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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
JUANITA’S HANGING,
FOURTH OF JULY, 1851
ey, July 3, 1958
Juanita ee nee Weise NoKoty knows (or cares) what her
last name might have been. Her claim to fame consists of the .
dubious distinction of being the only woman ever to be hanged .
in California.
Juanita was living with a Mexican monte dealer that summer of 1851 in a small shack on the edge of Downieville, one
of the newest camps in the northern mines. Juanita was a typical
dance hall girl of that day and age. There is no record of her
earning her living by means of the “oldest profession,” but, .
living in an all male society, her reputation was probably none .
too sweet. There was nothing outstanding about Juanita other
than her temper.
That temper caused her death.
Downieville was one of the newest of the mining camps, and
as July 3 rolled around the miners of that region felt that now
was the appropriate time to blow off a little steam. It was Downie.
ville’s first opportunity to hold a celebration and the miners .
planned a doozy. It was.
Several days before the Fourth, the miners left their claims .
and started to congregate in Downieville. Assorted liquor flowed
and the boys got rather happy.
A big Scot by the name of Jack Cannon finally ended up in
Juanita’s shack. Along with several thousand other miners, Jack
had a load on. In the ensuing ruckus, Jack’s big fists wrecked
the monte dealer, the cabin and almost wrecked Juanita.
On July 5, the boys started to sober up. Big Jack Cannon
decided to pay another visit to Juanita. It was later rumored
about that Jack had intended to apologize and pay Juanita
for the damage he had done.
Anyhow, Juanita met Big Jack at the door and an argument
started. While Jack engaged the monte dealer in conversation,
Juanita disappeared into the back of the cabin.
Finally Juanita reappeared and walked slowly toward Jack,
with one hand behind her. Suddenly she sprang and buried
several inches of steel in Jack’s chest. Cannon slumped to the
floor, dead.
Word traveled like wildfire in the mining camps of those days,
and it wasn’t long before a sizable crowd had gathered to discuss the matter. Perhaps it was the colossal hangover suffered
by most of the miners or maybe it was just a lust for excitement.
Anyway, soon the cry of “Hang the Spanish woman” was raised.
Big Jack had been universally liked and, woman or no, his
murderer could not go unavenged. Nobody gave much thought
to the whys and wherefores of the murder.
A jury, judge and attorneys were chosen as fast as names
could be called off. Juanita was found hiding in Craycroft’s saloon
and hauled before the “court.”