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When the Belmont Picnic Grounds opened in the latter half of the 1800s, it was a location that brought in people from as far away as San Francisco. The site featured a thriving tavern and a pavilion for dances and similar entertainments.
But the site’s clean reputation ended on May 3, 1884, when thirty-something Henry Casey asked 15-year-old Julia (called Annie in some sources) Sweeney for two dances at an event for the Alsatian Club. Julia’s mother only OK’ed the first dance, but Casey was not to be dissuaded. When Julia wandered away from the picnic grounds, Casey followed her and sexually assaulted her, returning to mingle in the crowd soon after.
Casey may have told Julia not to say anything about the attack, or may not have considered that he did anything wrong, but, if so, she ignored him and told her mother everything. Her mother apparently told authorities and Deputy Sheriff Hatch took Casey into custody as his northbound train approached Millbrae and Casey was promptly brought to Redwood City’s main jail.
A preliminary hearing soon followed on May 16th. Julia testified that she had been assaulted twice by Casey. Unkindly, the newspaper Times Gazette described her as “not overly intelligent girl… unprepossessing in appearance with red hair…sad and somewhat timid…” Casey’s legal team wanted to “introduce evidence relating to her previous character for chastity…” but was overruled.
During the hearing, Julia’s father Daniel (a carpentry shop foreman) suddenly sprang up from his seat near the defendant and shot Casey three times, inflicting wounds from which Casey died later. A local doctor, who coincidentally would perform the autopsy on Casey, was in the courtroom and wrestled the gun, a 42 caliber six-shooter, from Daniel.
Daniel Sweeney was taken into custody.
The Times Gazette reported that at Casey’s hearing, his sister said she was concerned about the event as she had seen Daniel “cast a contemptuous look at her brother.” Daniel had assured the sheriff earlier, however, “that no trouble would occur.”
Daniel’s wife testified at her husband’s subsequent hearing that her husband blamed her for the assault since she had given Julia permission to dance with Casey, a stranger and that her husband had “become irregular in his habits, coming home at all hours of the night.”
Local historian John G. Edmonds researched the case but could find no follow-up as to Daniel’s fate. Edmonds cited the press’s reluctance at the time to “talk about sanity,” although he alluded to the local newspaper stating that Casey “got what he deserved.”
Edmonds states that this is the first known murder that took place in Redwood City.
