The head of Joaquin Murrieta by Andy in Oakland

This a tribute to California's "Mexican Robinhood". A lesser known figure of the gold rush era of 1849. He was an immigrant mining in California around 1850-53. As the story goes, the state had declared a $20. tax on all non-citizen miners. Joaquin avoided the steep tax and stayed out of the government's sight as much as he could until tax collectors were sent to his house. They proceeded to mistreat him and his family killing his wife and stealing all his gold. As vengeance he vowed to rob white mining camps and distribute the goods to lesser privileged immigrant camps. He was apprehended by the State and beheaded. His head was on display in a jar at the San Francisco Museum until 1906 when the entire structure burnt to the ground.