The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-02-24
THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
A Rem iniscence Of Olden Times In
San Francisco.

THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
A Reminiscence Of Olden Times in
San Francisco.
AT midnight ON the 18th Of June, 1851,
the denizens 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
street-corners and sidewalks discussing
| in low, earnest tones some important
topic. 1t was evident, from these facts,
that something unusual was transpiring,
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 Nigi-
lance, out in all its strength to-night, pre-
pared to mete out summary justice, un-
hindered by legal bubbles or technicali-
ties, to one of the horde of villains who,
for some months past, had detied the law,
the courts and the people. This man had
been arrested, tried, convicted, sentenced,
and was about to be executed, all within
the space of few hours, by this power
full, self-constituted tribunal, formed of
the solid men of the city and indorsed by
all lovers of justice. The causes which
gave rise to its organization were most
certainly justifable at that time, and un-
der the then existing circumstances. 1t
is sad state of affairs, it is true, which
forces people of civilized community 10
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, rcsorted to the
only means of selfpreservation 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 secret Or
ganization, pledged to stand by each other
at all hazards in ridding the city at last of
the cause of their fears, "The 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 today, 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 Ell Dorado
in search of gold. Among them to arrive
were some of the most desperate and law
less 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 fruitful field for
the repetition of the tricks and Outrages
which had rendered their late abodes too
warm for them. The large cities of the
Atlantic States and Europe had furnished
their quota, the Spanish American towns
had lent liberal supply of delegates, and
many of the disbanded volunteers who had
won the country from Mexico turned out
to be men of the worst character. But the
most desperate and clever scoundrels came
> from Australia. Those "Sidney Covcs'
were either escaped convicts, tiCket-ot
leave men, or had finished their term o
Punishment or servitude in that vast pena
colony of Great Britain, who, on thei
arrival in San Francisco, seeing thu
almost entire absence of law and the hete
rogeneous state of society, began at onc'
their depredations on the inhabitants o
the unprepared and unprotected town, ant
up to this time lad continued to commi
theft, arson, robbery, murder and ever.
other crime known to law, unmolested
, What little of the law that existed wa
powerless to check in the slightest degree
this reign of crime-in fact, if had be
come a matter of rdicule The polio
were few in number, and many Of then
| were in league with the criminals, AM
, when one of the rascals was brought t.
trial it was impossible to secure convic
5 ton.
r From technical errors, sharp lawyers
false swearing of witnesses for the prison
ers, laws i'll understood and worse ap
l piled, timidity of jurors, and weakness
5 and venality of the judge, the case gener
, ally broke down, and the offender wen
e free. Not one criminal had been exc
$ cuted, yet it was notorious that at leas
j. one hundred murders had been commit
, ted within the space OF a few months il
G the city limits, while instances OF arson
j, burglary, theft and robbery were of dali
: occurrence. The carnival of crime ha
t truly assumed fearful and alarmin
1 shape. The city had five times been a
$ most entirely destroyed by fire, and it ha
G become absolutely unsafe to walk tn
S streets after dark A regularly organize
band of these cut-throats was known I
exist, with its headquarters in San Frar
K cisco, and branches in every town an
e principal mining camp in the State. l
O the spring of 1S49 the people had risen
It ,nasse and made an effort to crush thel
It out, but the means adopted were too mil
TO subdue the hounds" Although the
% were for time dispersed and their orgal
ization disbanded, it continued to exis
and, at the time of which we write. was
v numerous and powerful band, with pc
r manen. place and regular time Of holdir
!. meetings. A systematized code Of signal
passwords and signs he'd been adopted
J. was officercd and led by some OF the mo
] desperate and clever scoundrels tn
70 ever infested community, many OF who
were prominent men of the city. J!
place of meeting was at the house OF OF
a. Jim Edwards, on the south side OF Paeil
street. hstyeen Montgomery and sanaoa