Death Records

Early Homicides of Napa County

The book History of Napa and Lake Counties, California (San Francisco: Slocum, Bowen & Co., 1881) contains a chapter entitled "Homicides of Napa County". The introduction to the chapter states, in part:

"There is no subject which the faithful historian finds so hard to treat as that of the homicides of a county. It is difficult to learn of all that have occurred, as in many cases the perpetrators are never apprehended, or if they are, but little or no evidence is left on record of the fact. Again, there is much difficulty experienced in getting at the full and exact truth of the matter....We will now proceed with the Homicides of Napa County, and will premise by saying that no undue prominence has been given to one case above another except so far as the facts have been attainable. The most of the facts have been gleaned from newspaper reports of the affair which were published at the time, and on the most reliable information that is now to be had, except in a few cases where the testimony is on record."

Below is a list of the persons whose deaths are described in the book. All of these records contain additional names, such as witnesses, jury members, and the name of the murderer. Use the search box above to check these records for additional names.

[--?--] ("Chinaman")
Carron, Edward Paul
Clark, John
Coombs, Fred
Cummings, James
Davis, Jonathan
English, Daniel
Ennis, Katie
Ettenbrough, George
Goodwin, Patrick
Guadalupe (Indian)
Guadalupe, Peter
Hawkins, Jesse
Larkyns, Major Harry
Letton, Turner G.
McDonald, Alexander
O'Brien, Patrick
Osborne, Joseph Warren
Perkins, William "Dutch Bill"
Prieto, [--?--]
Rice, Charles R.
Ruesch, August
Schurs, Thodore
See, John B.
Sellers, S. H.
Thomas, John
Williams, Mollie (alias Swartz)
Wilson, Isaac
Wilson, Thomas

These records were transcribed by Regina Gualco and are posted on CAGenWeb with permission.