C&T Publications Eye On Fine Art Photography - September 2014 | Page 57

Here is another case where a man’s wife was the catalyst for trouble, as reported in the Los Angeles Times, June 16th, 1900:
SAVED BY POOR SHOOTING
“Early risers were startled this morning by a number of shots in the neighborhood of Rand street. Investigation showed the shots
to have been fired by Sam Barnum, the other man being S.C. Gann, who was hit three times. The first shot took effect in his
neck, narrowly missing the jugular vein, one shot lodged in the left forearm, and the third made a slight wound in his back.
Barnum then started to run away, Gann firing one shot after him, but missing. Gann was not dangerously wounded, owing to the
poor shooting done by the angry Barnum.
The trouble arose over Gann’s wife. She has been here some time, and he arrived last night and found Barnum with her, hence
the shooting. The two had not been living together for some time. Barnum has not yet been caught. He went south over the hills.”
Looking at old census records we get some answers to some questions, such as, who was Mrs. Gann, and did Sam ever get caught?
Mrs. Gann was Mollie Gann, and the 1900 census shows that she was indeed living right next door to Sam Barnum. It also states she
has three children, but they are not listed with her. As for Sam, who took off south over the hills, if the law ever caught up with him
the law didn’t hold him for long, as in 1910 he was living in Taft, CA. He died in Los Angeles in 1944. S.C. Gann was Samuel
Campbell Gann of Tennessee. He was still living in 1910, in Township 1, Kern County. but declares that he is now widowed. So,
either Mollie died, or she up and ran off! In any case, she does not reappear in any census records after 1900. At least she didn’t have
to worry about calling her husband or lover by the wrong name!
Children also made the news in Randsburg when caught getting up to mischief. Fortunately these two ornery children were caught
before they could cause untold damage to this town which already had problems with fire. From the Los Angeles Times, dated
September 20th, 1897:
“The Saint Elmo Hotel came very near going up in smoke this morning about 11 o’clock. Two children were playing under the
rear end, which is open, and stands about five feet from the ground. They had matches and in trying to light an old lamp which
they found, started a fire, and then ran away. An alarm was rung in and the fire company turned out, but before their arrival the
fire was extinguished.”
This one took place in an unnamed dance hall, from the San Francisco Call, dated December 24, 1912. Today some would call this
police brutality, while others would see it as swift justice:
SLAYER CONFESSES AT SIGHT OF BLOODSTAINS
“I Killed Him; I Killed Him,” He Screams When Victim’s Garments Are Placed On His Shoulders”
“After questioning Estaban Agalir nine hours today, County Detective A.T. Cook placed the bloodstained garments taken from
the murdered man over the shoulders of the prisoner and said”
“The blood of the man you murdered is dripping over your soul. You did. You know you did.”
Agalir wavered for a second and then broke down, screaming: “I killed him; I killed him.”
Agalir shot and killed Salvador Alvares in a dance hall fight at Randsburg Saturday night.”
From the San Francisco Call, dated December 3rd, 1896, we read of another shooting, this one in a new theater in Randsburg:
“Last night Frank Stevens shot and mortally wounded John F. Davis at Randsburg. Davis’ relatives are reported to live in
Sacramento. It seems that Davis and another party had some trouble in the new building erected for a theater over a crap game.
Davis went out after his gun and came back, when Frank Stevens, son of Y.R. Stevens, formerly of San Bernardino, interfered,
and a scuffle ensued during which Stevens shot Davis through the body. Davis was not dead at last report, but was expected to die
at any time. Deputy Sheriff Crawford took charge of Stevens and disarmed him. He then started for Kramer to catch a train and
take his prisoner to jail at Bakersfield.”
If you recall, John Davis was the first interment in the new cemetery.
Sadly, like we see in our more modern times, some people decide to take themselves out of the picture on a permanent basis, either
due to despondency, disillusionment, alcoholism, or for many other reasons. Randsburg was not immune to these tragic self-inflicted
endings.
On November 6th, 1897, the Los Angeles Herald reports this tragic event from November 4th:
“P.E. Smith of the Wedge saloon, who came here last January from Seattle, committed suicide at 8 o’clock this morning by
shooting himself in the mouth with a t