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Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets
Juanita - The only woman lynched in the Gold Rush days (PH 20-9)(1967) (36 pages)
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Page: of 36
As the story of the tragedy fanned out over California, the newspapers of the state were unanimous in
condemning the affair. Perhaps the Sacramento Times
and Transcript spoke for all of California when it said:
“The violent proceedings of an indignant and excited
mob, led on by the enemies of the unfortunate woman,
are a blot upon the history of the state. Had she committed a crime of really heinous character, a real
American would have revolted at such a course as was
pursued towards this friendless and unprotected foreigner. We had hoped that the story was fabricated. As
it is the perpetrators have shamed themselves and
their race.”
The inhabitants of Downieville grew increasingly
sensitive about the lynching and at least one of the citizens decided that enough was enough. Writing in the
Daily Alta California for January 29,1852, he insisted
that the lynching was well deserved and that the death
of Cannon was nothing less than cold-blooded murder.
“The victim in this case,” he continued, “was not the
first nor the second who had been stabbed by this female
...the inhabitants (of Downieville) are not the bloodthirsty, diabolicalmonsters they have been represented; onthe contrary, they have heretofore been too mild
in their punishment of offenders; and in the case before
us, nothing induced them to pursue the course they did,
but retributive justice.” The letter was signed simply,
“Veritas”—the Latin for truth.
Associations are important to the annals of California’s Mother Lode country, as they are to most historic localities. One place is famous for its Joaquin
Murrieta legends. Another town is known for their associations with Mark Twain or Bret Harte. But there is
one town in California with a unique, if somewhat sinister, memory dating back to those early gold rush
days. Mention this town to an old-timer in one of the
museums or general stores that dot Highway 49 and
chances are he’ll say, “Downievilie? Yeah, that’s up
north. Yes, sir, back in 1851 they iynched a woman at
Downieville.”
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