Contra Costa County CA Archives History - Books .....Killing Of ____ Sheridan 1882
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 23, 2005, 12:24 pm

Book Title: History Of Contra Costa County, California

KILLING OF ______ SHERIDAN.—The circumstance of the case as related are: That
the Sheridan boys, sons of John Sheridan, living in the Grizzly canon, found
that one of their goats had been killed by a coyote, which had partaken of the
flesh to the satisfaction of its hunger, but would probably return to feast
again from the carcass, when they hoped by lying in ambush to be able to shoot
the predator upon their flock. Accordingly, having invited a neighbor, Michael
Hennessey, to join them, they went out on the evening of Wednesday, the 11th
May, 1881, about dusk, and took a position behind a bush some thirty yards more
or less from the carcass of the goat, John Sheridan, the elder of the brothers,
having a rifle, and Daniel C., the younger, a boy of fourteen years, having no
weapon. They were soon afterward joined by Mr. Hennessey, with a double-barreled
shotgun. Mr. Hennessey selected an ambush position for himself some little
distance from that occupied by the boys, and directed the younger one, who had
no weapon, to go to a tree on the top of the ridge, behind and above his
position, where he could have a good outlook over the ground, and if he saw the
coyote to make a signal. Hennessey then took the position he had chosen, and,
after lying quietly in wait for nearly half an hour, heard a rustling in the
grass or brush on his left, and looking in that direction at a distance of some
twenty or thirty yards saw a moving object, that he took to be the head of a
coyote, that appeared to be peering warily about, as if suspicious that danger
might be lurking near for him. In the belief that it was a coyote Mr. Hennessey
raised his gun, but lowered it to assure himself of the position of the supposed
animal, and, without the most distant thought that the boy was anywhere in that
direction, raised his gun again and fired. The poor lad instantly cried, "It's
me you've shot! I'm killed!" Mr. Hennessey instantly exclaimed, "My God, John,
I've shot Connie! Run for help!" He ran himself immediately to the wounded boy,
took him in his arms, and held him until some neighbors, called by the brother,
came, and they carried the lifeless body to the house. The boy survived only ten
or fifteen minutes after Mr. Hennessey reached and took him in his arms, but
never spoke again after exclaiming that he had been shot and killed. The Jury of
Inquest found in accordance with the evidence that the killing was purely
accidental.

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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