The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-06

beams the loose exremitlcs of the haers being taken
within the building itself and crcbly held ny members OF
committee Full six thousand people were present
who kept an awful silence during the short time these
preparations lasted. But the wretches were
swung OF one tremendous shout Of satisfaction burst
from the excited multitude and then there silence
again
ANer the bodies had hung about half an hour the pco
pie addressed by Mr.. Branpan, DR.. Robinson and
Mr. Peyran and shortly afterwards they slowly dispersed
H. the OF hour later the bodies delivered
over 10 the author tiles ant the same evening coroners
jury returned the following ycrdct:"fn accordance
with the foregoing testimony, the jury after deliberate
consideration have come u the conclusion and accord
ingy render their verdict, that Samuel Whitaker and
Robert Mckenzie 70 their death by being hanged by
the neck thereby producing sranguaon the act of
body OF citizens styling themselves the Vigilance Com
mit'ee OF San Francisco on the afternoon Of Sunday
August Oath instant at about three O'Clock, in front OF
the Vigilance Committee Rooms, Battery street.
California street, from the second story thereof" As
heretofore, steps were taken by the authorities i'm
plement the verdict OF the jury.
This the last time the committee took or found oc
cason TO exercise their functions Henceioward the ad
minstraon OF justice might be safely e in tho hands OF
the usual officials The city now pretty well ceansed
OF crime. The fate OF jenkins, stuart Whitaker and
Mckenzie showed that rogues and roguery Of whatever
KIND could no longer expect TO find safe lurking place in
warned OF by the committee, had departed and gone,
some to other lands, and into the mining regions
and towns of the interior. Those. however, who still
clung 70 California found refuge any where in the
State Previously, different OF Lynch law had occur
red in the gold districts but these solitary instances
which had been caused BY the atrocity Of particular
crimes. When, however, the Vigilance Committee OF San
Francisco had started up, fully organized, and began
their great work, Sacramento stockton San Jose Well
a. other towns, and the more hckly peopled mining
quarters, likewise formed their committees OF vigilance
and safety and bounced upon all tho rascal within their
bounds. These associations nterchanged information
with each other a 70 the movements Of the suspected
and ALL with the hundred eyes Of Argus and the hun
dred arms OF Brareus watched, pursued, harrassed
and finally caught the worst desperadoes Of the country
Like Cain, murderer and wandercr, most of them
were, they bore mark on the brow, BY which they
were known. Some were hanged at various places,
some were dashed and branded but the greater number
simply ordered to leave the country, within limit
ed time under penalty Of immediate death il found after
n stated period Within its limits. Justice longer
blind or leaden heelcd. With the pers and
speed Of bloodhound she tracked criminals TO the
lair, and smote them were they lay.
Thus by almost unversa!-a national effort was our
beautiful country, which had long contained and been
dehied by the swcepngs from the prisons and the
thieves alleys Of other lands, made pure
sweet and safe Hercules did greater labor when he
cieansed the Augean stable by turning river through
people of San Francisco had turned the great stream
justice from it, former Slow devious and uncertain
course and sent its waters headong TO overwnen cmi
mails and wash society clean from the stains that crime
had left For long time afterwards, the whole of Cali
ornia remained comparatively free from ourages against
person and property.
From all the evidence that can be obtained it is not
supposed that single instance occurred in which really
innocent man suffered the extreme penalty of death.
Those who executed generally confessed their guilt
and admitted the punishment to have been mcrited We
have that the of three OF those
hanged at San Francisco.
The Vigilance Committee has long ceased TO act bu.
the ASSOCIATION mas never been formally dissolved The
original members doubtless ready, il sad
zion should require again TO assert the right of self pre-
servston, and the supremacy Of natural law deec
tive civil rules, tedious If not corrupt tribunals mastery
of scoundrc and the quirks OF professional trcters
thereby the substantial ends of justice be best
alone obtained, and society relieved from the horrors
unchecked and triumphant viany Let rogucs, then
beware II l., however 10 be sincerely hoped thai
again shall there need to be revived h errb,
times OF 1851 California Is perhaps not quite sub
TO the influence and strength Of law most of the
Atlantic States the civilized countries in Europe
but she Is fast being gently and securely broken in to
majestic and sautary sway Her has been unlike
that of any other modern nation and the many anomalies
in her history must be peculiarly and eneny judged.
God save California