The Scandal No One is Talking About

This is a real good article by Dan Gainor, published November 11, 2011, on FoxNews.com

The Scandal No One is Talking About

If you've been following the news this week, you'd get the impression that America is a scandal-plagued nation. Scandals to the right of us, scandals to the left of us.

Take your pick. There’s the media assault on GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, the deadly "Fast and Furious" federal gun-running case, the Solyndra solar loan fiasco, the collapse of MF Global, led by former Democratic N.J. Gov. Jon Corzine and, of course, the deeply disturbing allegations of child sexual abuse at Penn State.

But the real scandal isn’t any one of those. It’s how journalists pick and choose which controversies to play up and which to play down. They are so inconsistent, you’d think they studied ethics at Penn State under Joe Paterno.

Heck, maybe he studied under them.

Take the allegations against Cain. We are watching ABC’s George Stephanopoulos attack Herman Cain on how he deals with women. This is the same George Stephanopoulos who worked for Bill Clinton and did his best to undermine attacks against him. Remember, Clinton was charged with a variety of women-unfriendly incidents including rape. Yes, rape. Not that the networks made a big deal of it at the time.

Here’s Stephanopoulos, on page 267 of his autobiography “All Too Human,” "Most important, I wanted to keep reports of Paula [Jones'] press conference off television ... It wasn't a hard sell.” His book goes on to say how he tried to discredit her. Yes, this openly Democratic operative is a “newsman” now.

Don’t believe it for a second. The different between “journalist” and Democratic Party operative is often non-existent.

It shows in everything they do. We aren’t even two weeks into CainFest 2011 and the broadcast networks have done 117 stories on him. One-hundred and seventeen? That’s more than a small war would get.

Actually, it’s 58 times more than a small war has gotten. Obama ordered troops into Uganda in October, before the Cain allegations came out. CBS and NBC have each mentioned it once since then. ABC hasn’t mentioned it at all.

But the networks don’t care about American soldiers at risk. They are more concerned that Obama’s presidency is at risk.

That’s the only explanation for how they’ve covered, or not covered, the "Fast and Furious" scandal. You’ve had to look hard to find consistent coverage of this corrupt government program that cost the life of at least one law enforcement officer. Allegedly the goal was to track U.S. guns to drug cartels and arrest gun runners.

But the program was poorly run and it cost the life of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. A good leader would take responsibility for that. A moral leader would have called the family to talk to them or meet with them in person. Attorney General Eric Holder didn’t do either. All he did do was lie to Congress about it.

According to Holder, the program was furiously “flawed in its concept and flawed in its execution.” That skips any blame for when he told Congress he had heard of the program only weeks before. Now we know that’s just not true. In any other city than Washington, D.C., what Holder did was a boldfaced lie.

Not that you’d know it from most network news. While CBS’s Sharyl Attkisson has shown her top-flight skills as a journalist, and been abused by the Obama administration for it, her competing networks have abandoned their responsibility to their viewers. Both NBC and ABC skipped the House Republican roasting Holder received on Capitol Hill.

It’s been much the same in the Solyndra scandal. There only ABC has shown any semblance of journalistic skill covering Obama’s failed green program. It’s a $500-million scandal involving an Obama fundraiser, a solar panel company that had a dot.com era idea on how to make a profit (none) and it’s gotten nowhere near the media coverage a Republican scandal might have gotten. (Just ask Herman Cain.)

A recent Media Research Center analysis found “just 15 stories mentioning the Solyndra scandal since its August 31 bankruptcy filing.” For those who find math difficult – like many journalists – that’s about one eighth of the stories the Cain controversy has gotten.

But hey, Solyndra wasn’t run by a former governor considered as a possible Treasury Secretary and hailed by news outlets as an economic expert. That would be a real scandal. Or not, if he had the infamous “D” after his name.

The former governor is Jon Corzine, who has the reverse Midas touch. He’s run Goldman Sachs, New Jersey and, most recently, MF Global, which just collapsed amidst a $2-billion bankruptcy. MF Global fell apart in what CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin called a “mini Ponzi scheme.”

But not one story on ABC, CBS or NBC has mentioned that Corzine is a Democrat, was considered an Obama adviser and possible pick for a top spot in his administration.

Every time there’s a controversial story, media types are making these choices. They love the Occupy Wall Street crowd, so they play up the good from those protests, despite rapes, vandalism, arson, assaults on police and more. But they hate the Tea Parties, so everything they do is somehow nefarious.

It’s time the media covered their own scandals. They have plenty.

Story by Dan Gainor
Reprinted here with pleasure.

Happy Birthday Marines! God Bless Our Corps!

On this Marine Corps Birthday, I wanted to write something nice and sentimental about the Corps.  But then I decided to knock off the bullspit, and just tell you all how I really feel.

I joined the Marine Corps a lifetime ago, and it has been a huge part of my life ever since.  I feel God has blessed me in that way.

When I was in Boot camp in the very early 1970's, I heard a great story that I want to pass on.  I've always remembered it.  In fact I have to admit that over the years when I've heard other Vets talk about how tough their branch of the military had been, I always remember this story.

Supposedly it's a true story. But then again, who really knows!  

The Story of Second to None.

It happened during the Korean War.  A war correspondent visited an R&R area in the rear well South of the action.  When he arrived he saw that there were two separate camps.

The first was a very well equipped U.S. Army camp which looked absolutely immaculate.  The correspondent was very surprised to see that the Army had Koreans houseboys cleaning up after them, and maids doing their laundry, cutting their hair, shinning their boots, and pressing their uniforms and such.

The camp had portable trailers and new tents with wooded floors.  The tents were insulated and equipped with curtains for the Soldiers, so that they would be able to have privacy.  The camp served high quality hot food that was cooked fresh daily by cooks, and yes three times a day.  They had clean running water, and portable toilets that were maintained for them by their Korean servants. 

For entertainment, the Army set up a Bar and an outdoor theater for movies.  There was also a stage for the USO show when they dropped in, and yes, there was even a volleyball court set up for the troops to exercise off the stress of being away from home. 

The war correspondent was thoroughly impressed.  That is, he was until he found the Marines camp down the hill away from the Army.

It was obvious that the camp for the U.S. Marines was not exactly set up for R&R.  But then again, rest and relaxation meant something different to the Marine Corps.  He soon found out that it should never be confused with resting or relaxing.

The camp looked like it was slapped together.  It was extremely temporary, but then again the Marines did not believe that they would be there too long after they did their job of killing Communist and ensuring the freedom of one more country around the world.

Their water was delivered in Water Buffaloes.  To Marines, a Water Buffalo is a large water tank on wheels. They lived in a collection of secondhand tents that had definitely seen better days.  The tents were big field-tents leftover from the end of World War II - that was first issued in World War I.  It was believed that some Marine Supply Sergeant must have found those old tents in the Supply Depot in Camp Pendleton and decided that he'd send them to Korea to get rid of the old stuff. 

As for the food, well the chow was so-so.  Fact is that the Marines still ate C-Rations as they did in the field.  Hot chow prepared by Mess Cooks and served by Korean servants was out of the question. 

Now before you start saying anything bad about C-Rations, I want you to know that C-Rations were an individually canned, pre-cooked and prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military when fresh food and prepared meals from the mess halls or field kitchens were not available. 

C-Rations, or C-Rats as they were commonly called, were as good as it got when we could get it!  Since I've eaten both C-Rats and the modern MRE, I can testify to the fact that I understand why Marines joke about MRE standing for "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians."

For me, well I'll go with the C-Rat anytime.  And honestly, I personally knew a few Marines in my units who were fairly creative when it came to cooking up a C-Rat smorgasbord.  In the days before I started smoking, I traded my cigarettes that came with the C-Rations for the peanut butter - and of course for a "sweet roll."   A "sweet roll" was what we called the small roll of 3 pieces of toilet paper that came with our meal.  Yes, now you know where we got our toilet paper from when we were out in the field.
 
But, back to the story!

At the camp, the war correspondent noted that the Marines woke every morning at 0600 hours.  That's 6:00 am for you folks in the Navy.  And for you in the Army and the Air Force, well 0600 hours is when Mickey's left hand is on the 12 and his right hand is on the 6. 

He then saw that after chow, by 0700, Marines stood formation.  Colors was at 0800.  They then returned to their huts to get ready for PT - physical training.  After that, the Marines returned to clean up their area, a GI Party, and then they waited for the Senior Staff NCO to declare Holiday Schedule, or Liberty Call, or not.   

The war correspondent came to realize very quickly that the Marines camp in the rear was not set up to allow them any sort of luxury.  Rest and relaxation was not out of the question.  But he noted that it was just a different sort of rest and relaxation. It was R&R with an edge. 

The Marine Corps works too hard to keep an edge on their Marines. The last thing the Marine corps wants is to have Marines start acting like the Army. 

Instead of them being like the Army, the war correspondent saw the Marine camp as a place to remind the Marines of something very important, they were there to do a mission - and having a fancy R&R area doesn't mean that the war is over or your mision is accomplished. 

Fact is that that war correspondent finally started to understood the Marine Warrior Creed.  They'll be glad to have a stand down, but let's do it after the job is done.  And yes, they know real well that the faster they complete their mission - the faster they'll be able to go home and be with loved ones.  Of course some saw it as the faster that the mission was accamplished, the sooner the party starts - which is not a bad thing when coming back from overseas.

The war correspondent was beside himself.  He couldn't believe the difference, so he decided to go over to the Army R&R camp and give it one more look.  He went to see what they were doing compared to the Marines. 

He got there right after a Bar-B-Q, and was asked if he wanted a cold beer.  He shook his head no, and instead watched the Army enjoying themselves as they played games and such.  It looks like High School, he thought. 

As he was headed back over to the Marine camp to see what they were doing, he passed under a few Soldiers as they were putting a new very large elaborate sign on their front gate.  The sign read: WITHIN THESE WALLS RESIDE FIGHTERS WHO ARE SECOND TO NONE

He thought about the Army's new sign as he walked down the hill to where the Marine camp was located. Just then he saw a Marine walk away from a sign that he had put up.  Right there in front of the shabby Marine camp hung a poorly hand painted sign which simply read:  WE'RE THE NONE

The war correspondent nodded his head in agreement.  Yes, Marines are the "None" who everyone out there is "Second To." 

Some call Marines modern day Spartans. Some say we come from a Warrior Breed.  Some say we fight for our flag, our Country, God, the Corps, and each other - viciously.  I believe those who say those things are right!

I believe that we are a class of fighter who takes prisoners and protects the helpless.  We search out where our enemies hide, and we destroy their very will to fight on.  We close with and kill our enemies before they can harm those who we care about.  And yes, we care about each other because we are family. 

At war, we remind our enemies why we claim to be the best. During peace, we ready ourselves knowing that no one likes to fight - but someone has to know how to do it well.  And yes, with the blessings of God, our Commandant, and hopefully our Gunnies, we do it very well. 

Whether you're a former Marine or presently in our Corps on duty, I pray that God blesses you and keeps you safe.  We will be Marines until the day we die. And yes, I thank God for that!

So Happy Birthday Marines!
God Bless Our Corps!  

Ooh-Rah, Semper Fi!

Story by Tom Correa

My Veteran's Day Salute to Mr. Charles Durning

I know this article is early, and yes I know that Veterans Day is not until November 11th.  But this year it will fall on 11-11-11, so I wanted to salute someone very special.

Mr. Charles Durning

So you ask, why should I salute actor Charles Durning on Veterans Day?  Well, allow me to explain a few things about Charles Durning, then maybe you'll see what makes him so special. 

He was born on the 28 of February in 1923 in Highland Falls, New York.  He was the second youngest of five children.

His mother, Louise, was a laundress at West Point.  His father, James Durning (originally Durnion) was born in 1890 in County Louth in Ireland.  His father was an Irish immigrant who gained U.S. citizenship by joining the Army.

From everything that I've been able to read about Charles Durning, basically it seems that he was a typical American kid growing up during the Great Depression.  Money was tight and families had to make do. Families stuck together during the hard times and learned to depend on each other to make ends meet.

At 5' 8" and stocky, Charles Durning was a tough kid and a pretty good fighter.  So good, in fact, that among other things he turned Professional Boxer after High School.  He even fought at NewYork's famous Madison Square Gardens.

Again those were the years of the Great Depression, and yes, he too had boyhood heroes.  His idol was actor James Cagney, who proved that a man can be tough and also a great dancer.  If you've ever seen Yankee Doodle Dandy, then you know what I mean.

Charles Durning's first job in the entertainment field was as an usher at a burlesque house.  And yes, some say that his career officially started as a singer with a band at the age of 16 before going into acting.  His first professional play was in Buffalo before he went off to the Army.  Imagine that, I guess James Cagney really had an influence on him.

But it was the opening days of World War II, and since he was brought up with a genuine love for America, like his father, he too joined the U.S. Army.   

Charles Durning joined the US Army when he was 17 years old.  He was first assigned as a rifleman with the 398th Infantry Regiment, and later served overseas with the 3rd Army Support troops and the 386th Anti-aircraft Artillery (AAA) Battalion.

He participated in the Normandy Invasion of German-occupied France on D-Day, June 6, 1944.  He was among the first troops to land at Omaha Beach.  Some sources state that he was with the 1st Infantry Division, Army Rangers at the time.

It should also be noted that he was the only member of his unit to survive the Omaha Beach D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944.  While troops and equipment were still coming ashore, he was wounded in the hip and legs three days after he got off the boat.  He still carries the bullet in his hip.

Later, on June 15, 1944,  Charles Durning was wounded again.  This time it was by a German mine at Les Mare des Mares, France.  He was transported by the 499th Medical Collection Company to the 24th Evacuation Hospital.  Then by June 17, just two days later, he was back in England at the 217th General Hospital.

Although severely wounded by shrapnel in the left and right thighs, the right hand, the frontal region of the head, and the anterior left chest wall, Charles Durning recovered quickly and was determined to be fit for duty on December 6, 1944. 

Refusing to be shipped back to the States, he wanted to return to duty.  When he did, he arrived back at the front just in time to take part in what has become known as The Battle of the Bulge. 

For those who don't know, The Battle of the Bulge was really the last German counter-offensive of World War II.  It came as a complete surprise to all of the Allies at the time as Germans and their tanks steamrolled through the Ardennes Forest of Belgium and Luxembourg on December 16th of 1944.

It changed the War Map of the area for a while as Americans were in retreat trying to out distance the advancing Germans.  The unit that Charles Durning was with was eventually surrounded in Belgium by an SS Panzer unit.  Trying to hold out, fighting became intense as the Germans rolled through and engulfed American units caught behind lines.  He was rushed to the front lines to try to help plug the gap, but instead suffered severe bayonet wounds during the hand-to-hand combat.

Then came The Malmedy Massacre which took place on December 17, 1944 by a unit that was a part of the 1st SS Panzer Division during The Battle of the Bulge. 

Caught behind the lines after the American retreat, men from Battery B of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion were ordered to move away from Schevenhutte, near Aachen, to St Vith in the Ardennes.  Their route took them near to the town of Malmedy. 

On their journey on the N-23 St Vith road that passed to the east of Malmedy, Battery B met up with Lieutenant-Colonel David Pergrin of the 291st Engineer Combat Battalion.

Colonel Pergrin had heard that the Germans were along the route which the men from Battery B were taking. He advised them to take a different route to St Vith.  However, the young officers in charge of the battery decided that they had their orders.  Ignoring Pergrin's advice, they continued along their designated route.

The journey took the men from Battery B to what the locals called the 'Baugnez Crossroads' just two miles South-East of Malmedy.  In fact, the junction had five roads there and the Americans knew it as Five Points.

Battery B's column came under attack from two German tanks some 800 to 1,000 yards to its East. These tanks were the point of Kampfgruppe (KGr.) Peiper, the leading formation of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler.

This division, the premier in the Waffen SS, together with its twin, the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, had been given the honor of spearheading the Sixth Panzer Army's attack toward the Meuse River.  They were the only formations in the German Wehrmacht to bear the Führer's name.  And yes, they enjoyed a fearsome reputation - both had already been accused of various war crimes and of killing prisoners in cold blood.

German officer Joachim Peiper was as cruel as humans come.  He already had a reputation of not giving quarter to POWs on the Russian front.  Hitler himself gave the order that Allied POWs would not receive quarter when surrendering.  Hitler wanted to put terror in the American troops.

With Battery B convoy moving south on the N-23 to his left, to the Germans it was an inviting target and they immediately opened fire and move up on the retreating column. There the Germans were confronted by the abandoned vehicles of the American convoy–some burning, some shot up, others in the ditch or crashed into each other.  The American troops took cover beside the road in ditches.

After pushing the abandoned vehicles out of the way, the Germans fired their machine guns at the ditches in which most of the Americans had taken cover.  Supposedly this was get the Americans to surrender. 

The surrendering Americans were to march back down the road toward Five Points, once there they were gathered in a field.  The survivors of Battery B were being assembled in that field.

By about 2:00pm, 113 Americans had been assembled in the field by the Café.  They included 90 members of the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, all except for three from Battery B, 10 men from five ambulances, the military policeman who had been on traffic duty at Five Points, the 86th Battalion engineer and 11 men who had been captured by KGr. Peiper before reaching Baugnez, 8 were from the 32nd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2 were from the 200th Field Artillery Battalion and a Sergeant from the 23rd Infantry Regiment. 

The Sergeant from the 23rd Infantry Regiment was Charles Durning.

On December 17, 1944, in a large field, the German guards backed away from the prisoners when three trucks pulled up.  Then, at about 2:15pm, machine guns that were hidden in trucks opened fire on the helpless American troops.

It was a slaughter.  The firing stopped at about 2:30pm.  In all, it only took 15 minutes.  Afterwards German troops from Peiper's unit went around the field and shot those who were still, this time at close range so there wouldn't be any mistakes.

Later, through autopsies, we found out that many Americans were also clubbed them to death.  Incredible as it may be, some prisoners did get away after faking death.  It was three of these escapees that came across American Colonel Pergrin.

Colonel Pergrin heard the machine gun fire from where he was.  He grabbed a Sergeant and they went to investigate, first in a jeep and then on foot.  Near Five Points where the five roads came together, a few wounded Americans rushed up to Colonel Pergrin. 

One of the American soldiers was a wounded Army Ranger by the name of Charles Durning.  Yes, he was one of a few survivors to the infamous Malmedy Massacre of American POWs by German SS troops.

It was these men who first alerted the Americans that something had gone bad at the crossroads.  Colonel Pergrin took the wounded men to Malmedy, and at 4:40pm, he contacted the First Army's Headquarters to inform them that a massacre had taken place at Five Points near Malmedy.

Of the 113 men in that field, 84 were killed.  Of the 29 left, some were never found, and 21 American survivors made statements to U.S. authorities in Malmedy on December 17, the same day as the massacre. 

On the following day, long before there was any possibility of collusion or anybody putting ideas into their heads, they all told essentially the same story:

"After surrendering to a German armored column and being disarmed, they were assembled in a field just south of the crossroads. The Germans then opened fire on them with machine guns and rifles. In most cases, the survivors mentioned two pistol shots before the main shooting started. They said that soldiers then entered the field and shot anyone who showed any signs of life and that many of the bodies were kicked or prodded in order to get a response. Following this, the German column continued to drive past, with some of the vehicle crews taking potshots at the bodies lying in the field. All but one of the survivors insisted that no attempt to escape had been made before the Germans opened fire, and that the escape attempt came at a much later stage when they thought the Germans had left the area."

After a time again in an American Army Hospital in England, a wounded Charles Durning was repatriated to the United States.  He remained in Army hospitals in the States so that he would be able to receive treatment for wounds.  He was until being discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant on January 30, 1946.

The Malmedy Massacre, as well as others that were committed by the same SS unit in the following days, was the subject of the Malmedy Massacre Trial which was part of the Dachau Trials of 1946.

For his military service, Staff Sergeant Charles Durning was awarded several of our nations highest decorations for valor including the Combat Infantryman's Badge, the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts.

After being discharged, he wanted to get into acting.  Along the way he became an Iron Worker, an Elevator Operator, a Cabbie, and even a Waiter, while pursuing his desire to act.  And yes, despite the wounds he received in action during World War II, he also went on to become a Professional Dancer and Dance Teacher. 

In fact, he taught dance at the Fred Astaire Studios and relied upon it when he couldn't find acting work.  But then in the late 1950s, he finally got his break.  Since then, well let's just say that he's had a long and glorious career as a Film and Stage star.

When I was growing up, I heard stories about famous actors like Clark Gable who enlisted in the Army Air Corps in World War II.  Of course there was Jimmy Stewart who was also in the Army Air Corps during that time -  and in fact stayed in the Air Force Reserve until he retired at the rank of Brigadier General. 

Actor Lee Marvin was a Marine in the Pacific during World War II.  George C. Scott who became famous for playing General Patton was also a Marine.  Charles Bronson was in the Army.  Of course, Glenn Ford was a Marine and in the Navy during World War II, the Korean War, and he even spent some time in Vietnam.  At a young age, I learned to respect and admire those who have served - both famous and not.

Here's a great video tribute to Charles Durning that I thought you might want to see.  I know it has a lot to do with his acting career, but it shows a lot about the man.

Charles Durning is one of the people who I really admire, and I have for years.  Granted it was mostly because of his service to our great nation during World War II, but there are other reasons. 

He was the Chairman one year of the U.S. National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans.  He was also an honored guest speaker at the National Memorial Day Concert for many years, which was televised by PBS on the Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend.

In April 2008, Charles Durning received the National Order of the Legion of Honor from the French consul in Los Angeles. It was awarded to him serving with distinction in France.  During the ceremony, he spoke a little about his wartime experiences in his usual humble manner.

You see Charles Durning has never forgotten the devotion that he and many other veterans have made for America.  He understands the great sacrifices and the great loss.  He has seen both for what they are.  It is because of that that he is well-known for participating in various functions to honor America's veterans.  And yes, it's because of who he is as a man that I take great pleasure in saluting Charles Durning on this Veteran's Day 2011.

Thank you Mr. Durning.  May God Bless you and yours for all that you've done for America.

Sincerely,
Tom Correa

A Halloween Tale: The Sluice Box Ghost

American and Chinese Miners at a Sluice Box 

By Tom Correa

It was an extremely cold night in late October of 1875. The wind whipped through the small valley with a chill that went right to the bone.

With the exception of a few bigger older oaks, many of the trees in Mosquito Gulch had been all but cleared away. Folks used the wood for everything from building shacks and cabins and barns, to making wheel-barrels, keeping warm, and of course constructing sluice boxes.

Sluice boxes are one of the most practical methods of gold prospecting. Many were built with heavy wood planks and logs, and often times a river's current was diverted through the sluices so that gravel bearing gold could be processed far quicker than using the laborious "hand panning" method.

Sluice boxes were lined with raised obstructions that were placed in a vertical position to the flow of the current. These obstructions were referred to as riffles. When the gold-laden gavel is dumped into the upper end of the sluice, the flow of water carries the material down the length of the box. The lighter gavels, the tailings, would be carried in suspension down the entire length of the sluice and then discharged.

The heavier material, such as gold, would quickly drop to the bottom of the box, where they became trapped by the riffles. Once the riffles collected a large quantity of concentrated black sand and hopefully gold, a "cleanup" was implemented.

The flow of water through the sluice would be slowed down using a water gate. Then the riffles would be removed, allowing access to the heavier materials which had collected during the "run." That remaining material often contains gold nuggets and flakes, the stuff that dreams were made of.

The sluice boxes in the days of the 1849ers were very similar to the one Raymond Spencer used on his claim. Sluice boxes were built of heavy wood planks because lumber was cheap and easily obtainable. It wasn't shipped in. Instead, it was milled locally.

During the Gold Rush sluice box were first used to work the extremely rich bench deposits "terrace gavels" which lined the banks of many Mother Lode Rivers. As time passed it became clear that sluice boxes could be used for working other types of gold-bearing materials, this included ancient river channel deposits located hundreds of feet above the existing stream beds. Raymond Spencer was lucky in that his claim was on a creek.

"California isn't supposed to get this cold," Raymond thought while loading his new mail-order Winchester Model 1873 rifle.

Knowing the night was cold didn't help Raymond's disposition that night. He was already angry over the fact that sluice boxes were being robbed all through Mosquito Gulch. His own sluice box was hit twice in the last month.

He wasn't a happy man indeed. The whole situation concerning his claim bothered him. He was not happy and asked himself the question, how could he work so hard and then have it taken away from him by those who haven't put in an once of sweat into it.

He'd been working his claim all day, and now his anger at someone wanting to take what was his was even worse because he'd have to stay up all night guarding his sluice. He was tired and cold.

His wife was sewing in the light of an oil lamp, even with the help of a mirror the light wasn't that bright. Their two children were fast asleep on the far side of their cabin.

As he dropped the last .44-40 round into his new Winchester, he hoped tonight would be the night. While he knew what had to be done, he hoped it would be someone else who would call out across the dark valley. He hoped it would be someone else that got the robber who had been stealing so much of their gold. He hoped it would end so he would be able to sleep a full night.

Granted he was used to hearing a mountain lion scream as they stepped through the manzanita. Granted he saw many step soft through the tall pine as they made their way over Alabama Hill and down into Mosquito Gulch. Granted that a bear at the window or scratching at the door of their cabin wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't so much of a surprise either.

Black bears were bad enough, but Raymond hated the California Grizzly that roamed these hills. Black bears seemed easy to scare off compared to a Grizzly. Grizzlies aren't scared of anything, he thought warming his hands near his wife's lamp. They are definitely not afraid of man, he thought. Grizzlies see man as something small, slow running, without a growl or claws. They see man as another animal on the menu.

Part of Raymond's concern about his sitting out in the bushes waiting for the Sluice Box Robber, as he became known, was that instead of the thief in the dark -- that it might be a grizzly in the middle of the night.

He kissed his wife, then placed the Winchester by her and reminded her how to use it. She looked at him knowing he was tired. And yes, while maybe thinking, "Thank you dear, but I already know how to use a rifle" -- she did not say it.

He then picked up his father's shotgun which he had loaded for bear - literally. He knew that at night, in the dark, that he'd have a better chance of hitting something with his shotgun then he would if he were using his new rifle.

He figured that even if he were off a little bit with a shotgun, at least a few of the shot may find their mark and bring down the robber. Raymond Spencer knew he put it off long enough and pulled up is collar on his heavy red woolen coat and closed the door behind him.

After closing the door behind him, he stood still in the night. He did this trying to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He then moved over to where he was thinking about building a lean-to for a hog or two. There was a stump that he'd been using to sit up against as a back-rest.

He'd been using this spot for the last few weeks ever since the robber has struck Mosquito Gulch. It was a spot where he could see the road to his cabin and his sluice pretty clearly.

Tonight wasn't a full moon, but more than a half moon really, he thought as he sat in the darkness. But yes, he knew it gave just enough light to see figures come and go. While it wasn't enough light for him to see faces, in fact he really couldn't see his own hand, it was enough to make out a deer over by his sluice.

Yes, Raymand Spencer was comfortable knowing that he could make out a person in the night if he needed to. He was out there for a few hours when he heard something that caught his attention more than just a few deer stepping through the fallen leaves. He waited and strained his eyes to see.

Yes, he thought, it's a boy. Then he saw another, there were two. 

He tried to hear what they were saying but couldn't. It sounded like gibberish, none-sense, just sounds. Then as they came closer, he heard it clearly, it was Chinese that he was hearing. He had heard the Chinamen in the other camps talk to each other. While he did not understand a word of it, he knew what it was. He knew it just as clearly as if he himself could speak it.

"Closer! Closer!" he said to himself hoping he'd get one with each barrel of his old side-by-side.

He knew the Chinese could be tough ruthless people. He remembered hearing about the Tong War and what happened in Chinese Camp in 1856, less than 20 years ago.

He slowly unbuttoned his heavy coat so that he would be able to get to his knife - just in case it came to that. He watched as one finally made his way to his sluice box, the other close behind but more hesitant.

Raymond heard the scraping of the sluice box riffles, so he stood and yelled, "Stand where you are!" With that Raymond saw one turn and run while the other scrambled up the bank.

Raymond fired first at the Chinaman running and next at the one trying to get up the bank. The shoots echoed through Mosquito Gulch, then everything went quiet.

After firing, he moved a few yards to his left. Once there he stood very still.

Cloud cover seemed to move in and cast even more darkness out of the clear dark night, the darkness became black. Raymond couldn't see a thing, it was as if the robbers had vanished. Then from his cabin, his wife called out worriedly, "Are you alright?"

Not a moment later a neighbor called out, "Did someone get him?"

Another who was also guarding his claim also called out, "Who fired the shots?"

Another yelled out, "Was it a bear, or the Sluice Box Robber?"

And another called out, "I think it was Raymond Spencer!"

Raymond remained quiet and didn't move for what seemed like forever. He remembered his time in the Civil War when green sentries would shoot at just about anything that moved. He knew better than to give away his position in case they weren't dead, and were instead waiting for him to make his move so they'd be able to shoot him.

Waiting seemed eternal and Raymond knew that he had to move to get to his cabin. He knew that he needed to reassure his wife who sounded worried. He himself worried that she would come out with a lantern and give the Chinamen an easy target, if indeed they were still alive and armed. So ever so slowly he made his way to their cabin.

Once inside, he told her "not to worry that there were two what sounded like Chinamen."

He went on to tell her that he shot at them after telling them to stand where they were. He shot only when they made a run for it. He said, "it was dark and I was shooting at shadows. I don't know if I hit them or not."

He blew out the oil lamp and asked his wife to go to bed. She did, but first she checked on their children who were still fast asleep. He would sit up for a while in the dark -- a sentry guarding his family in case he missed the Chinamen and they now wanted revenge.

Then through their window small lights started to appear in the darkness, and he saw what looked like flames slowing moving along the road to his cabin. This time he grabbed his Winchester and opened the cabin door slowly. He saw that it was torches and they were headed to his sluice.

The torches made targets of those carrying them. The torches moved throughout his pasture and finally two stopped at one spot. Then a voice called out, "Here, here he is!" 

And soon, before you knew it, a few torches gather around the wounded Chinaman.

"Mr. Spencer, is your family unharmed?" a friendly voice asked. "We found him. You got the Sluice Box Robber!"

"We're fine, but there are two! Chinamen from what I could tell. One was in the creek. It was dark." Raymond answered.

Just then a neighbor said, "Here's the second one. This one's close to dead."

Then a voice called out, "This one's lame, but he'll live."

Another said, "Get a rope. They hit my claim too many times to let 'em live!"

Another man said, "Mine too! Get a rope!"

Someone brought out a rope and went over to an old oak tree at the edge of the road where the stage rumbles through the Gulch.  The rope was thrown over a limb. Soon a few miners picked up the wounded Chinaman and drug him over to the tree.

They stretched the rope until the Chinaman was well in the air. The rope creaked in the night as the Chinaman danced a hanged man's dance high in the air.

As the wind picked up, the cloud's moved and the moon shown on the Chinaman as the rope creaked in the night. It was a ghastly sight, but it did not stop some of the men returning to where the dying Chinaman was on the bank.

To their surprise, he was gone.

Many believed he crawled away somehow, so using their torches the miners searched the pasture, the brush, and the creek. But he couldn't be found. Fact is that he was never found.

The next morning anyone passing saw one of the thieves hanging there from that old oak. A note pinned on him said, "Sluice Box Robber!" The note was a warning to others wanting to do the same thing.

Over the years the legend of what happened that night has changed a bit here and there, but basically the story stays the same. Today some say the Old Spencer property is haunted. Some say they've seen old miners with torches searching that pasture and the dry creek still looking for the other half-dead Chinaman who crawled away.

The Spencer family stayed in Mosquito Gulch long after it was renamed Glencoe. In fact, the Spencer family can be traced down the family lines of many families that still live in this area.

Many folks love to talk about who all is related to who and how. They joke about the family tree of some families in our area is how their tree does not have so many branches. The one thing that most up here don't joke about is the Old Spencer place where that tree still sits on the side of what is now two lane state California State Highway 26.

Call it superstitious, or call it smart, but the fact is that no one up here wants to talk about the sight of a Chinaman hanging from that tree all bloody and blue face from the rope around his neck. Even though over a 135 years have passed, it is a sight that many up here have seen for themselves.

Yes indeed, driving down Highway 26, drivers have stopped their cars because they've seen the hanging robber. Many say they see him in their headlights yet once they stop and get out of their car to check -- the lynched Chinaman is gone.

Many around here know that the Chinaman doesn't rest and swings by a creaking rope from that old oak tree along the road. Many have seen him dance at the end of that rope. Some say they can still hear the rope creaking in the night.

It happens, especially on those extremely cold nights in late October when the wind whips through here with a chill that runs right to your bones. It happens on those cold dark nights when the moon throws shadows that bleed in the night.

The End