Death of JACOB FREDERICK of Germany in CA in 1861
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Vern D
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Transcribed by Dee Sardoch
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Stockton Daily Argus
Stockton, San Joaquin Co., CA
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>>Thursday, 14 Feb 1861<<
PROBABLE MURDER -- Body of a Man Found Hanging to a Tree --
Yesterday evening the dead body of a man was found hanging to a tree about half a mile in front of Dave WRIGHTMAN's Five Mile House. His position was such as to make it evident he had been murdered and carried there. The attempt to make it appear a case of suicide was bunglingly made. The rope was passed under his chin and was drawn against the top of the back of his head. The feet rested upon the ground, the body in a diagonal line with the tree to such a degree that if placed upright, there would be a slack of rope of some 10 inches in length. The tree was a difficult one to climb, requiring some one to assist another to get up it, and the ground around it was considerably trampled when the body was discovered.
The body was first found by a man hunting. The dead man appeared to have been about 30 years of age, and was respectable looking. He had evidently been hanging since Monday, as he was last seen at WRIGHTMAN's , where he stopped Sunday night and appeared to have plenty of money. His hat was lying close to his feet, and his head was still wet with the recent rains.
>>Friday, 15 Feb 1861<<
CORONER'S INQUEST -- Coroner DOWNING held an inquest yesterday upon the body of Jacob FREDERICK, a German, who was found hanging to a tree on MITCHELL's ranch on the Woodbridge road. The corpse was brought to this city yesterday morning and the inquest held at the office of the City Sexton. It was with considerable difficulty that the body was taken from the tree, the water in the slough over which he was hanging being several feet deep. We publish below all the principal evidence taken upon the inquest, as also the translation of a letter found upon his person, together with the verdict of the jury:
EDWARD HALL, sworn: I do not known deceased; never saw him until I saw him hanging on the tree. I was out hunting yesterday afternoon, about 4 o'clock, and was attracted by the barking of a dog to the spot where the deceased was hanging; I reported finding him and visited the spot afterward; no one disturbed the body to the best of my knowledge until the Coroner took it down this morning; I assisted in taking the body down; the rope and knot now around his neck are the same we left for the inspection of the jury; ground looked as though there had been considerable struggling; his feet were on the ground, and he might have saved himself by standing up straight; I could not find any tracks other than those immediately around the body, nor any tracks other than those that might have been made by
deceased in struggling during death; the tree was a leaning one, about 10 inches in diameter and bore marks of having been climbed; the rope was around the body of the tree about 10 feet from the ground; the rope was a small tarred hemp rope, about the size of a clothes line and was doubled and twisted; my opinion is that he committed suicide, that he had deliberately committed the deed and unassisted; the spot where I found him was on Mitchell's slough, on the lower Sacramento road and about 400 yards to the right of said road; he must have hung himself previous to the rain on Tuesday, 12th inst., because his hair looked as though it had been very wet; his arms were free.
J.M. THORN, sworn -- I know deceased; his name was Jacob FREDERICK; I have known him about 5 weeks; I first saw him at John MILLER's ranch about 8 miles east of Stockton between the Mariposa and Sonora Roads; I worked with him about 3 weeks at MILLER's Ranch at plowing; last Thursday, Feb. 7th, we came into Stockton together; he told me he was a German by birth, had been 4 years in America, that his age was 32 years, that he had been employed as a brass finisher in a Foundry in Cincinnati, Ohio; his employer's name was Miles GREENWOOD; he said he came to San Francisco about a year ago; that he could find no employment at his business and had been put into the Hospital at that place until about 2 months ago; he also said he had a trunk and some valuable clothing in the possession of a Dr. LOHR in San Francisco, which had been detained because of his having no money to pay his way; he often spoke of committing suicide but said he wished to get money enough to go and kill the Doctor above mentioned, and afterward kill himself; he said he had no scruples about it as he did not believe in the existence of a God; he thought the Doctor above mentioned had given him medicine to poison and detain him to get his property, as there was nothing the matter with him when he went to the Hospital; the last I saw of him was on Thursday, 7th inst.; we parted in the city near the Asylum; he appeared at times quite irrational; he had worked for Mr. MILLER for his board; Mr. MILLER bought the boots and pants he now has on, and made a present of them; he seemed quite rational on the day I saw him last; he then went in search of employment; I know nothing of the manner or means of his death; he wanted to take the ropes off the horses 2 or 3 weeks ago when we were ploughing -- and hang himself, which I persuaded him not to do.
Copy of letter found in pocket of deceased, written in German and translated by Geo. DAHL, Esq.:
Mr. John SCHRECK,
Union Saloon, Stockton
I would like to have lived longer. I have made my living from my 14th year until the present time. It is a dog's life. A dog has rest in this world, but I have not. You have given me a dollar to stay over night at St. Charles Hotel. I have left my watch with that old Frenchman, which I have saved for myself. I have the rest of my clothes down at San Francisco with Mr. Beicht BECHT, Pennsylvania House. I have lived a sad life through others, but have been the
cause myself, to a great extent, of my own misfortune. My brother is a Lithographer in New York, the rest of my relations are in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will live a better life probably.
Jacob FREDERICK
On the opposite page was written as follows:
Doctor LOHR, in San Francisco, is a fool. He has injured my health and I swear to that; and I swear that he is a fool. He does not know what he does. My uncle is Grand Master, in the State of Ohio, of the Odd Fellows' Order. His name is Conrad FREDERICK, 306 Main street, Cincinnati, Ohio. The hospital is a humbug.
The foregoing is a correct and literal translation of the letter aforesaid from the German into the English.
G. DAHL
VERDICT: We, the undersigned, the Jurors summoned to appear before J.L. DOWNING, Coroner of San Joaquin county, on the 14th day of February, A.D., 1861, in the city of Stockton, to inquire into the cause of the death of said Jacob FREDERICK, found dead hanging upon a tree by a rope fastened about his neck -- and a leaning tree -- on Mitchell's Slough, on the Lower Sacramento road, about 5 miles from the city of Stockton, and in the county of San Joaquin, having been duly sworn according to law, and having made such inquisition after inspecting the body and hearing the testimony adduced upon our oaths, each and all do say that we find the deceased was named Jacob FREDERICK; that he was a native of Germany, aged about 32 years; that he came to his death on some day between the morning of the 11th and the evening of the 13th day of February, 1861, in this county, by hanging himself with a rope adjusted by his own hand, with the intent to commit suicide.
All of which we duly certify by this inquisition in writing, by us signed this 14th day of February, A.D., 1861,
John PAUPEW
John GINN
G.B. HOLLAND
J. CLYMER
G. DAHL
John CRAWFORD
J.A. TIBBETTS
J.F. CLARK
We, the remaining jurors who names do not appear in the foregoing, consent thereto, with the exception of the belief that the rope caused his death by strangulation.
Columbus HAMPTON
P. LEFFER
E.H. REYNOLDS