Monterey County CA Archives Obituaries.....Williamson, Thomas November 9, 1855 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Steve Harrison raleighwood@juno.com January 4, 2010, 5:31 am Daily Alta California, November 12, 1855 Daily Alta California, November 12, 1855. “Murder of Hon. Isaac B. Wall. The following telegraphic dispatch, received yesterday afternoon by Hon. M. S. Latham, conveys the melancholy intelligence of the murder of Hon. Isaac B. Wall, Collector of Monterey. Mr. Wall was well known throughout this State; he had been a member of the State Legislature, and was Speaker of the Assembly during the session of 1853. Upon the in-coming of the present Administration, Mr. Wall was appointed Collector of Monterey, which office he has held up to the time of his decease. He was a young man, about 32 years of age, and was endeared to his friends by all those ties that a warm heart creates. We shall undoubtedly receive complete particulars by the coast steamer, which is now due. Monterey, Nov. 10 — 3 P. M. Via San Jose, Nov. 11 — 10 o'clock A. M. To Hon. M. S. Latham— Sir: Hon. Isaac B. Wall, the Collector of the District of Monterey, has been killed on the road to San Luis Obispo. A messenger has this moment brought news that his body was found on the roadside, about thirty miles from here. No particulars have been ascertained. But he is certainly murdered. Chas. H. Johnson, Acting Deputy Collector.” END AND Sacramento Daily Union, November 12, 1855. “Murder of Ex-Speaker Isaac B. Wall and T. S. Williamson – Great Excitement. The editor of the Monterey Sentinel telegraphs the following to this paper. Mr. Wall, as is well known, was Speaker of the Assembly in the session of 1852-’53, and latterly Collector at Monterey: San Jose, Nov. 11th. "Isaac B. Wall, Collector, and T. S. Williamson, were found murdered about twenty-five miles from this place. They had started to go to San Luis Obispo. The murderers have not been arrested. A large posse is being collected, who will make every endeavor to rid this community of assassins." AND Sacramento Daily Union, November 15, 1855. “The Murder of Wall and Williamson. Full particulars of the horrible murder of Isaac B. Wall and T. B. Williamson have been received by the San Francisco papers. The subjoined are copied from the Herald of Tuesday: MONTEREY, Nov. 11 — 8 P. M. The bodies of Mr. Isaac B. Wall and Mr. Thos. B. Williamson were brought into town at noon today by a party of friends, under Capt. B. G. Baldwin, and were taken to the Fort and properly cared for. The body of Mr. Wall was very much bruised on the chest and back. The shot which killed him entered the head at the back and came out through the right eye, near the nose. It must have killed him instantly. He also received a bullet through the left wrist, breaking through the bone; we could see no other wound of a serious character. His countenance was perfectly natural and expressing great firmness. The assassins, of course, took him completely unawares, as Wall was just the man for sudden contingencies of danger, and as for the enemy— when Wall sighted, his eye was like the eagle's, and there was no such thing as quailing in him; he was famous in the southern counties as a dead shot. He was therefore foully murdered by covert assassins, who were concealed completely in ambush, for he was shot on horseback. Mr. Williamson was killed by a large shot, which came out at his right ear, cutting it very much; his countenance was perfectly natural, and wore his usual good-natured look. The wounds in both Wall and Williamson, it is supposed, were made by rifle balls, and dead aim taken by the murderers. There can be but very little doubt indeed that the poor fellows were shot at by rifle, and that their assassins were concealed close by to render their aim fatal. The bodies were found about two miles from Malarin's rancho (on the road to Soledad), on the right side of the river where there is a canada covered with chemissal and a great many oak trees scattered about and right near the ford of the river going to the Rancho House, on the opposite side of the Salinas river from which it is distant about eight hundred yards. The deaths must have occurred between seven and eight o'clock on Friday morning, 9th inst., and most likely before the fog had lifted from the ground. Mr. Wall had about his person, in a belt $1,000 in $20 gold pieces, which were recovered, as also, we believe, some gold pieces in his pantaloons pocket. His fowling piece and personal baggage, on a pack animal, were also recovered. They were all found near by. Mr. Williamson had, we believe, some $150 in gold coin in a belt and some loose gold coin in his pantaloons pocket. He appears to have been shot while mounted. Mr. Wall's saddle bags were found opened, and sundry papers found strewed along a considerable distance of the ground in the vicinity. None of their baggage appears to have been stolen except what we shall now mention. Mr. Wall took away with him a splendid Colt's navy six shooter pistol, the handle of which was ivory, and mounted with silver finely chased. The number of it we have not been able to obtain as yet. He had on also, when he left a gold ring set with a seal of blood stons, and on which was cut in old English letters the word “Mizpah;" and on the inside of it, in small English written letters, "One of twenty-four." This ring belonged to his friend Capt. Baldwin, and was a classmate memento of Captain Baldwin's, which Mr. Wall had put on in a moment of fun before he left town. The ring was on the little finger of his left hand, and its impression on the flesh was distinct after death. In taking it off the skin had been slightly bruised. Neither of the gentlemen had watches about them, as far as we can learn. It was found the most convenient under the circumstances to bring their bodies into town before holding the Coroner's inquest, which will take place to-morrow morning, before Justice De la Torre at Monterey, who, in the meantime, has charge of the effects of the deceased. Thus have two old friends been struck down while in the flush of manhood and strength, by the hands of foul violence and cowardly murder. This community, I can assure you, is sad enough. Great numbers of the citizens visited the bodies during the afternoon, and the flags of the Custom House and Fort were set at half mast. No clue has yet been found to the perpetrators of this horrid deed. The friends of the deceased will be pleased to learn that Capt. Baldwin did, and is doing all that can be done, in the premises. The murderers have very likely struck off into the southern mines, around Mariposa, or are going south or lurking in the mountains. All at present is conjecture.” END Additional Comments: Note that there are three articles related to the murders of Isaac B. Wall and Thomas Williamson. Additional research on the Internet indicates that Anastacio Garcia was indicted at Monterey in 1857 for five murders, including Wall and Williamson. He was hanged at Monterey. Thomas Williamson was a former Monterey County constable. He was buried in the Monterey City Cemetery (see photo of headstone at Find-A-Grave on the Internet.) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/monterey/obits/w/williams4121gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 7.6 Kb