Daily Alta California, Volume 4, Number 158, 8 June 1853 — THE RIOT IN SANTA BARBARA [ARTICLE]

THE RIOT IN SANTA BARBARA

Foil Particular* of the A »r«y— Statetneat m< (bo SkerLaT. We lay before oar readers the following official statement of Sheriff Wilson, of Santa Barbara Co., giving the fall particulars of the late difficulty in that place and the affray between a squatter party and the authorities. Erxxitt's Owicx, - } Santa JBartera, 27th Msy, 1853. i Most Excellent Having aomewhat recovered trom the effects of the W. ■: d leceirrd by me on the 30 bof April las', while trying to azxate reydctyaa **** this eocnty, 1 deem it proper to cispateh to you an official statement of >he whole aStir, frca first to last, insomuch as to this date I hsre IMB no true account of th« matter, -, or anj thing apniaashlnt to ta« truth in &ry public priat of the day. . On th- 20th day of April last a writ was placed in my handi. iiiim— me to dispossess a John Pcwers of a eerulc tract of *■*. htrase, eorra 1 . teaw, ditches, tut., sSid Immediately to place Messrs. Bl!l »• d ft. n in petcetul pos«pt»ion of the hum i had thirty dsy allowed me to return the writ to eounjpie vions to my re.-f>:v:c . it. I was told several times by some of Powera' s«ag, or partners, that I had better not attempt to ae r»p it that it weuld cot b- given up, and thai I would lose my lie. a.d that I bad better •atiga. " Squatters had their rights." I replied that I had oothins: to do with ' ' qu»ttf-r«" right ,' if I received a writ or execution from any court, I should try and serve it. .

But : j pio:eed. The laoautt I received the writ I set out alone to to serve it, and on tap road I was c v*; taken by aw cf the ganf and requested to i top ihatthry wished to htvefallttle ttiiM or aanee. and that It woul i no doubt be aettled Imm atelj Mid in a l«t-al asaeaer, and that it was unfair in me to take tbe advantage of them, wnea the principal, John Powers, wasabsenttn Los Angeles . 1 replied I would consent to give them tea days notice to quit the premises. They said that it was all they eouW ask of me, and expressed themeives well satisaed with mi when I contented to give them ih*t time. Meantime, Powers arrived ; I went immediately aol notified him thai I held th- writ, aid that i had on urgent request of bis agents, s'n>n htm ten days' n tire to quit, and that the cotice wocld rxpire on l^aturdav. 30 h April, at 10 o'clock, A. M. tie eaid. " I will net fir* up the place :if th* boys and by m» M they promised, not if the h. use is bur t over my head; and I give you notica, i'heri J : that you can get all the force you can, fira'on^you know you can do nothing." I moiled " very well, on next Saturday, at 10 o'clock iiith a m . ruin*, expect a call from aw," and 1 M him He stated day or two after the •bore conversation, that hi would h»vr about forty armed m«n to help him ti resist; end in a aubsrquent cocveraatlon re told me so. 1 then, under the e:rcum«tance«, concluded that it behooved me to make til uecrst ary preparation to carry into < f.'ct in* law. I be^ao to imcmon « posit comiuuut to appear at say c£ce at th* hour of 10 o'clock on Saturday, 33th April Moartrae he was mtLklng prepan.t'cn to resist bycsUoctlrg •'■•, m tmi were tP-» iv tlie "di of mm who carried and If fi I em at his hsure | it hid now ful y become a question of t- l'::! c- if the law ac&inst disorder. On Saturday morcing the people began to assemble In front cf my office; which m«»mt>,y Powers passed by, in the road to the " Arroya del Burro," accompacie i b aoms tea or fifteen armed men ia a wngen, preceded by a bind cf music. as he passed by I called him, end bes'echM 1 im not to proeocd to extremes in rtsi.tanc-, and cot to beth^causeof blood>hed. He went on, and the people said to me, *' three men have lines and am fortified in a houee ; we hay»- few, If aar > mi and no pur.s : SM had b'frr take out a ctnnon." I s&id, '(-■■• *cd get i." They west off and grot a (mail swjrel, which will carry a t-*ll of two pnurd's we!s;bt. Wbai re. arrived in frcctof thehr.uae witbit, John Vid^l Jobs Dunn, I oblasoa, alia* ■ t Ait, an ' same others cf the Powers party, rode up on borarbaek to within a tew feet of where I was ttatdlcc:, and Vldsll asked me If 1 th;u_ fct cf carryln* <n* th t e-n » 1 tcld him that I would take such atepa to ' n'o/ce the Uw as were proper urder the circam stance*. He the*eupon became very much enraged, and fa! _i *' whit k'nd Of a d — d iSheriSfare you t" took out his ;istol and sad. '>i v had 1» t»r m-.Hc your w.i: — you wi'l get a bu'. through your he»d." I replied, " thebuilet is not m<d« ttsat is to kill tne t9-£ay." Uesald " boys do you hear tna< ! ' and th«respon bpgnK to turn over the caiinor. i-ad to ride their horses over it, and make inruiting remarks. The people I pin to get enraged. 1 excluded to them, "io not mind what hey s«y, for it crrjoucb to nothing . keep your scanper." I tien asked Vida", " would be be satisfied if I would net take cut the cannon T" at the same time Riving my word that 1 would not take it. He then put a rope on it to draw it away. 1 1 aid, " I command yon to let it remain wher- it is." 6cm« person tut his rope, but one of his fried put another rope around it, at d they persisted in taking it away i thr.n commanded all to assist m" in deta'.aing tne gun ; at ;hat m-iment Vidall raiasd (-s w«s proven la c jui 1 siterwards) his p: till, and tired at me, the ball puir.^ cloae by m • held, and buryiug itself m the walia cf the: house Lehicd. This was tbe £r-t -b t fired, (alao prevea In court) 1 then drew my pistol »l: fired, iCobioaon. alias fiasco, or-e of the •mi gang, turned to run, a"d. at he ru'i ki>«y, fired at me. I fjiiowd hit - hlro and fired upon him as he tamed the corner of "he houie. The moment I tired uooa him I was st»bb d !>., < n« a!-;i Srrvi;, a nun who knew ms well, a:dfch- fora longtime l;ved here in town. Be was sent here a prisoner by the Mexican Government, f..r assusinaticg a man, and dv "ire tn California rero'ution was ct-t ht li-erty. As I fell, I turced my i'if . upon him btih sal mv rrimlnuis; strength, as be turned to Be -, end shot ' i •". He died a few day* alto.' wa: d* from ih" effects cf tbe wound. I was then carried into my aoste. and the wo.nd 1 received came ne^.r beiog rrortal; for ceveral days mv lie hunr on a tLr -ad. Powers and a portion of his party h-t::t.g what halhHppen^J, came marching lcto town in the afternoon, his ops under arm*, and formed in bitti I array. Powers was acsisted throughout the day at the Arraje d 1 Burro, asd in c r.i:.i bis m n in order, by a certain m B named Lynch, tt-: t made a sssMaaeat in the tun J pi in in Republican, that the rn :n that >.tf :r paa4 to a*sas>ica'.<« me c,mitwo huniirrd miles to answer uiy rummort, «nd th»t he stabbf dme by ajlslak* A'ej-» rv;a h i livwl In this city for te »eral years, <.n . hs» converwi wiih me, fa.cc to far-, for fifty t:rr -i a* the least

Bet to proceed. Cn the linn day I Ml. not knowing what woaid be the result, 1 desired it proper t J mate a requisition m you. Kb Governor of tha Sttte, for foops ; th j requisition w» eofcfirm d by the tijrnsturca of the District j-_d.:e. County J.dr, Mayer, and District Attcrnry, and in it I think was a <■ aasa *■.»■■••.■' of the «■? n!i- :.-.«ir. As you have nt-ver answerer it lamincl.ned v tli.it that yea nervr received it; it must h<>ve adscarrted. As soon as I regained my health, f>otnr.whst I le*med tbst Powers c a his put? supj:>oted ihi-c-celvta victorious «>nd tbst the authorities would not truubln them aga'n. I was well aware that th« force oi the law and order pa ty of this county was not by any lafA.u exhausted, and having procured a t-.w foot arms, 1 aeerctiy collected ! ny man together, lobe in reedineta to act in case uny resistance wu tnr.de, i^nd •nt « deputy to i ■ rest Powers, Jr.hi •nd Pat Dunn, end tbe man R:biDson allst Stout. They Hading that resistance was uceirts, gave thenwelves op at last were examined tx fore the *',>.■■ Judgn, and Kct.afon*at put U3«*«.r ail of ihrre th'jus&nd dollars ; the oh. were acquitted. Th- had retained ail the lawyert that would act, an ! u»" t^»j>W. vuriuciu'.u l-UtrU't Atnrrpy beins »t the time unwell had no lawyers l; file a complaint »ga ns them after th-y w»re acquitted. 1 took poueteioa of the •' Arroy-del Barro." placed Sl essis. Hill and eu in peaceable p , session of the . »m», wh- c they still reimin. This is all of that affair.

-And in c«nclu;ion. I beg leave to state to you th- 1 1 have not made a star m- r.t _vi bm been, or can be, if necessary, proven; and that, a'.«o, it was in no vise a quettioa oi Americans ajfticst < aliforasaßa, bat aimp'y one taf tha furce of the law arainst whoma everchcte tn satJat its ex cuti..n. As far as tail county is concerned, that question Ii now settled most definitely ; there are ten to one U. favor of order and law and the authorities, in d Inr tieir du'y. The people of this com ty wait no troops now. and the American and OalifWrnian popalatLnhave provea itt) th« world that »hry will sat tain the law, actUigever teg t- er in unity and g ;od fa.th. 1 am, .'i', your m st otiedif.nt servant,

W W Twist, Sheriff of th« County bam. To hi* Excellency J..hc Bie r >i ve.-r, ,' -of Call fornia

- iMi Biuiu, May Ci, 1-53. In connective with th" above stst^meot of tb" Sheriff, the undrrsigr,edfeet bunad to co'.'.ce tha icporti which Lave been cireula^d through tome of the newspapers in d fie re;, t parts of the Stat- touching l«t»! difflculties he?e. S;me ol the reports referred to reflec a design ta veil the authors of t' e whole tragic occurrence by i i 'ing it 1 h •. coloring of an outbreak by one claw of citiz<-uf agninst .mother It is hoped tint this has been denied too often to be believed Th i American citizens cay that this i* not trap, and «»nt»-r a solemn protest against being burdened with the acts of a few eqoatters who nave heretofore set the law at d tsaee. Cha.bi.k3 FraKiXD, County Judge. licsiXL Heath, District Attorney. wmm Magkcnt, J. J. S- PABK, Wax Z Packard. John Have., F. J. KcGaiic.