Explore photos, stories of two men from 1890s

May 21, 2026

Ah Sing was received at San Quentin in the 1890s.

A request from longtime San Quentin Museum volunteer Jeff Craemer had us digging into the stories of two men from the 1890s.

“Don, I am trying to identify these people. Who are they? What did they do? How long were they in San Quentin? Thanks for your help,” Craemer writes.

Included in the envelope were mugshots of incarcerated people from the late 1800s.

Armed with their numbers, we shifted into research mode.

Who was 15804?

The first photo shows a man wearing a hat and clothing typical of Chinese immigrants during the late 1800s. The number on the faded photo is 15804.

Photo of Ah Sing from San Quentin in late 1890s

According to prison records at California State Archives, the man is 44-year-old Ah Sing. His photos are shown above. He was received from Ventura County Feb. 1, 1894, at San Quentin. Sing was convicted of “assault with intent to murder” and sentenced to 10 years. His occupation is listed as “ranchman.”

Since Ah Sing was a common name, it proved difficult to find much in newspaper records.

“Sheriff Walker took Ah Sing … to San Quentin this week for a 10 years’ sojourn,” reported the Ventura Weekly Democrat, Feb. 2, 1894.

Sing served a little more than six years and was discharged Aug. 1, 1900.

16339 research turns up bigger story

Alvarado Johnson with note saying he left the prison to testify in Los Angeles and returned about a week later.

Photo of Alvarado Johnson, 16339, from 1895.

The second group of photos we received, shown above, was much easier to research since one of them offers plenty of specifics. Alvarado Johnson, 36, was received at San Quentin May 8, 1895. He was given a life sentence out of Los Angeles County. His crime is listed simply as “felony.”

The register of prisoners received also lists his crime as felony. While researching his name and the date range in historic newspapers, a much larger story was revealed.

In the next installment of Unlocking History, we cover how Johnson ended up in prison.

Story by Don Chaddock, Inside CDCR editor
Office of Public and Employee Communications

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