Juan Zamora: Murder

Juan Zamora was born 30 Mar 1884 in Mexico, he came to America in 1901 and was a miner at the Quicksilver Mine in New Indria, CA.

He worked the furnaces, where he was constantly inhaling the fumes of the quicksilver vapors and became badly salivated and was a nervous wreck. It was necessary for him to be laid off to get relief, there was no hospital accommodations at the mine, and a mile or so where a couple saloons were located for the men to congregate while they were not working and most would part with their wages there. Juan was in one of the saloons and he was filled with whiskey when an argument broke out between William Lanyon and another man, Lanyon was a known bully and Jaun interfered by shooting Lanyon and killing him.

Juan Zamora became Inmate #19826 San Quentin Prison

Rec: 5 Nov 1902

Crime: Murder

Term: Life

He was paroled 20 Dec 1912

He asked for a pardon, here is his case:

The applicant has personally called upon the Secretary of this Board to present his plea and says that he is desirous of obtaining a pardon for the reason that he wants to engage in the shoe business. His mother died recently in Mexico and he has his wife to take care of. Under date of August 4, 1920, the State Parole Officer gives the following report upon Zamora: "Zamora, the record shows, came to this country from Mexico when a young fellow (he was 22 when he was received at the prison). When he was received at the prison, he was an illiterate. During the 10 years of his confinement in San Quentin, he took up reading, writing and arithmetic and on his release on parole he could speak and write English language very well. I think he also learned the shoe repairing trade while he was at San Quentin. “Immediately after his release on parole he entered the employ of a Mr. H W Scott, attorney of Hollister, California, on the latter's ranch. He remained with Mr. Scott until March, 1913, when he was permitted to come to San Francisco to enter the employ of a Mr. Kelleher of this city, who owned several shoe repairing places here. Zamora worked with Mr. Kelleher until the latter's death about two years ago. “Since that time he has worked in other shoe stores, as a repair man. At the present time he is employed as a stock boy in the shoe department of the Emporium in the City of San Francisco. “Except during the time of Zamora was employed in Hollister he has been reporting to this office, in person, each and every month, now for approximately 7 years and I have had an opportunity to observe him closely. From my many years experience with him I feel that I can safely say he is among the best men on parole. “During his long parole, I do not think that he has ever been idle for any length of time. He has been very industrious in his work; a clean living fellow; has filed his monthly report always promptly, and I believe that he is complied to the letter, with the rules governing prisoners on parole. “Zamora has, indeed, made a very creditable record on parole, and if I am any judge, he will continue to do so in the future. I think he is worthy of your very serious consideration for Executive Clemency.” Under date of October 1, 1910, Judge M P Dooling, who tried Zamora, writes to Father Collopy as follows:

“There was nothing in the circumstances attending Zamora's offense which would appeal to one conversant therewith. Whether he is now entitled to a parole or not must rest upon facts of which I know absolutely nothing, and of which the prison authorities are a much better position to judge than myself. I shall not oppose his application but, beyond that, I do not feel warranted to go.” Under date of February 13, 1912, A G Greajada, Mexican Consul General, San Francisco, writes to the Board of Prison Directors on behalf of Zamora. At the time of Zamora's application for parole a number of letters from prominent Mexicans and others were written to the State Board of Prison Directors in his behalf. Under date of November 29, 1911, George W. Jean, District Attorney at that time but not the one who prosecuted Zamora, says: “I am given to understand that prior to the trouble which resulted in his present imprisonment, he was a steady, hard-working man, and that the murder of Lanyon was the result of drunkenness. “I am advised that at the time of his trial, there was a question of his sanity raised, which was determined by a jury empaneled for that purpose, the finding of the jury being that he was sane.” There are on file in the Governor's office a number of letters now urging a pardon for Zamora on the ground that he has expiated his crime and is thoroughly reformed. Among them is a letter from E C Lipman of the Emporium where Zamora is at present employed.

ACTION OF BOARD: August 30, 1920: Pardon.