Contra Costa County CA Archives History - Books .....Killing Of George Minchell 1882
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Book Title: History Of Contra Costa County, California

   KILLING OF GEORGE MINCHELL.—George Minchell, who, with his family, had been
living in Ygnacio Valley, about two miles from Pacheco, and farming on the land
of Charles S. Lohse, was shot at his own door on the morning of Thursday,
September 8, 1870, by a man named William Donovan, who had been in his employ,
and who claimed an unpaid balance of wages; while, it is asserted on the other
hand that he had been overpaid eight dollars. It is said that Donovan visited
the house of deceased on the previous evening, demanding payment of the claimed
dues in abusive and threatening language. Thursday morning he returned at
day-light, and as the deceased was lighting the fire, entered the house, using
threats and abusive language. Minchell directed him to leave the house, and
followed him out. A moment afterwards the discharge of a pistol was heard and
Minchell re-entered the door saying to his wife: "Mary, I am shot!" "You are not
going to die, George, are you?" "Yes, Mary!" And he immediately dropped dead
upon the floor. Donovan was arrested, and when the Sheriff approached him with
the manacles he exclaimed, fully realizing his situation, "Oh God, this is what
drink has brought me!" He was duly tried, and December 8th sentenced to be
hanged on February 3, 1871. Judgment was stayed, and on April 10th William
Donovan was granted a new trial on the ground that a continuance asked for the
defendant on the former trial was improperly denied. The continuance was
demanded for the procuring of witnesses to prove that the prisoner had been an
inmate of an Insane Asylum, and it was denied on the admission of the
prosecution that the fact alleged would be proved by the required witnesses if
they were present. The Supreme Court decided that this admission was not
sufficient, and that the defendant was entitled to an opportunity of proving the
fact. The case was moved to the San Francisco courts, and on December 12, 1871,
Donovan was convicted of murder in the first degree. Afterwards, in February,
1872, a motion for a new trial was sent on appeal to the Supreme Court, who
issued a writ to stay execution of sentence until the "pending motion is heard
and decided," and on June 27th directed that an order be entered affirming the
judgment of the Court below, and directing the lower Court to fix a day to carry
the sentence into execution—he was, therefore, sentenced to be hanged on Friday,
December 13th. In the meantime a petition to pardon the murderer had been sent
to the Governor of the State who declined to interfere, but ultimately execution
was stayed by Governor Booth, who was moved thereto by an immense petition for a
commutation of sentence.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.


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