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.
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
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
Follow CDCR on YouTube, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter). Listen to the CDCR Unlocked podcast.
Learn more about California prison history.
Explore CDCR history
History snapshot: Early parole officer urged youth diversion
In this installment of Unlocking History, we look more closely at early California state Parole Officer R.A. Lang. He originally…
Remembering Samuel Randolph, SQ Captain of the Yard
Like many in CDCR’s history, some staff go above and beyond the call of duty with one example being San…
Remembering Folsom State Prison Warden Clarence Larkin
In this installment of Unlocking History, we look at the life of Clarence Larkin, a longtime Folsom State Prison employee.…
Family seeks info on Cottonwood robber Clifford Bosenko
Robbers Clifford Bosenko and Sid Horn knocked down a man in 1905 in Cottonwood, relieving his pockets of $45. More…
Asedo family seeks answers on 1920s San Quentin rumors
A family legend regarding Ignatius Asedo serving time at San Quentin in the 1920s turned out to be fact: He…