The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-09-20
Arrest OF tho President OF the San Franciscd
Vigilance COmmlttee.
sUPREME COURT.
BE fore Hon. Jud &c Whiting.

cisco Vigilance Committee, which was ~...ss tran
Sheriff Of New York on a civil suit, s,ad 4, 49,.
days HERALD, was founded upon 49, .ma.u,. :, 49,.
n no'o ~ 80 ~ OF San Francisco, who,
nersons formed themsel- .oe"an anu sA'iooS o'n'i
ps,s ,es, at San Francisco into an
una~ls- 49, Vigilance Committee Of which the
saiu 0o.naA resident; executed and imprisoned
wHnou 'a", ~ ain persons and performed other acts
ny "h0u VIC citizens held in subsection all OF which
"efe ~" Il rebellion and piracy that Governor johnson
hsu.u proclamation against said committee, and called
or enrolment of citizens to aid him, and that said
n h. Moony enrolled himself in obedience thereto, and
received commission captain; that Governor johnson
made requistion on Gen. Wool for quantity Of arms
belonging to the State which were in Gen. WooFs posses
sion, and plaintiff, the said Moony was entrusted with its
execution. The following is the Affidavit
S Sa SD N I sms E. MSay o ae
New The California and California
~sn
aid State that deponent from city New York
Co. city,
aS s sn the gsS sass s S
year 1854. and held such once about, year, when
co%plaiRsd se sn '
fair and reputation and lived and
sna lived a Ses s 1sss
sion Of any prosecution complaint engaged any
on oSss' s%
@ ealing o acting
Which; he William Coleman i ne
else Of lawful authority and Violently usurped supreme and
regularly constituted laws authorities aud
on on So GS e S
broke open the prison s San Francisco and took
kanens PUBLIC That such and donss
a S soS Rsr
chief and head did dissolve abandon their unlawful
asurped power but sezsd fortified
IN The ely Of San Francisco: and SET watches ssntries
bands Earn and ARTILLERY forces visited
and searched the houses and dwellings citizens and
az BY and vCe9os setting an regular
renty determined seize and exercise absolute
BY force and % sm
out legal trial or opportunity for defence and sometimes with
day June coninuay long aepo
the said defendant their President chief and head
Sr ss g re ne
ar dr. ss ss ana ana pro
,he s Of ordinary scoG but they
ary eVed war agans the said Governor ans the state
nns n Of h sa s the 81
@ se sa 5 y OF may fGa M ons s
day july a 1850 fi forces. 'i Holding
I s9s % u al na % s n
q AZ private rights and and The gTsa,
States HAL 'Ssre1po1 he said q day
% + fse said ae S OF S
s Sailing Of sor nna to saro m S
II he militia Of the State and aid the government as bound
and erdr the state and heeupon in pursuance Of and
% e M and on 81 Se
SAD militia Of The state in COMPANY A. under The command Of
@ fs, or about he h
ssSsd and Caused 10 be presented 10 General John Il Wool
cSmmsndng The United States forces in California his
Ren in he possession General
d ~ s n
and request Of The said that said arms were duly
s hs E S e sse
gully placed in charge Of this me 70 BE- ito
irecton Governor Aforesaid ard enclosed in
marked and I, s Erceensy ass
clock iis nernlns e hs sls q June 100 xhls
q hs rus, and duties soresaa board Of
about midway between Benca and Gan francisco the said %
s ss sa sS se sn a.
persons ~ their employment, and under their command 70
ioienee carry away The said and
sr aha s % acting n h a ase
be and dSy 1sy The said sHsd
head and The said armed sSecgos Of their unlawful c9m a
s Said ~s aims Ts hs properly pre- the
g charge nSs coSsee for % eas
for he q the STATE 70 The order and re3gs
TsssS1 ISs SH
@ iaa BENZ sG s1sa
,sG ne q he Vigilance
and Kept n defiance and contempt authority;
sRs DE s n1 ] Ss
SS. e The ss ssGs esg 9eas sa hs
on sc ed d1 a.. 10 ss o s
Francisco, on behalf under the authority The com
% 81 s a d rn s or Sss scsq Se
actually engaged n ne SAD pra, , s G, ..
aud Aforesaid ana lhs ,aa dsponen
Gs sas s "pGn a Il he a % he
said Praea iransssSn Of Seh as mentioned aes The
Promptly ADVISED by their agents and spies ihsreupoa
p s s s aen o hep a S p
s $ II ., ssG % sn and ra
Witnesses the said and and secret,
gave orders for he immsdse deponen others
such essential and sr an rrs ss aos su
feusdsa Ss q he he
iSausans. q armed and nfuriaisd men, eIsmoroa.
iS Ss doors e aid .@oy ' and
sss VIII Al heir Grss % .as Was ao S sna pqoS
Ing The apprshsrs immediate death deponsn n
person imprisoned and confined him - the dungeon o
such dungeon his cell being changed prevent
be BELIEVES he discovery By outsider. Of bis precise o
BY poison his food in some other way zone Of he persons
under suspicious unt abou, the "a
pone va. saed out o. The sad District Court Il San Fran
directed Marshal of which the said
Commute and the sad defendant being promptly advised
they, TO- secree, and withdraw This depopen from tie
action Of the said writ caused deponent 10 be handcuned
and taken another place OF confinement by arme
men, who gave 70 deponents inquiries ~ W
what 10 be done with him, and excited his appre.
hensen thai Nc beinE id 70 death. Ansr
time this dspcnen brought back 70 his hrs place o.
huemen-hoih such places being deponen u nfQrmef
believes visited by The sad United states Marshal dups
dsponens respective absence hereom and deponent while
his second Of imprisonment, informed that said
Marshal then searching the former place and when he
through, seponen would be returned 70 II In safety
the who this information undoubtedly observing
the under which deponen hborng That
om the .t day Of June when he arrested as afre
Said l the h Of July deponeDt thus kept and
detained close prisoner twice handcunc and pW IN
irons without the excuse Of any violence OF resistance on de
and Inquiries wojch he made OF his
keepers and all u ose with whom he permitted TO come
what charges made against deponenf
who her he be allowed trial. answer or
ino nation could be obtained; and during all the mprsou
ment of deponent charge announcer or con
muncaied 10 hun. and nothing IN The shape o. = tria
ACCORDED. That the evening Of the Fourth
of Jny INA the defendant William r. Coleman and
four persons cell where deponen was i'm
prisoned and The said william Coleman announced and