The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-10-11
THREE WEEKS LATER PROM
CALIF0RN MA.

] 4
/ The steamship Prometheus, from San Juan,
arrived At this port last evening, and brings
San Francisco dates 10 the 9th September
She brlngs 81 20 900 ~ freight, aud there 10
a large amount in the hands Of passenger
who number four hundred and sixty i've
! The steamer Tennessee sailed from San
Francisco for PansnA on the first Of Septem-
ber with tho mails and OHe million screen hun
dred thousand doiidrs IN specie a. freight, and
about two HUNDRED and Ghy paSeengers. The
steamer Constitution sailed the same day with
one hundred thousand dollars in specie and
about one hundred and twenty passengeu
The steamer propeller Lafayette, on her
first trip from New York b. ChAgres, was to-
tally destroyed by FIRE at the latter port on the
10th September.
Three entire squares in the business part
Of MAryHyille, wrre destroyed by fire August
SOth-E Eighty buildings burnt and loss esti'
mated NJ half million.
The Indians are very troublesone on the
route from Great Salt Lake City a. aacra-
ment0. The mail riders are repeatedly at
tackled aud several emigrnnts have been kill
cd. 80.
fir HWY nom riIu ruiuuE ruUtIUurT fHvuIv
able, bat the market IL very quiet Business
has been interrupted on account Of the oloc-
ton, but brisk trade l. spr,nging mp, and
the miners hro about laying IN stores prepan
atury 10 tie rainy season, which is thought IN
be- near a. hand.
The FIRE 10y which the steam propeller La
ftVctte was burned 10 the waters edge, Oc-
currod on the nth September, while she wac
lying in Chagrcs whore she had arrived n
few days previous, and had taken on board a
few passengers from New York. The fire IL
said 10 have proceeded from Quantity az
campheno shipped by Pslmcr's Exprcss.--
The passengers saved nothing bat their lives
and the nlotlcs on their backs
The ls,e State and Congressional election
which has bcon held in California appears 10
have been warmly contested throughout, and
forw or three weeks previous ia the sailing
OF thu kieaIncr il appears 10 have absorbed
the attention OF the people, almost 10 the ex-
clusion Of every thing else. Tho returns, a.
q Ear as received, mp 20 the 9Th uli-, from tho
counties Of San Francisco, Sacramento, lolo,
Nevada, III Dorado, S1lano, Marin. Tuolum-
nc. san Joaquin. Calavcras, and Santa ilnra,
= giro pcarse II. Reading, Wing. a majority
oyer john Bigler, Domocrai OF about 1000
. votes, on the ticket for Governor, aud the
, balance of tho State ticket 4 majority OF from
600 10 500 The conniioA Ia hear from will,
4 il IL supposed, iucrcase Readings majority "a
5OOO. The Democrats lave undoubtedly
u sas~s-l tLs Legislature, aud have thus sss'nr-
cd the election Of DcmOcrAtic u. y. Senator
TO take the place OF Col. Fremont whose term
= expired last March, The Democrats have
also, it is generally conceded, elected two
Representatives 70 Congrcss.
II " frtc-s rTrrTcrf UvUry wad ~ san
= Fnnrisco but one, aud their aggregate ma
jority in the city is about two thousand.
4 man named Robinson, having been re-
pricvcd hy the Governor. was publicly exc
cutcd by the Vigilance Committee Of san
Franeisco, and also two men named Mcken-
Sio and Whitaker have been executed Two
others have been executed ~ Sacramento,
since which perfect quiet has been restored.
The greatest excitement had attended the
case of Whitaker and Mckenzie. They
were arrested at the Instance OF the Vigilance
Committee and kept in custody, having cog
Eessed To n number Of daring robberies, On
the morning Of the 2ist August, before day
light, the city authorities proceeded 10 the
rooms OF the Committee, and without hind
rance took possession OF Whitaker aud Nc
KehEie, and conveyed them to the Jail. When
the populaco were Informed Of this act, the
widest excitement was manifested, aud final
" on Sunday afternoon, shortly after two o.
clock, the prisoners were forcibly rescued
from tho Jail aad Goa - the reet,s- ,e TIRE
COMMITTEES, and in an incredible short space
OF time the instruments Of execution were ad-
justcd, and they were launched into eternity,
amidst shout Of justification from the crowd.
Robinson, the man hung in Sacramento,
was also taken by the people from the Jail,
and his confession is a catalogue Of villRnies
as black as those recently made 10y tho man
Stuart.
The san Francisco Herald OF August 25th,
ia speaking Of the rescue and execution Of
Whitaker and Mckenzie by thes. Vigilance
Committee, saws the whole affair was conduct
cd with such expedition that before those in
Montgomery street, who know Of the rescue
almost rs soon as it occurred, could run down
TO the Committee rooms, the prisoners had
tbeon carried within, and the bell of the Mon
umental engine had commenced to strike the
we'll known signal for tho instant assemblagc
of the Committee. All understood in au in
/ slant how matters stood, and the whole city
rushed towards Battery street. The work
of preparation for the execution was finished
in an incredibly short space OF time. Ropes
were rove through two blocks hanging from
beams projecting from tho Committee rooms
in the second story Tho two ends were taxi
en- inside the room, and in moment after
the two criminals were led to the door in their
shirt sleeves, and in an instant they were
/ ierkcd simultaneously into the air until their
heads struck tho blocks as they were launch
ed into eternity.
A tremendous shout Of satisfaction went up
| from the immense crowd, not n movement of
any kind was made to Interfere with the eN-
ccuton, all seemed 20 be conducted with the
utmost order, there was no apparent confusion
I or hesitation. After tho doomed mcn had
been hanging about an hour, they were low
! cred, and Mckenzie was taken into the com
mitiee room and bled by a physician present,
Ia see IL life was extinct; strange to say blood
followed the stroke of the lancet, which indi-
Gated that life was not wholly extinct. lie
was again hauled up into the air, the crowd
stood quietly watching this scene for several
hours. At sunset, the bodies were taken in
Z r ~ n.N.
mittce summoned Coroner Gallagher TO hold
an inquest The jury subsequently, rendered
verdict in accordance with the facts stated
The great fire at Marysvilio, on the 30th
August, is supposed to have been the work
Of an incendiary.
The San francisco papers coutain letter
from Mr. Mckee, the Indian Commissioner,
,sho amman ~ IN have bccn eutnentfv succcgs-