The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1856-07-08
fronr California.
EXECUTION OF CORA AND CASEY
THE MURDERERS.
Tie whole State under Mob Law.

The whole State under Mob LaNE.
| A "law and order party assembled at
San Francisco, on the 21st June, to advise
measures to prevent the execution of Cora
and Casey by the I" Vigilance Committee"
| The meeting contained about 9, 600 persons;
which proved that the community were on
the side of the "Vigilance Committee"
who had, the same day force of 10000
persons, large number under arms, around
| their Committee rooms, guarding the pri
soners. Three thousand muskets and two
| field pieces were amongst the weapons dis
| play ed in every direction. While prepara-
! tions were making for the burial of Mr..
King, the murdered man, preparations were
also making for the execution of his murde-
rer and Cora. A procession, one mile in
length, was following the body of the mur-
dered man to the grave, while 10000 people
surrounded the gallows where the murder
ers were hanging. A San Francisco paper
| describes the execution as follows:
The rooms of the Committee in
two story granite building and platform
was extended from each of the two front
windows of the second floor, extending a
| bout three feet beyond the line of the build
ing, and provided with hinge at the outer
| line of the window sill, the extreme end be-
| ing held up by means of cord attached to
the beam, which projected from the roof of
the building, and to which the fatal rope
| was also attached.
About one o'clock the prisoners were
brought to the windows in view of the null
titude, dressed in their usual costume, and
mounted the platform, having their arms
pinioned. They both appeared 10 be firm,
and but little affected by the dreadful fate
that awaited them. Before placing the rope
upon their necks, an opportunity was given
them to speak to the people assembled,
when Carey said:
''Oh my poor mother, my poor mother
how her heart will bleed at this news. 1t is
her pain | feel now. This will wiring her
heart, but she will not believe am a mur-
| derer. / but resented an injury, my poor
mother. Oh, my mother, God bless you.
Gentlemen, pardon you, as hope G cd
will forgive you, as l hope he will forgive
me-Amen! Oh my, poor mother! Oh,
God have mercy upon me. My Jesus, take
care of me. Oh God, with accumulated
guilt of % or % years, have mercy upon
me-my poor mother -
Cora did not say word. or desire to-
He stood upon the scaffold during Casey's
speech perfectly unmoved, and when the
rope was put around his neck he was as un-
concerned as before. At twenty minutes
past one O'Clock, every thing being ready,
| the cord was cut and the doomed men were
both launched into eternity. They were
dropped six feet, and expired apparently
without any struggling, except few mo-
tions ofthe lower limbs. During this solemn
and awful ceremony perfect stiffness and
silence were observed by the vast throng
who were spectators of the scene. The bo-
dies were afterwards handed over to the
coroner. After a lengthy consultation, the
Jury came to determination to find that
the deceased, James Z. Casey and Charles
Cora, came to their deaths by hanging.
which hanging was committed by body of
men styling themselves a Vigilance Com
mittee.
Previous to the execution, Belle Cora was
sent for, at the request of the spiritual ad-
wiser of Cora, and they were formally mar
red by the priest about thirty minutes be-
fore the execution. The woman appeared
very indignant, and looked angrily at the
members of the Committee.
The work of death being thus ended, the
body of armed men who had acted as guards
on the occasion, were all drawn up in line
on Sacramento street, extending from Da-
Wis street to Sansome street, double file,
and were reviewed by the superior officers.
The friends of Casey took his body and
followed it, to the number of four or five
hundred, to the grave. He had no rela-
tives here, but leaves an aged mother, who
resides in New York. Cora's body was
given to Belle Cora, on whose account he
killed Gen. Richardson. She displayed the
greatest devotion to him, and attended him
with many signs of mourning to the ceme-
terry.
SUICIDE OF YANKEE SULLIVAN.
Early on Friday morning, June the lst,
the city was stirred into a wordy uproar by
the announcement that Yankee Sullivan
had committed suicide the night before in
his cell at the rooms of the committee
This was true. He had severed the brach-
i4l artery of the left arm, with knife which
was taken to his cell with his food.
Fifteen hundred arrests were made i'll
San Francisco on the 5th, by the Commit
tee. Among them was Charles Duane,
chief of the fire department.
Over $4,000 has been subscribed for the
relief of the family of Jas. King
Ned McGowan. Casey's accompl;ce, has
escaped from the State.
The Governor and some of the public au-
thorities are endeavOring to put down ''mo5