The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1856-06-26
Terrible Sesmsx IN San Francisco.
MURDER OF AN EDITOR
Revival Of the Old vigilance 4 on,mit,re

the l1th inst, the following account "l Ire
recent terrible excitement in San Francisco,
growing out Of the murder of jaws kING,
Editor Of the Bdtetm by JAMES T.. c.ssrY,
Editor Of the Sunday Time The letter 10
thu Ncg York Time, is dated May 10Th Mr..
KING, it appear, was greatly beloved aud RS
pec,ed by all the people Of San Francisco. ey.
cept the gambler, rowdie- and shoulder a'rl-
kers.' lie had devoted large space in his
paper to the exposition of the yilainies Of the
officials anil Others who have lived by plumber
and fraud, and which drew upon him the wrath
OF these gentry The immediate cause OF his
assassination was an article charging ChsrY
with being Sing Sing convict
TUE MURDER.
TN Wednesday afternoon last, at about FIVE
clock. the whole city was reused by the re
port that james X ing, Of William. had been
shot dead in the greatest business thorough
fare of the city, by james !. Casey, Sing
Sing convict. Casey was known as n bal
lot-box stuiler--also as u man who had been
engaged in a murderous ARRAY, growing ont Of
Db' VI oPtiu'i'iS' tii5 mum
was prominent one among tie many hundreds
OF gamblers and shoulder strikers that have
always ruled this city, and the house OF every
harOt opened as il by magic when his well
known knock echoed through its halls. james
=. Casey was also known "a the ostensbIe ed
itor Of a Sunday paper. the Tunes which had
hundred, aye, perhaps thousands OF influential
supporters.
II can scarcely be said that there was any
excitement among the people Al least, there
was no sudden outbreak--Do ebulitiOn Of feel
ing that would naturally follow such mon
strous outrage on citizen SO deep in the alice
iQus. OF the. poplc. Bat every .!paas exc
flashed when lac spoke of it, and every man :
countenance expressed settled determination
TO avenge Mr.. Kings wrongs and the wrongs
that have been htaped upon this devoted city
Every man felt that the time had come for ac
tion-al acknowledged that there were but
two questions at issue Shall we iorsake this
fair city and deliver it up 10 the gamblers,
thieves and murdercrs or shall we drive them
to the wall
The day after the assassination the honest
men Of the city met in Council. An EYecu-
tive Committee was appointed, and the names
Of citizens were enrolled for public protection
On Friday evening several thousand names
were on the lis,. II WAS well known tina, the
sheriff had refused to deliver I'D the criminal
To the Commttee-tbat the nil was FLIED and
the adjoining houses covered with armed me,
to protect hm--that holes had been pierced in
the walls Of the Jail for muskctry aud cannon
to bear upon the citizens who were organizing
10 take him out Of prison and execute him.
Saturday evening the enrolling of names WAS
still going 90. but out OF the many thousands
who signed. none knew. save the Executive.
what was 10 he done. They only knew that
they were good men who comnosed this Gam
mttee. and that their part was 10 obey order.
On Sunday morning, at nine q clock the di-
visions began to assemble nj their nrmori,s nj
hallpast eleven o'clock. lines of citizen inlan.
try were marching from different point. toward
Broadway. in which the iail was situated The
force numbered 300 bayonet,. Presently
followed company If ridencn 100 strong.
then the artillery and a mart of n comnanv 81
horse. Five hundred men. armed with reyol-
vers, also passed into broadway. Eight hun
dred men remained in the armories ms n r,.-,ryr.
The spectacle was most solemn and imposing
one no buglcs blast or heat of drum was
heard nothing but the heavy tread of masses
OF armed men.
Scarcely word was spoken hy the thou.
sands Of spectators who choake,l up the streets
The people in ~ few minutes covered all the
steeples houses. aud hills in the vicinity of the
jail
The two thousand armed men were drawn
up on every side of the building. as il for
seige. The rifles were posted on the root, oi
the houses overlooking the prison. 4 heavy