B. Aroni Accused of Killing Frank Harland in Sierra County Cal .

Accused of Murder

B. Aroni, an Italian is now in the county jail of Sierra county, California , awaiting trial for the alleged murder of Frank Harland.  The facts of the case are about as follows:

One morning Frank Harland was found dead in front of the office of the Pilgrim Mining Company, with a bullet-hole in his right temple.  At the time of his death he was in the employ of the company as foreman at its mine in Forest City .  Aroni was also working for the company as a miner.  Harland and Aroni had always been the best of friends.  The former was in the habit of frequently borrowing money of the latter and was in fact in his debt at the time of his death.  For several weeks prior to Harland’s death, there had been considerable trouble between the men employed at the mine and the company, owing to the failure of the latter to pay the wages due.  Harland was denounced, it is stated by the men, as the main cause of the trouble, they claiming that he was robbing the mill.  It was subsequently found that Harland had secreted some amalgram.  He was confronted with his guilt and made no denial. The night preceding the finding of his dead body he was told by two of the company’s miners that threats against his life were being freely indulged in.

At about 6 a.m. the next day, a pistol shot was heard and Harland was found dead in front of the office where he had been in the habit of sleeping.  He was in his under-clothing only.  A pistol was found under his body.  It was shown to be the same pistol that he had borrowed from a friend a few days before.  On the same day a Coroner’s jury was impaneled, heard the testimony and rendered a vedict of suicide.  Now, after the lapse of a year and a half, Aroni has been arrested and charged with the murder of Harland.  It seems that after the rendition of the verdict of the Coroner’s jury an examination was made of the private papers of the deceased, with the result that insurance policies, aggregating in amount about $6,000, were unearthed. These policies were made payable to the estate of the assured, but contained a clause that in the event of the assured taking his own life, the policies should be null and void.  One of the policies is in an Australian company.

Defendant Aroni was living in the county from the day of the affair at the Pilgrim mine up to the very day of his arrest.  When arrested he was in the employ of the Packer Lake Mining Company at its mine in Sierra City .  He has always borne an excellent reputation.  At the preliminary examination held in Downieville the defendant offered no testimony in his own behalf. The testimony for the prosecution was purely circumstantial and he was admitted to bail in the sum of $4,000.

B. Aroni has a wife and children in Italy .  He has served in the Italian army the term prescribed by the law, at the end of which he was honorably discharged.  His fellow-countrymen all throughout the Coast have raised already a fund of over $500 to help him.

[Reno Evening Gazette ( Reno , Nevada ) February 20, 1888. Submitted by Nancy Piper]

 

Murder Will Out

The Killing of Frank Harland to be Avenged – An Intricate Case

On the 8^th instant, after being out five hours, the jury in the case of the People vs. Aroni, charged with the killing of Frank Harland, returned a verdict of “murder in the first degree.”  This was at Downieville, Sierra county, California .  This has been one of the most interesting cases in the long list of California crimes, for at the outset everything indicated suicide, and not murder.

Three years ago Harland was the superintendent of the Pilgrim mine at Forest City, a property which yielded just enough to encourage its owners in paying assessments, though at times very rich streaks would be encountered.  However, the wages of the miners were not regularly forthcoming and Harland, in good faith, put off their importunate demands with promises.  Ultimately the men accused the superintendent of stealing the amalgam and a scene ensued.  Harland’s life was threatened by several in their passion, and the next morning, or at least soon thereafter, the dead body of the superintendent was found just outside his office door, a pistol by his side or in his hand.  A verdict of suicide was rendered by a Coroner’s jury and for a time and until the destitute wife of the deceased endeavored to obtain payment on a life insurance policy for a large sum, the matter rested.  Mrs. Harland was refused the insurance money, a suicide reservation vitiating the policy.

Then the laggard friend of the dead man, ever skeptical in regard to the suicide theory, enlisted in behalf of the widow and detectives were engaged to prove whether or not Frank Harland had taken his own life.

Many months passed by, when one day the Italian, Aroni, was arrested in San Francisco , whiteher he had removed shortly after Harland’s death, and charged with the murder of the whilom superintendent.  The swarthy foreigner’s countrymen in this State, believing the prisoner innocent, have since been active in his defense, engaging the best counsel on the Coast to refute the terrible allegation.

Six months or more ago Aroni was tried and the jury disagreed.  He was remanded and two weeks ago the second trial began.  In the interim the detectives brought new and conclusive evidence of the man’s guilt to light and the second jury have branded him as a murderer who shall pay the extreme penalty.  The insurance company must now pay over the amount of the policy on the dead man’s life, destitution will be relieved and crime punished.

[Reno Evening Gazette ( Reno , Nevada ) September 13 , 1888. Submitted by Nancy Piper.]

 

 

John Costa, the heavyweight merchant of Sierra county, California and one of the recent purchasers of the Nevada City-Downieville stage line, is in Reno on business.  Mr. Costa says there is an affinity between Reno and his home town of Downieville in the fact that so many Nevada men are investing in mines in Sierra county, of which Downieville is the judicial seat.  He says further that Sierra county, once the greatest placer gold producing counties of California , but for many years on the down grade, is now experiencing a grand quartz mining revival on account of the investments being made by Nevada men.

[Daily Nevada State Journal ( Reno , Nevada ) September 20, 1907 . Submitted by Nancy Piper.]

 

 Rio Bonito

Oroville Register:  Rio Bonito, situated on the bottom lands of the noble Feather, is one of the prettiest located colonies in all California .  The broad river lined with picturesque cottonwoods and white barked sycamores, presents lovely views in its sinuous course, that are worthy the pencil of the artist or the brush of the painter.  The mighty oaks area as grand as those of old England and lend a majestic appearance to many of the scenes.  The land is as rich as the delta of the Nile, and corn and cotton, fruit and alfalfa, berries and vegetables will grow with a luxuriance unknown elsewhere outside of the tropics.

[Reno Evening Gazette ( Reno , Nevada ) February 20, 1888. Submitted by Nancy Piper.]

 

Bert Schlesinger of San Francisco was appointed today special assistant to the United States attorney-general to direct investigations and prosecutions of alleged frauds in connection with shipbuilding operators for the government of the Pacific coast and elsewhere in the country.  The appointment of Schlesinger was recommended by the congressional committee named to probe alleged shipyard frauds. He was sworn in today.

Schlesinger is quite well known in Reno , where he has been a frequent visitor on law matters.  He was born almost next door to Nevada , in Sierra county, California .  He served twice in the California legislature was assistant United States attorney for that state under Cleveland ’s second administration and is one of the leading members of the California bar.

[Reno Evening Gazette ( Reno , Nevada ) November 25,  1919 . Submitted by Nancy Piper.]