The first
Sonoma Country treasure, William Buster, probably came to California in 1849
with the Hudspeth-Meyers party. Claimed to have been robbed of the county tax
money, he latter confessed to embezzling the money (a good portion in school
bonds) to make personal loans to his friends plus losing a large portion of it
during a weekend of heavy drinking and betting at the Faro and poker tables of
Sacramento and San Francisco. The resulting local financial collapse and the
1857 earthquake, appears to have caused several pioneer families to quit the
area shortly after.
From Wild Oats in Eden; Sonoma County in the
19th century, by Harry J. Hansen and Jeanne Thurlow Miller (Santa Rosa,
Calif., 1962), p. 83: |
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...the young
county was shocked in 1857 by the revelation of the crimes of William Buster,
county treasurer. After telling his colleaques how he was robbed of state and
county funds while in a saloon playing cards, Buster broke down and, in a
tearful confession, "explained" how he had embezzled a total of $17, 263.98
from the county tax money he was delivering to Sacramento. He was sentenced to
new duties in San Quentin but was pardoned after serving three years of an
eight year term. |
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| Extracted from
the Sonoma County Journal (H. L. Weston, publisher: Petaluma, CA): |
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Robbery of the County Treasury, January 23,
1857. |
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The Missing Funds, January 30,
1857. |
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The Late County Treasurer, February 13,
1857. |
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Sheriff’s Sale: James M. Case, Mary M.
Case, Wm. A. Buster, James E. Crane and Joseph Browning, defendants, February
20, 1857. |
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April 10,
1857: Wm. A.. Buster, late County Treasurer, was arraigned on Tuesday, and
entered the plea of "not guilty" to two indictments, one for using and loaning
County funds, and one for using and loaning State funds. His counsel, C. P.
Wilkins, gave notice of a motion for a change of venue on the ground that
prisoner could not obtain a fair and impartial trial in Sonoma
county. |
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Court of Sessions, April 24,
1857. |
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Buster Sentenced, May 1,
1857. |
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The People vs. Wm. A. Buster, May 8,
1857. |
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Sheriff’s Sale: Wm. A. and Margaret F.
Buster, defendants, May 15, 1857. |
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Pardon Asked For, November 13,
1857. |
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