New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-10-06
...e.,, sr.dih au While the multitude were pass.

streets filed the arY While the multitude were pass.
IDe INTO Battery sae.t and securing lithe eieva'Se
MACE and 70 ,ons for overlooking the proceed ngs
r or,cry and hn7za ren, the ar, and vas borne up
frcn the rooms of the COMMITTEE Tar INTO the cry
uD, tai ihou sand throat> seemed 10 JON IN gene
ri rh. sr and shout II congrttuidiion The CON-
-. al asseuhl,d and were preparing 20 exc
cute irs,;ce uron the CRIMINALS carnage Gamer
round the corn,r ard NJ California street Il vas
er. eieo Nth chCeT .itsr oleeT. Inc dllFer s'ocn
no n ms tCN waved ms hat. and nrZZaed n reply.
Ts,s vas the carnage IN which the prisoners had
been canned OF rom The comfy jan, ana "hfcn
vds ROW returning from the touliiltt rooms Il
xasrrswn by ~ h1te horses. whose sioes were REX
ne with foam ana persplraf.Ol. ne crowd parnt
rEt; aHc left Il passed. but Closing up throngeG
the streets and packed every square 1901 OF
ground within >iehi Of the Vigil tnce 'AamDers -
Tbe house-,oos the windows, piles o. lumber
ard az goods, and all other accessible points
OF elevation that Afforded footing or d place 70
Chamber up and hold on, were selzed ana occupied
Vescs were thrust forth from the windows al along
inc line Of ne street IN which the crowd was
gathered Women were crashed between the rest
less s9aying boCies OF the more rugged species oil
animal ife \ confused. busy hum OF loE T1lces
reryaced the an and might have been heard blocks
cls,ant Sim the crowd increased. Members OF the
VIGILANCE Committee, arriving on the ground, aner
iosillng through the dense mass OF human beings
found the massage 10 the chambers completely
blocked I'D and closed, the doors beng fastened IN
side so as 10 resist The pressure rom without IN
the southern chamter rope mad Deen 'IeeYec
through the block attached - me beam above he
left door and several members appearing AT The fail,
lowered The rope to their comrades below, and swung
them up from The ground thus giving them access TO
the Commi1ec.
Twelve minutes had elapsed since the alarm was
sounded on the FIRE bell when the door Of the north
ern chamber opened. few members appeared with
out their coats, and addressed few WORDS to the
heaying suTglIg masses below. The DIN OF human
voices that arose completely drowned The speakers
words. il was understood that the capture OF the
prisoners announced. Cries OF g hang them
up :" now and here :" ensued, and the tumut and
each moment greater \ MEMBER OF me
Committee waved MS hand, significant OF assent 20
the proposition, and IN momentary iuli We could
catch the remark, hurriedly and euergeucally made
. We have them-never feaT-Itls all right y and
athunderlne shout Of wild COngratu2iion announces
that the people below were fully bent upon WIT
Messing justice done as Their representatives IN me
chamber above. 4 few of the Committee then dash
ed out the glass above the door of the southern
chamber and one Of their number mounted into the
opening hOCIng one end Of rope. DeXteTously
ciDelng 10 the ClapbOaTds On the outside, ne man
aged 10 pass the rope through the block, and return
ed with The TWO ends 10 the floor Both doors oil the
Committee rooms were then closed-f7e JdfGi ropfs
mSidt.
II was now within fifteen minutes Of p. NJ
seventeen minutes only having been spent IN rescu-
Inc the prisoners from the jail, conveying them 10
the rooms, and completing the pTelIminaTes OF lher
execution. The great, dense. aglia'ed crowd that
covered the roofs, and clung by dozens 10 the sides
of all the adjoining houses and packed me streets,
darkened the walls and filled the rigging and boats
along the docks, presented IN awful and imposing
kind Ten thousand faces were upturned, and every
eye was fixed upon the doors of the Committee
chambers. The vast coDcourse was stiled almost
the hush of death but this was only Tor lew sec
Onds Tive minutes only had passed after the ropes
were draw IN, and already the crowd showed Signs
OF impotence. The nrst murmur had scarcely
arisen, however. when the doors of both Chambers
were simultaneously jerksd OPEN presenting 10 view
each OF the prisoners, half surrounded at each door
by members of the committee. terrific shout
rent the air. The multitude tossed to and fro
OH oil amid all lint
band 81 the Brothers Of Vigilance, and IN their hands
the fantng, dropping. gasping CRIMINALS, Their arms
pnlored and then feet secured The rope was
about then necks their coats having been removed,
and they stood aRhdst and trembling the Dref sec
ond of lifetime allowed them TO confront the stormy
sea OF human beings spread far out below them. An
other second OF tune and they were tossed lar ont
into space, and drawn like lightning up TO the beams
end Both were executed al one and the same IN
slant, the signal beng gwen throughout the cham
bers, and the members rushing back with the rope
until the cupus each had been dragged 10 the block
and hung almost motlonlesS by the neck. Then a
few cOnyulsve throbs, and the names of Mckenzie
and Whitaker were but empty words-thor taber-
nacles OF flesh cold lii i" obstructon'S apathy"
While they were hanging the crowd below vented
in whispers, and some of the more thoughtless in
shouts, their approval. One Ortwo OF the Committee
very indecoIousiy appeared al the threshold from
which poor wreches had the instant before passed
INTO eternity, and seemed TO recognize acqudin,-
ances among the popace, exhibiting very little rev.
erence for the sacTedesS and solemnly OF DEATH 10
"
and coarse shirts and was hung from The beam N
font OF the northern room of the Committee. While
beng dragged t. the fatal spot from the further end
OF the room, he mamie SteC an overwhelming fright
and terror His face pald, MS eyes upturned,
his hair seemed 10 stand out from the scalp and every
fibre OF his flesh qulvered and seemed 10 clutch exist
ence. Whitaker was more apatheilc and unmoyed.
lie was cleanly dressed, and was much the best look
ing man OF the two. Mckenzie exhibited a coun-
teTance, when brought up TO the door that few who
looked upon At VIII ever forget. The spectators
turned away from the bodies while swinging IN the
air, and the great crowd began to disperSe, slowly,
silently, solennly. Numbers OF men were continually
arriving n The ground the earliest corners took
their departure. Over fifteen thousand people, prob
ably, visited the place of execution during the after
noon.
The bodies, after hanging forty minutes were
taken down and being found that life still remain
ed In the body of Whitaker 1t was again suspended
from the beam. Twenty minutes thereafter II was
again cut down, and then, we. understand, the Coro
ner was admitted 10 hold his inquest. But two or
three witnesses were examined AZ the inquest The
ply sclans present decided that the necks not
broken, ana the Jury returned the following verdict
In accordance with the testimony, the Jury. after
deliberate consideration, have come to the conclu-
SION, and accordingly render their verdict, that
Samuel Whitaker and Robert Mckenzie came TO
their death by beng hanged by the neck thereby pro-
ducmg StTane ulsOn, by the act of body of citizens
styling themselves the Vigilance Committee Of San
Francisco on the afternoon of SUNDAY. Aug. 81, at
about O'Clock, IN front of the Vigilance Committee
Room, on Battery-st, near CaIf0rnia-st., from the
% story thereof (Signed)
THBo PAYNE, JNO. {. WRISwoLD,
JAS. HAGaN, WN. NJ MOORE,
J. sBocUM, JAS. II. WINGATE,