From the Dorothy Mutnick Papers
as researched by Pamela Williams, from the Dorothy Mutnick Papers in the Moraga History Center Archives
(Dorothy Mutnick was one of the founders of the Moraga Historical Society - some of her archives are here.)

John Pearson

John Pearson, 28, had registered to vote on April 5, 1867, a farmer born in Vermont and was found only in the great register of 1871 after that. He sold Carpentier an unexplained interest in the Strode strip for $1 in 1868. He borrowed from W.H. Norris $2500 with interest at 1.5% a few days after the second payment to Swain; Norris assigned the mortgage to Leon Norris in July 1869.
John Pearson, 32 was a farmer in 1870, his wife Jennie, 24, was born in Iowa and son Walter H., two, in California; an unidentified Maggie Thomas, 22, also Iowa, lived with them.

George Yoakum

In September 1870 Pearson sold 200 acres for $3000 to George Yoakum. Norris assigned that note, by that time $4200, to George Yoakum in December 1870. Pearson's name was on a trial jury list in August 1871. He paid off the note in September on the day he sold what he owned and departed Lafayette leaving little information concerning himself or his family.
George Yoakum's 200 acres together with the house and improvements were described as those formerly occupied by Classen. This clearly placed Classen formerly on Swain's undivided portion of the rancho, thus including within it J.C. Coffin's claim of 1858.
Yoakum soon moved into his "house formerly occupied by Classen." His daughters, Emma Ellen, 6, in late March 1871 and Nettie, nearly 6, entered Lafayette school on July 21, 1873. Both attended until October 7, 1873; they re-entered the last of May attending through the first week of September 1875. Their father's residence was listed near Lafayette.
In March 1871 George Washington Yoakum, read as 24 but probably 29, born in Missouri, registered in Contra Costa County as a Ranchero. He was elected with 11 votes on July 8, 1871, as assessor and collector to raise money to pay teacher and his security bond was signed by Nathaniel Jones and B. Shreve in the amount of $537 apiece.

Yoakum Buys Interest of Jose Moraga in Rancho Laguna de Los Palos Colorados.

George's father, Isaac Yoakum of Brooklyn in Alameda County, had purchased in 1864 from Isaac Gann the undivided 1/10 interest of Jose Moraga in Rancho Laguna de Los Palos Colorados. Isaac Gann had acquired it through a foreclosure of the mortgage given to secure a promissory note to repay a larger loan made in order to pay off the loan of $1000 made in 1860. The judgement against Moraga's estate indicated that they still owed the whole amount. Isaac Yoakum had been acquiring other undivided interest in the rancho. He had filed various suits including one in 1865 to quiet title to a two mile square area, the center of which was their adobe; others were for damages for entering and excluding Yoakum from his share of the undivided property, one of which was against John Pearson for cutting his oak trees, one against Samuel Perkins in 1871.

Yoakum Takes Possession

In March 1871 a writ of possession from the court directed the sheriff to place the Moraga premises in possession of Yoakum's agent, Walter Renwick, his son-in-law. The writ omitted some of the Moraga children whom Sheriff Warren Brown would not eject so Renwick, for Yoakum, refused to accept the premises unless they were cleared of all of the Moragas and their belongings.
Later Yoakum did take possession of a part and the Moragas were left some to which he would have been entitled under the judgement of the Court, but for an error of omission.

"Collissions" Between the Moragas and George Yoakum

Collisions between partisans of each side were occurring. After one in May James Steele and George Yoakum were arrested on a charge of assault with firearms upon the Moragas; a horse one of them was riding had been killed in a dispute over the rightful possession of lands ... now claimed by Carpentier and Yoakum under judicial decree. In June Gomecinda Moraga and her sisters assisted Yoakum's sheepherder, at his request, to drive his flock from the Moraga enclosure. Yoakum appeared on the scene and struck Gomecinda with his gun inflicting some injury. He caused the five Moraga girls to be arrested for riot. Then he was arrested for assault, refused a jury trial, conducted his own defense with the help of a daughter, was convicted and fined $500.

Death of Silverio Monjas

After continuing hostile clashes people in the central portion of the county were intensely excited when one of the Moraga party was shot by Wm. Steel, as he affirms, in self defense. Sheriff Brown took Steele into custody on the information of Isaac Yoakum, failed to find Slitz, the justice of the peace in Walnut Creek, or another in Pacheco to issue a warrant and had to let his prisoner go thereby being highly censured therefore.
The verdict of a jury of inquiry, held after the death of the wounded man, was that... Silverio Monjas was killed by a rifle shot `fired by one Wm .Steele...under circumstances not excusable or justifiable by law."
Monjas was likely not a California Mexican for the name was not found in the mission records. The jury also found that Isaac Yoakum is accessory to the killing. Both were arrested; Steele was held for murder without bail but in August Yoakum was granted bail.

Steele Acquitted

Steele was granted a change of venue to Alameda County and acquitted of murder in April; then he was charged with assault to murder, tried, convicted and sentenced to a fine of $500 in May 1872. In 1873 a William Steele paid a poll tax and was listed by the assessor at Renwicks in La Fayette. That was the last time he was seen. No relationship was established with Hewitt Steele whose son William had been only 7 in 1870.
Isaac Yoakum was tried on three charges; in two of them he was granted a new trial; a third, a new trial was denied but the outcome was not discovered.

Next: George Yoakum Sues Gabriel Moraga...