The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-02-18
THE HANGING OF JENKINS.
A story Of the Old N Days I'm Call
ffornia-Thc Work OF the Vigilance
Committee in 1881.
From the Oakland (Cal.) Ncws.1

ifornia-Thc Work OF the Vigilance
Committed In 1851.
From the Oakland (Cal.) News.l
At midnight on the 18th of June, 1851,
the denizens Of San Francisco were
startled from their slumbers by the
tolling of the bell on the California
Engine House. Soon, excited individu-
ais were seen rushing through the streets
in all directions, making eager inquiries
Of each other rs to the cause of the I'M
usual sounds, while others were collect
ed in groups about the street corners
and sidewalks, discussing in low, earn
est tones some important topic. 1t was
evident from these facts that something
unusual was transpiring not fully I'M
derstood by the masses. But the ex-
PLANTATION soon came in the heavy,
measured tread of a body of men mov-
ing up California Street towards Mont
gomery. Quickly but steadily and
solidly they marched, through Mont
gonery to Clay, up Clay to the plaza,
where they halted and formed into q
hollow square, facing outwards, silently
awaited further orders. This was the
famous. Committee of Vigilance, out
in all its strength tonight, prepared TO
mete out summary justice, unhindered
by legal bubbles or techniealities, to
one of the horde of villains who. for
some months, had defied the law, the
courts and the people. This mar had
been arrested, tried convicted, SEN
fenced, and was about to be executed,
all within the space Of few hours, by
this powerful, 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 Organiza-
ton were most certainly iustitiable at
that time and under the then existing
circumstances. 1t is a sad state of af-
fairs, it is true, which forces the people
of a civilized community to sort to
the extreme measures of taking the law
into their own hands, and it is as a
general thing, a dangerous precedent
to establish anywhere, But in this in
stance, at least, it was justifiable, for
the people of San Francisco in 1851 re-
sorted to the only means of self-pres-
ervation 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 organi-
cation, pledged to stand by each other
at all hazards in Kidding the city at last
Of the cause of their fears, ''The Thugs"
and as this mar jenkins was n of
that notorious gang, and had been
caught in the actof robbery, and known
to be a house-burner and murderer, he
was a fit subject on which to begin the
crusade.
We who live in California to-day, and
were not residents here during the first
year of her history, a form no idea of
the state of society then existing. Men
of every shade of character, tempera-
ment and occupation came to the new
Ell Dorado in search of gold. Among
them to arrive were some of the most
desperate and lawless scoundrels known
in the annals of crime, and as San Fran
cisco was the entra porte for the whole
country, it was soon infected and over
run with a class of desperadOes from ev-
cry quarter of the globe, who saw here
a fruitful field for the repetition of the
tricks and outrages which had render
ed their late abodes too warn 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 to
be men of the worst character. But
the most desperate and clever scoun-
drels came from Australia. Those