Diary 71-11: November, 1895 - preliminary transcript

Miss Lily Leale -- Snyder's Concert -- 1895 Durrant convicted of Murder! Carson Newspaper Changes Big State University Fire

Friday November 1, 1895

Clear & pleasant -- The Durrant murder case at SF today, Judge Murphy charged the jury and this PM after being out only 20 minutes they returned verdict of guilty of murder in the first degree -- Evening I attended concert or recital of Miss Lily Leale Snyder at Opera House -- Local talent assisted -- very good -- About $200 house -- Bed 12 -- Lily Leale Snyder -- Durrant's conviction gives general satisfaction --

Saturday Nov 2

Cloudy & variable -- Bed 12 -- SF papers full of interesting Durrant details -- Quite a newspaper change took affect here yesterday -- Dunn & Lemmon of the Evening Tribune having ended their lease of that paper and bought the Morning News -- Miss Annie Martin who has been editor & proprietor of the News for nearly 4 yrs retiring to private life -- The News will be issued hereafter, commencing next week -- Monday -- as an evening paper. The Tribune continues by Billy Taylor, until E J Parkinson, proprietor, at Seattle, can be heard from. Big fire at State University at 2:30 PM. The Mechanical building with little quartz mill -- smelter adjoining were destroyed -- also a haystack or two to the eastward and a big row of sheds at the race track by flying cinders, the wind blowing furiously.

1895 -- 1st snow -- J P Jones -- Wife -- Ed Cochran Wintry -- Comstock Payroll $77,914,40 -- Snow -- J P Jones Journal Haverley's Minstrels

Sunday Nov 3

Same -- cold & threatening -- Snow began to fly a little toward evening -- Bed at 12 -- Snowing lightly with about an inch fallen -- Wintry --

Monday Nov 4

Clear and colder -- variable -- PM wrote letter to Senator J P Jones (dated by mistake Nov 3) & one to wife, in reply to a postal from her today -- sent both letters by evening mail -- Met Ed Cochran, who arrived this PM from Reno on business -- he staid over night -- over an inch of snow on ground this morning -- two inches at Va -- Most of it melted off here before night -- The Comstock payroll as published in the Va Chronicle today was $77,914,40 an increase of over $10,000 over last month -- Bed 12 -- Freezing & clear --

Tuesday Nov 5

Morning snowing again, hard -- snowed lightly most of day -- Not very cold -- Haverley Minstrel Co played at Va last evening - to bit house -- came down here this morning -- paraded street at noon -- 19 of them including band of 10 pieces -- PM I wrote letter to Journal, about US Dist Court in session & [erased] of 75 Jurors drawn -- also wrote & sent another letter to J P Jones, S.F. -- Evening at Opera House -- Minstrels had good house & good show -- Bed 1 -- still snowing lightly -- foggy -- The Minstrels play at Reno tomorrow night, then through California & then East --

Snow 6 inches at Virginia -- Mrs D P Bowers Dead 1895 -- G C Vocke -- M O Maynard Suicide -- "State Capitol Notes" Autopsy -- Letter from J P Jones -- Rain -- J P Jones -- P J Keyes Frank Shay -- Maynard's funeral -- Mrs Shattuck

Wednesday Nov 6

Stormy -- light snow and fog all day -- Thawy & muddy -- Bed 12 -- perfectly clear --

Thursday Nov 7

Clear & cool -- Sent letter to wife in response to * from her & Bessie -- Bed 1 -- The snow at Va was 6 inches deepest* this storm -- Mrs D P Bowers the famous actress died day before yesterday in Washington, of laryngitis, aged 65 years --

Friday Nov 8

Clear & pleasant -- Evening I wrote short letter to G C Vocke of Thos Taylor & Co, San F. inclosing the words of "Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier", at his request -- Bed 12 --

Saturday Nov 9

Same -- mailed my letter to Vocke -- Also a "State Capitol Notes" to Journal -- M O Maynard, 42 yrs old found dead on Kings Canyon road about a mile west of town early this morning -- Shot himself through left breast -- out of employ. drunk & despondent -- native of Massachusetts -- single -- I was at autopsy by Dr Lee at 3 PM -- opened breast & traced course of bullet through left lung & cut out of the back -- Got letter from J P Jones "Will, in a

few days, do what I can to meet your request." Bed 1

Sunday Nov 10

Cloudy & cool -- Evening a light shower or two of rain -- PM I wrote & sent letters to Hon J P Jones, Col P J Keyes and Frank Shay, all of San F - Bed 12 -- PM I attended funeral services at IOOF Hall, of Maynard, yesterday's suicide -- Funeral well attended -- Members of Capitol Lodge No 4, Carson --

1895 -- The Mint Shortage -- Heney on Trial Journal Wife & Bessie -- Kinzle -- Pat Keyes Wants Money -- 652 Mission st -- Pat Keyes' Address

Monday Nov 11

Clear & pleasant -- US Dist Court in session at 10:30 AM -- Venire of 75 trial jurors came from Storey, Washoe, Lyon, Douglas & Ormsby - Jas Heney put on trial for Mint shortage -- Jury of 12 selected & sworn in to try the case -- I was there & reported for Journal, & sent it by evening train -- Evening about town -- Bed 1 --

Tuesday Nov 12

Cloudy, with a light shower or two in the evening -- Prosecution opened in Heney's case and made light progress -- report to Journal -- Bed 1

Wednesday Nov 13

Clear & pleasant -- Testimony for the prosecution -- Mason commenced at 1:50 & occupied rest of the day, will probably tomorrow -- report to Journal as usual -- Evening about town -- Bed 12 --

Thursday Nov 14

Same -- Mason on the stand all day, on Mint book, tracing shortage among the bullion, etc -- Bed 12 -- Letter from wife and Bessie & 1 from Kinzle, Nev City --

Friday Nov 14

Same -- Mason through at noon, and PM Hirsch Harris on the stand, & later on -- Leter from P J Keyes, S.F. -- wants money -- Bed 12 -- Keyes' address, 652 Mission street San Francisco

Mint Shortage -- Heney on Trial 1895 -- Journal P J Keyes -- Wife -- Judge Webster -- The Defense gets in Journal $10 -- Change in Mail Time

Saturday Nov 16

Same -- Prosecution will be through Monday, then comes defense for rest of week -- Verdict of Jury will be acquittal or a hung jury. Bed 12 -- Sent my last daily letter for the week to Journal

Sunday Nov 17

Clear, lovely day -- PM I wrote & sent letters to wife, P J Keyes, S.F. and to Judge Wm Webster of the Reno Journal calling for $10 -- Bed 12:30 --

Monday Nov 18

Same -- Prosecution did not finish today as was expected -- Got off Journal letter as usual -- Bed 1 --