked for saving the lives of several hundred people he gets thrown Into Jail and is kept from attending to his business and kept from hla- Barth continued: were a couple of railroad detectives talking to ipe this morning They had me In a little room Just off the office For about a half an hour they tried every way posisble to catch me and get me mixed up In my story even going so far as to say that they would make it as easy as possible for me if I would make a Barth cays he has nothing to confess and that he Is simply a victim of circumstances He said know from the way everything points 'It does look a trifle suspicious but know no more of the affair than I have already Regarding the finding of an Oregon paper partly burned Barth said I bought a Call In Redding on Wednesday and while at Keswick picked up another paper and put it in my pocket I know what paper It was It might have been an Oregon paper for ail 1 know I lighted both papers to flag the Barth says he has 9140 on deposit in the Bank of Chico with 9775 in his pocket He had 910 and paid his fare ont of it When he reached Redding he registered at the Golden Eagle but lost his money In a poker game and pay for bis room and board that day He expected a check from home He says he was anxious to get a When seen county jail Friday morning he was neatly dressed He said am not used to being locked up but expect to get out this afternoon as they are only holding me as a BARTH SUSPECTED The officers who toolf Barth In custody and who are working on the case are of the opinion that he knows more about the attempt to wreck the train than he is willing to admit In fact Sheriff Richardson and Constable Eldredge have opinions of their own regarding the matter and they do not hesitate to say they believe Barth either had a hand In the affair or was solely responsible for the attempt SAID HE WA8 SCARED When the passenger train was stopped flagged by Barth he assisted the train crew to cut the dynamite from the rails He did not appear to be frightened in the least but was nervous To William Hale who was a passenger on the train he said he was "nearly scared to but Hale Bays he did not show It U8ED A NEWSPAPER Constable Eldredge asked Barth what he used to flag the train He said It was a San Francisco Call When asked where he got the Call he first told Eldredge that he bought It from a newsboy In Redding Thursday morning Later he said he did not remember when he bought the paper It Is learned that Barth procured a railroad time table while In Redding and appeared to be very anxious to learn the exact time the south bound overland train left Keswick station CONDUCT UNEXPLAINABLE Barth Is either the hero of the occasion and saved the train from destruction and prevented what would in all probability been a wholesale slaughter of people or he is the culprit who planned and failed to carry out the murderous attempt If he Is the guilty party the question Is why did he hasten to flag the train and prevent the very thing ho had set about to accomplish If on the other hand he was walking along the track and discovered the dynamiters at work it seems unreasonable that they would have let him off so easy when the stakes they were playing for were so groat RAILROAD DETECTIVE William Ahern Southern Pacific detective will arrive In Redding Friday night and make an Investigation He will take charge of the affair and will trace down every available clew THOUGHT IT WAS HOLDUP When the train was stopped Conductor IVpanger alighted and went ahead while the brakemen walked "I wish It was said Barth at the county jail Monday morning as he handed tbe reporter a clipping from a San Francisco paper in which It ms stated that Barth had been given his liberty Saturday "But they bold me much longer without placing some charge against he continued sure to get out of the place In a day or The suspected man Is taking a philosophical view of hla detention He said "As soon as I am released from jail I will write home for money and when It comes I will go at once to Chico to see my wife and Judging from a letter the suspectr ed man received from his wife Monday morning Mrs Barth was not aware that her husband was confined In the Shasta county jail In this letter Barth was urged to return to Chico If he -find employment around Redding The detained man stated that It Is ills Intention to again move to Long Beach as there he has many friends and It will be an easy matter for him to secure work He laughs at the theory that has been presented In which he Is accused of trying to pose as a hero for the purpose of being rewarded by the passengers on the train and said: "Why should I do an act of that kind? I hare never been a tramp or a convict With a dear little wife and babe to support and with friends and money to aid me In time of trouble why should I resort to such When asked If he would make any effort to be remunerated for being thus detained he said: "I want anything that Is not my just dues All I wish at present Is to be released so that I will be able to earn a living for my little family" The officers have not changed their minds about Barth They believe he placed the dynamite on the track and then flagged the train for the purpose of gaining financially in the nature of a reward for heroism Detective Ahern left Redding Sunday night He la thoroughly convinced that the hero stunt Is tbe solution of the affair Where the dynamite was procured Is a mystery Several cabins and the railroad section house at Copley have been robbed of dynamite during the past week and It Is hard to connect any of them with the Keswick affair The officers believe Barth Is Imaginative and flighty They have learned accordiug to Detective Ahern that when Barth left Chico lie said he would go to Washington and smuggle Chinamen over the border getting 9150 a head for them Barth will undoubtedly be released from jail Monday evening or Tuesday Neuralgia Pains Rheumatism lumbago and sciatic pains yield to the penetrating influence of Ballard's Snow Liniment It penetrates to the 'nerves and bone and being absorbed into tbe blood it healing properties are conveyed to every part of the body and effects some wonderful cures 25c 60c and 9100 Retiring Drug and Book Store McChesncy'a Vehicle Repository bitT: South Market Street Goes Up 8moke Saturday Night at 11 OV Clock Old rags and lampblack earned -a blaxe Saturday night that resulted the destruction of nearly 95000 worth1 of property in this city The large frame building on South Market street owned and used by Mo- Chesney as a vehicle repository was destroyed by fire None of the cobk-'h tents was saved A small building ad- joining tbe a to rehouse on the south was completely destroyed Mr McChesney estimates hla between 94500 and 94800 there betng 91075 insurance on the build ing and 9600 on tbe contents The smaller building was insured for 9100 The policies were held In companies -represented by Ernest Harrison' -It is believed that fire was ah combustion from some oil 1 rags lamp black tbat were lying In the i ter of the main building' These cloths had been used to brighten up some ve- hides that had been marred in shipment from San Francisco to The fire was first discovered by John Rathbnn a painter residing ia cabin near tbe building that was Irani-' ed to the ground A' Mr McChesney was visiting vrith relatives on Clear Creek Saturday- evening and knew nothing of loan I until the following day Besides the vehicles and buildings the lire consumed two tool of bay that had recently been purchased nf an outfit of carpenter's tools vetatl at 9100.