Contra Costa County CA Archives History - Books .....Murder Of Martine Berryessa 1882
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 23, 2005, 12:15 am

Book Title: History Of Contra Costa County, California

   MURDER OF MARTINE BERRYESSA.—On Monday, February 8, 1864, at the town of Old
Pinole, Martine Berryessa was stabbed witb a knife by a man who was known by the
solitary name of Francisco. Death was almost instantaneous. The facts of the
case are these: Some two or three weeks before, hard words had passed between
the parties, and the charge of horse-stealing was bandied from one to the other.
Thereupon a scuffle ensued, in which a cut was received in the leg by Francisco.
They then separated, after threats were thrown at Berryessa by Francisco, and
they did not cross each other again until the day of the fatal meeting, when
Francisco and two men with him, were, for some hours, at Pinole. Just as they
were about leaving, they saw Berryessa, and, going up to him, Francisco observed
that somebody wanted him at a place near by. Berryessa refused to go with them,
whereupon he was told he should be made to go, when Francisco drew a pistol upon
him. He held up his hands as if to ward off the shot, or to seize the weapon,
and then, instead of firing the pistol, Francisco unsheathed a knife and stabbed
him under the arm, it entering his back immediately below the shoulder,
penetrating the lungs, and causing him to fall dead. The murderer and his two
companions then fled. Francisco being caught by the bystanders, after a short
chase, was lodged in the jail at Martinez.



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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