Sixty years in Southern California, 1853-1913, containing the reminiscences of Harris Newmark. Edited by Maurice H. Newmark; Marco R. Newmark
1916
Harris Newmark prevides us with our second first-hand account of the Chinese Massacre. Newmark was born in Prussia and arrived at Los Angles in late 1853. He was 19 at the time, and had previously started a successful ink manufacturing business with his father. Newmark would go on to become a successful and respected merchant in Los Angeles. His book, Sixty years in Southern California, published in 1916, is as much an autobiography as it is a history of early Los Angeles. Newmark’s sons, Marco and Maurice helped conduct research to aid Harris with names and dates that may have “escaped” his memory. And eventually Dr. Perry Worden was recruited to assist with research of primary sources.
Newmark was present during the massacre. He was leaving his office when he heard the first shot fired in Chinatown. Afterwards, he went home for dinner, “anticipating no further trouble.” It’s not clear if he was aware of Bob Thomspon’s death before or after leaving. Regardless, when he later learned of the riot, he returned downtown with Cameron E. Thom and John G. Downey. His brief account of the riot and backstory is largely accurate; most likely due to the effort put into preparing for his book. There is no mention of Newmark in the various testimonies, but Cameron Thom was mentioned by Samuel Foy as attempting to end the violence with Sheriff Burns. So it’s likely that Newmark was present on Main Street when the Widney’s made their brave rescue of four would be victims.
Newmark adds a colorful anecdote that I don’t believe appeared anywhere prior to his book: Cameron Thom “having climbed to the top of a box, harangued the crowd, while the Sheriff, who had succeeded in mounting a barrel, was also addressing the tumultuous rabble in an effort to restore order. Unfortunately, this receptacle had been coopered to serve as a container, not as a rostrum; and the head of the cask under the pressure of two hundred pounds or more of official avoirdupois suddenly collapsed and our Worthy Guardian of the Peace dropped, with accelerated speed, clear through to the ground, and quite unintentionally, for the moment at least, turned grim tragedy into grotesque comedy.”
1886 P. S. Dorney(AKA Patrick Sarsfield De Orny)
1894 C. P. Dorland
1930 Horace Bell
1960 Paul M. DeFalla
2011 John JohnsonJr.
2012 Scott Zesch
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