Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-06-30
EVENING STAR.
THE REVOLUTION IN SAN FRAKCIsco
Execution of Casey and Cora.-Suicide Of
Yankee Sulliv an, SC, &c.


gives the following account Of the operations
of the Vigilance Committee
On the 2lst Of May, the streets upon the
| square Of the Wig lance Committee were oc-
cupied by ten to fifteen thousand persons, mo-
| mentaTily expecting the execution of Cora aid
Casey, who had been adjudged to death. The
crowds were kept back by the military and
mounted horse until sunset, when they dis
persed. The shades of night gathered around
| the city-James King of William lay in his
shroud-but the Avenger had lot yet claimed
| the dread penalty.
| The next day, three thousand bayonets
| cleaned in the golden sunlight Early in the
day preparations for the funeral we're COM
menced. Steamers were arriving with mill
| tary companies, societies, deputations and
| citizens from the river towns, and the streets
were now crowded with people. The shops
remained closed, and draped in mourning At
| III 0 clock the church was opened for the fune-
| raj service, and was soon filled almost en-
tirely with ladies'. Long lines Of mourners
| were formed In the streets in the vicinity
| More than twenty thousand persons were as
| sembled TO take part in the ceremonies Pres
emily, large carriage was seen approaching
the church. The people opened for its pas
sage, and involantarily raised their hats Ev
| cry cheek was wet with tears; for all knew
that in it were the bereaved widow and the
six beautiful little children of the City's idol.
| The services were short, but extremely sol
| emn and impressive. 1t was remarked that
the hosts Of the Vigilance Committee were not
| IN the procession, but stood by their arms in
| Sacramento street. Itwas presumed that this
Was merely a precautlon against surprise
| from the officials and the friends of the pris.
| oners, during the funeral ceremonies. Bands
of music headed the procession to Lone Noun.
| tain Cemetery, but their instruments were
mufled, and not a sound broke the stiffness of
that funeral march, save the stifled sObs Of the
| many mOurners
Now, a dreadful rumor filled the air. 1t
/ was said the Committee were erecting scaf-
| folds on the roof Of their building THOUSANDS
| from every quarter of tn, city rushed towards
| Sacramento street. A horrible scene opened
| upon their vision. Masses Of infantry were
drawn up on every side Of the prison, laISed
| by cavalry with drawn sabres. Dangling be-
| tween heaven and Garth, from beams thrust
out from the two great windows Of the Com
mittee rooms, were the livid corpses of James
| p. Casey and Charles Cora. Every square in
| The vicinity was filed with excited people,
aud the house-tOps were completely covered.
| Notwithstanding the prevalent impression that
! the execution would not take place till the
morrow, more than twenty thousand men must
| have been witnesses of the hOrrid scene
| A quiet day followed the funeral and execu-
ton Business was generally resumed-many
| Of the wholesale houses having opened for the
| first time for several days Hus few compa-
nies Of military were still under arms, to guard
| the approaches to the Vigilance rooms and to
| protect the Committee in their deliberations.
| On the oath, the grand jury reported q true
| bill against udga Edward McGowan and Pc
| ter Nightman, a butcher, as accessories to the
| murder Of Mr. King. 1t was supposed the
| Committee had also full proof Of The cOmpli-
city of these two men, and that the conspiracy
embraced many others Armed scouts were
| Immediately sent cut by the Vigilants in sv;
| cry direction to search for the fugitive and
all the outlets OF the city were g"..rded to pre-
| vent an escape, If the n-,soners were still in
the city: Warr-.nts were procured and all
| susPeV. houses searched, but without sue
=, cess Steamers were sent to overhaul vessels
| leaving the port. One schooner, reported to
| have McGowan on board, was chased outside
| the Heads, and a tremendous excitement was
kept up all day as the coast telegraph from
| hour to hour reported the probabilities of the
| chase. The vessel was at last overhauled,
| but the steamer returned without the game.
The day after the execution the movements
| of the Vigilance Committee evidenced plainly
| that the work OF purifcatlOn had but Just COM
| meneed. Carpenters were set to work fitting
| up cells in the upper rooms of the stcne build
| ing used as the United States Appraisers
stToe-loads of bedding and a large cooking
| stove were carried into the building, and n
heavy triangle swung from frame on the roof,
| a strike upon which could be heard in the far
| thest corner Of the city. None were allowed
| to enter the building without the password.
| Presently al armed detachment marched into
| Montgomery street. arrested Billy Mulligan,
i one of the Sheriff g deputies; Martin Gala
| CHER, ballot-boX suffer- and Yankee Sullivan,
| ditto, and prize fighter. Other arrests speed.
| lily followed, until, last Saturday, the cells
| contained eight or ten of the worst characters
| in the city.
On the 3lst OF May, at about ii O'Clock, an
| other tale of horror was on every bOdy's lips.
| Sullivan had committed suicide in his cell, by
severing an artery in his right arm with a
dinner knife. In the morning he had com
planned to his guard Of horrid dreams He
thought rope was fastened about his neck
| that he stood upon the drop-that he was
swung of, and woke up almost strangling,
with cold perspiration on his brow. The
guard assured him that he was lot to be hung;
that he was to be sent out of the country only
He said he knew it-but that he deserved to
| die-acknowledged dreadful crimes. and then
lay down OIL his bed again. When his break
| fast was carried in he was found dead. Sulli-
van had asked the protection of the British Con
| sul-but Mr. Aiken returned him word that
| the British lion would not roar for such as be;
that if he took charge of him he should send
him to Sydney in irons, from whence he was
| an escaped convict Sullivan was an inspec-
| tor or Judge Of the election when Casey was
| stuffed in as a Supervisor Of the county.
The night before Sullivan's death, it was re-
ported that the Governor was about TO issue
proclamation against the people of San Fran
| cisco-that habeas corpus was to be served
| upon the Committee by the Supreme Court
| for the delivery to it of the prisoners-that the
guns were TO be demanded-and that Gov
johnson had asked assistance from Gen. Wool,
and from the u. s. slOop- ofwar John Adams
| now in port. On Saturday morning these ru
mOrs began to assume consistency, and the
whole force of the Committee was at once
placed under arms. The streets were cleared
for two blocks on both sides of the Committees
prison Six additional heavy brass pieces
were mounted and swivels loaded with grape
were placed on the roof. Two large pieces of
cannon we're placed so as to sweep Sacramen-
to street. These guns were guarded by one
hundred French muskets Two more guns,
guarded by hundred of Sharpe rifles, point |
ed down Davis street to the steamboat land |
ing A stroke on the triangle wonld have
called ten thousand men to arms. But news