Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-02-24
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEES.
a Reconnaissance of OIden Times in
San Francisco.


AT midnight on the 18th of June, 1851,
the denlzens of San Francisco were start
led from their slumbers by the tolling of
the bell on the California engine house.
Soon, excited individuals were seen rush
ing through the streets in all directions,
making eager inquiries of each other as
TO the cause of the unusual sounds, while
others were collected in groups on the
strcet-corners and sidewalks, discussing
III low, earnest tones some important
topic. 1t was evident, from these facts,
that something unusual was TRANSPORTING,
not fully understood by the masses. But
the explanation soon came in the heavy,
measured tread of body of men moving
up California street, toward Montgomery.
Quickly, but steadily and solidly, they
marched, through Montgomery to Clay,
up Clay to the plaza, where they halted
and formed into hollow square, facing
outward, silently awaiting further orders
This was the famous Committee of Vigi-
lance, out in all its strength tonight, pre-
pared to mete out summary justice, IN
hindered by legal bubbles or technicali-
ties, to one of the horde of villains who,
Tor some m0nths past, had defed the law,
the courts and the people. This man had
been arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced,
ana was about to be executed, all within
the space OF a few hours, by this power
full, self-constituted tribunal, formed of
the solid men OF the city and Endorsed by
all lovers of justice The causes which
gave rise to its organization were most
certainly justitiable at that time, and un-
der the then-existing circumstances. 1t
is a sad state Of affairs, it is true which
forces people Of civilized community to
resort to the extreme measures of taking
the law in their own hands, and it is, as a
general thing, dangerous precedent to
establish anywhere. But in this instance,
at least, it was justifiable, for the people
of San Francisco, in 1851, resorted to the
only means of self preservation left them,
a perSOnal defense of their lives and their
property, and, acting upon the old saying
that " you must fight the devil with fire.
they formed themselves into a secret or
ganization, pledged to stand by each other
at all hazards in Kidding the city at last of
the cause of their fears, 'tThe Thugs
and as this man Jenkins was one of that
notorious gang, and had been caught in
the act of robbery, and was known to be
a house burner and murderer, he was fit
subject on which to begin the crusade
We who live in California to-day, and
were not residents here during the first
years of her history, can form no idea of
the state of society then existing Men of
every shade of character, temperament
and occupation came to the new EI Dorado
in search Of gold. Among them to arrive
were some Of the most desperate and law
Gess scoundrels known in the annals of
crime, and as San Francisco was the entire
pot for the whole country, it was very
soon infected and overrun with class of
desperadoes from every quarter of the
globe, who saw here a fruitful field for
the repetition of the tricks and Outrages
which had rendered their late abodes too
Evarm for them. The large cities of the
Atlantic States and Europe had furnished
their quota, the Spanish American towns
had lent a liberal supply of delegates, and
many of the disbanded volunteers who had
won the country from Mexico turned out
80 be men of the worst character. But the
most desperate and clever scoundrels came
from Australia. Those "Sidney Coves''
were either escaped convicts, ticket-of-
leave men, or had finished their term of
banishment or ser"itude in that vast penal
colony of Great Britain, who, on their
arrival in San Francisco, seeing the
almost entire absence of law and the hete-
rogeneous state of society, began at once
their depredations on the inhabitants of
the unprepared and unprotected town, and
up to this time lad continued to commit
theft, arson, robbery, murder and every
other crime known to law, unmolested
What little of the law that existed was
powerless to check in the slightest degree
this reign of crime-in fact, if had be
come a matter of ridicule The police
were few in number, and many of them
were IN league with the criminals, and
when one of the rascals was brought to
trial it was impossible to secure convic-
ton
From technical errors, sharp lawyers,
Gdlse swearing of witnesses for the prison
ers laws i'll understood and worse ap-
piled, timidity of jurors, and weakness
andveaality of the judge, the case gener-
silly broke down, and the offender went
free Not 'one criminal had been exc
cuted, yet it was notorious that at least
ont hundred murders had been commit
tel within the space of few months in
the city limits, while instances OF arson,
burglary, theft and robbery were q daily
occurrence. The carnival of crime had