Ah Dan: Murder 1st Degree

Ah Dan was born abt 1867 in China. He worked at the Durham Ranch near Chico, CA as a cook.



While working on the ranch a fellow China Man named Lay Low whom was a bully, and would rough house and tantalize Ah Dan. During one encounter in the vegetable garden Lay Low the older of the two started in on him and tried to break his back. Ah Dan grabbed for the gun in his coat pocket and without taking it out he squeezed the trigger in the struggle and it when off hitting Lay Low in the leg. The injury was not death defying, but the wound was not properly cared for and as a result Lay Low died. Ah Dan heard he had died and was scared and ran away. When he was captured by authorities he explained what had happened.

As a result Ah Dan was tried and sentenced:


Inmate #6437 Folsom Prison 
Rec: 10 Apr 1906
Crime: murder 1st Degree
Term: Life
Paroled: 11 Apr 1916

He asked for a pardon:It was received 15 July 1920. He worked the rest of his days as a cook for the Gerber Family in Sacramento he was 55 years old by 1920 and had not married.




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