The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Sacramento Daily Union, 21 July 1882, page 2, col. 4, courtesy California Digital Newspaper Collection

It would be difficult to assess who was the blackest sheep in the Brannack fold, but Julia’s brother, Charles Edgar Brannack might be a good candidate. 

In  January 1882, Charles and his nephew, Fred Wermuth (the two of them only a year apart in age) were involved in a barroom brawl in Calaveras County.  Charles and Fred along with their friends, a pair of cousins named Thomas and Robert Pope had gone quail hunting. The four men, none older than 23, packed their hunting gear, including four shotguns, and camped in a deserted cabin in the Sierra foothills.   On Friday evening they traveled to the town of Camanche, and after a period of drinking in John Cavagnero’s general store, they got into a row with each other, breaking up furniture, glassware and windows.  Henry Cavagnero, John’s brother[1], sent word to John who came in, calmed the men down and got them out into the street.  Back inside, the Cavagnero’s heard someone in the street yell, “Look, he’s going to shoot!” whereupon Charles Brannack rushed back inside, leveled his shotgun at Henry and exclaimed, “Shall I shoot the son of a bitch?”  And he did!  Cavagnero was seriously injured, shot entering in his head and neck.  Another man standing by him, Michael Fox, was also struck with shot in his nose.[2]

The four ruffians took off in a wagon at break-neck speed, headed for Lodi.  The wagon hit a stump, threw some of the men and some of the shotguns which fired as they hit the ground.  The Pope cousins, one of whom was wounded on his head, turned themselves in the next morning, but were later discharged.  Charles Brannack was arrested and jailed in Sacramento, though no charges were brought against Fred Wermuth.[3]  In July, Brannack was sentenced to two years imprisonment at San Quentin prison for shooting Cavagnero.[4]  It appears Henry Cavagnero survived.[5]

Any time he may have served in prison did little to improve Charles Brannack’s behavior.  In November 1887, the Santa Cruz police chief and another officer witnessed a man purchase opium.  The two followed him, trying to find his “joint” – the place where he would smoke the entrancing drug.  They followed him to Lyman Brannack’s barn .  The officers saw a light in the upper part of the barn.  Stepping to the door, the officers were confronted by Charles Brannack, the son of the owner, carrying a lantern in one hand and a shotgun in the other.  Seeing the officers, Brannack blew out the light.  They seized Brannack, and upstairs in the barn found there a regular opium joint.  They arrested Brannack and confiscated all the paraphernalia.[6]  Charles Brannack and fellow smoker, Henry Horn, were brought before Justice Skirm, who fined Brannack $100 and Horn $25, and while Brannack was able to pay his fine, Horn could not and was sentenced to $25 in jail.[7]
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By the time Charles Brannack was arrested in Santa Cruz, his sister had been married to her third husband, Meliton Achard, a Frenchman, and at last a husband near to her own age….  More next week about Julia’s marriage to Mr. Achard. 
 


[1] It appears that Henry Cavagnero was likely John Cavagnero’s brother-in-law per the 1900 census. - US Census 1900 Year: 1900; Census Place: Jenny Lind, Calaveras, California; Roll: 84; Family History Film: 1240084; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 1038; lines 36-43, accessed through Ancestry.com 29 January 2017

[2] San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Jan 1882, page 8 “A Barroom Brawl” and Sacramento Daily Union, 23 Jan 1882, page 1, “Result of a Carouse”

[3] ibid

[4] San Francisco Bulletin, 22 July 1882, page 2, “State News Items”

[5] US Census 1900 Year: 1900; Census Place: Jenny Lind, Calaveras, California; Roll: 84; Family History Film: 1240084; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 1038; lines 36-43, accessed through Ancestry.com 29 January 2017

[6] Santa Cruz Daily Surf, 5 November 1887, page 1, col 5.  “Opium Smokers Arrested”

[7]“Sentinel Jottings,” Santa Cruz Sentinel (Santa Cruz, California) 06 Nov 1887, Page 3, col 1, accessed through Newsapapers.com 29 January 2017