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

   KILLING OF LOUIS FARRERI.—A series of affrays occurred on Saturday night,
March 19, 1881, at Nortonville, between Italians and persons of other
nationalities employed about the coal mines there, in one of which an Italian
named Louis Farreri received a blow upon the head from a slung-shot, club or
stone, that resulted in his death a few hours after the occurrence. From what we
learn in relation to the matter, it appears that a considerable number of
Italian laborers had been employed in the mine, cutting out coal, at less than
the usual rates of compensation, thus creating an unfriendly feeling between
them and the regular miners of other nationalities there employed; but which had
not, prior to this occurrence, led to any personal collisions. Recently,
however, a number of miners of rough habits had arrived at Nortonville from the
north coast mines, who had shown a disposition to engage in personal affrays
with the Italians, and from such evidence as has been elicited, they are
presumed to have been the assailants in Saturday night's encounters, of which
there were several prior to that in which Farreri received the fatal injury.
This occurred about midnight, when, as testified by another Italian who was with
the deceased, they were assailed by half a dozen or more persons and Farreri
knocked down, while he, the witness, took to flight. Farreri was found shortly
afterward, by a countryman, lying in a partial stupor upon the ground where he
had fallen. On being roused up he complained of violent pain in the head, but
was able to walk, and his countryman attended him to the gate of his residence,
after seeing him enter which he left him. A little later another countryman,
passing, noticed him lying upon the stoop of the house, moaning. He assisted him
into the kitchen and urged him to go to bed; but Farreri said his head hurt him
very much, and he would rest where he was. Thinking he was only affected by
drink, and would soon sleep off its effects, the man left him there, without
awakening the wife or children of the sufferer. Still later, another Italian
passing the house and hearing groans, entered the kitchen and found Farreri upon
the floor complaining that his head hurt him. Mrs. Farreri was called up, but
they could not persuade the sufferer to go to bed, and both the caller and she
thought he was affected by drinking. After her countrymen left, Mrs. Farreri
remained in the kitchen with her husband until he fell off into a doze, and
appeared to be sleeping, without suffering much pain, when she returned to her
bed, about three o'clock; but on awakening about daylight and going to him she
found he was dead.

   In the absence of Coroner Guy, a jury was summoned, an inquest held on Sunday
by Justice Wall, and a verdict found of death from "natural causes and the
visitation of God."

   District Attorney Chase went up on Monday, and at his instance a jury was
summoned and inquest held by Coroner Guy. The testimony of Doctors Leffler and
Wemple, given upon a post mortem examination, went to show that the skull of the
deceased had been fractured by a club, stone, slung-shot, or some other heavy,
dull weapon, and that death was caused thereby. Many other witnesses were
examined, but no testimony found by which the act could be fixed upon any
particular person or persons, although some six or eight had been arrested on
presumption of implication in the assault, all of them recent comers in the
place from the north coast, and a verdict was found that the deceased came to
his death from a skull fracture, caused by the blow of some instrument in the
hands of some unknown person.

   The deceased is said to have been a generally quiet and well-disposed man,
who left a widow and four children unprovided for.


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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