Napa County CA Archives Obituaries.....Perkins, William July 11, 1877 ************************************************ 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: Regina Gualco rmgualco@yahoo.com August 4, 2006, 9:58 pm from History of Napa and Lake Counties (1881) Murder of WILLIAM PERKINS and GUADALUPE (Indian).---The murdered man Perkins, better known as "Dutch Bill," lived about four miles west of St. Helena, with a half-breed woman. The man Guadalupe was an old Indian who lived with Perkins. On the evening of July 11, 1877, two Indians, Andreas Mateo and José Maria Benigo, came to Perkins' place and desired to remain all night, which privilege was granted them. During the night they got to drinking and quarrelling, and in the morning Perkins joined the fray. He was jealous of the Indians on account of his half-breed woman, hence the part he took in the matter. At last Benigo started away, while Mateo remained and continued to quarrel with Perkins. Finally, Perkins caught up a spade and started after Mateo with it. The latter ran some distance, when he came upon a stick, which he picked up and struck Perkins with it, knocking him down. He then took the spade and battered Perkins' brains out, crushing his skull like an eggshell. He then took the spade and started back in quest of his hat, which he had lost in his retreat, and coming upon Guadalupe he proceeded to serve him as he had done Perkins. He then went on and overtook his companion, Benigo, and related what he had done. They went to St. Helena and told what had occurred, and were there arrested and brought to jail. They were tried October 2, 1877, and Mateo was found guilty of murder in the second degree for the killing of Perkins, with a sentence of twenty years to the State Prison. Benigo was discharged, as there was nothing to show that he was at all implicated in the matter. Mateo was then tried for the murder of Guadalupe, and the jury, after being out three hours, brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree, and affixed the death penalty. October 8th he was sentenced by Judge William C. Wallace to be hanged November 30, 1877. At three minutes before 1 o'clock p. m. of that day the drop was sprung, and the prisoner fell about four feet, and in twenty minutes he was dead. His neck was not broken, and death resulted from strangulation. He was executed on the same gallows that had been used in hanging Charles Brittian in 1863, and James Gilbert Jenkins in 1864, making the third and last man ever hanged in Napa County by legal process. Mateo's parents were members of the Yount tribe of Indians. Additional Comments: Source: [Lyman L. Palmer], History of Napa and Lake Counties, California (San Francisco: Slocum, Bowen & Co., 1881), pages 154-155. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/napa/obits/p/perkins2562gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 3.1 Kb