Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

2380 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. store, but paid no special attention to it, as it had been so long since the trouble they had had. Suddenly Webb felt his long hair seized from behind and saw a bowie knife coming in the other hand of the villain toward him, when a young man named Kit seized the would-be murderer’s arm and arrested the blow at the very instant when the point of the weapon was against Webb’s breast. Foiled in his immediate purpose, but still retaining his hold both upon the knife and his intended victim, Duncan: turned to the latter, saying tauntingly, while he savagely struggled to free his right arm for a second blow, “ Why don’t you beg for your life?” No, I will not,” was the answer: “ the sooner you let me go the better it will be for yourself.” « Let you go?”’shrieked the desperado as he struggled in vain to free his arm, “ let you go! I will kill you first.” The crowd separated the men. Webb remained in his room, his enemy being forced ont into the street, and, being unarmed, louked around for a weapon. Several rifles were lying about, but as he picked up one after another, the owners told him that they were not loaded. It struck him finally that the statements were not true, being made through the fear which most of the people had of Duncan and his gang, and examination of one of the rifles contirmed his suspicions. At this moment some one called out, “ Duncan is in your store; he has attacked your partner.” Webb sprang across the street and into the store, found the report true and raised the rifle; but Duncan let go, sprang into the back door, and as he put his hand into his hip-pocket to get a revolver Webb fired upon him and shattered the hand while in the pocket, and the bullet also entered the body. Duncan did not fall, but fired the weapon with his left hand, missing his mark: Webb rushed back to the polling place, got another gun, and as he merged into the street again Duncan came out of the store and fell on hia face. The crowd urged Webb to finish killing him and rid the community of a desperado. A stalwart miner named Ridge, who was an educated Indian, also urged Webb to finish killing Duncan. Webb would not be persuaded to attack a fallen foe, and the latter was carried away by his friends. Webb was then warned that he did the most injudicions thing for the safety both of himself and of the community. Sure enough, he was soon informed that threats of vengeance by the savages had been made. Seeing one of the Duncans passing one day, he said, « I have nothing to say to you personally, sir, but you will take this message tu the young Duncan and his brother, tell them that if L hear of another word of threat being uttered against me, I will shoot young Duncan in his bed. Will you carry that message?” The man promised compliance and probably fulfilled his promise, for no other threats were heard from them afterward. Webb, shortly afterward visiting the countyseat, was surrounded by the citizens, who asked him whether he wanted a trial or not. He said he did nut care—only the time attending one interfered with his business. The crowd immediately voted not to try him and gave him a banquet in the evening. During the following year, 1854, Webb passed through the Cherokee Nation on a trip to the East. He stupped over-night on a fine plantation kept ly a middle-aged Cherokee of mixed blood, though to all appearance a polished Southern gentleman. During the evening the following conversation ensued: Host—* By the way, Mr. Webb, were you ever in a county in California which I think they call Shasta?” Webb—* Certainly, I have lived there fur several years past, and am very well acquainted there.” “Indeed! then you must know my nephews, young Duncan and his brothers?” “Oh, yes; I know them quite well. they your nephews, indeed?” “ Yes; my sister’s children; but tell me, since you knew them so well, is it true that young Duncan was shot last year in a quarrel with some desperady or other?” Webb repressed a strange mixture of feelings Are