The Lake County star., 1877-11-08

How THEY USED TO TREAT Law
BREAKERs.
Letter to Forest and Stream.

rBREAKERs.
Letter to Forest and Stream.
The vigilantes were made up Of all
classes Of cltizens--merchant miners
and professional men. Everyb body who
pAssessed any activity or had suffered
any grievance were counted among
these retributors. They had signs--a
code of telegraph signals--password
and vouchers as to each others faith
fulness. The whole order loving
community recognized the necessity OF
their terrible vengeance, and supported
them In sympathy If not In deed. In
general the members of the committee
were not known, and details, chosen
by the general body, were assigned to
the making OF certain arrests and con-
ducting the inevitable execution In as
quiet and disguised manner as possi-
BILE. The effort usually was to hang
their captive before he knew he was u
prisoner, allowing no time for any plan
of rescue or escape to mature. II their
justice had the terror and swift sur
prise of u lightning stroke, their work
was guided by fair judgment and re-
straint on the whole; and when one
thinks how many lives were Mt their
mercy, and richly deserving their pun-
ishment, and considers how few COM
paratively were sacrificed, he will be-
lieve that more moderation than could
be expected characterized their pro-
ceedings.
When the hand of the vigilantes be.
gan to be felt in Virginia City, the
desperadoes were alarmed. Here was
a determined check to their lawless-
ness, against which their fury was
wasted. They fled, and the news came
of the plague of their presence in other
camps. The Vigilantes were not thus
to be foiled, and scouts" of determin-
ed men started in all directions after
the miscreants. An armed police pat
rolled the territory, and no mining
camp or isolated ranch or mountain
cabin was obscure enough to hide these
wolves of society. They suspected
every man to he vigilanter, were al
ways prepared, aud often were shot
dead at last in defending themselves.
But, II possible, the pursuers captured
and hung them-hung them from
limbs Of trees, all seizing the rope to-
gether and running the condemned
men twice their height of the ground !;
standing them OH barrels and kicking
the barrels from under them the in
slant the moose was adjusted balanc-
ing a plank over u stone and playing a
short game of see-saw, with a road
agent for cOunter-pOise suspending
them four or five at n. time from the
rafters Of new, cabins, the gate posts OF
corrals and the wheels of huge freight
wagons; standing them on the tail
board OF a wagon and driving out from
under; seating them behind a vigil
anter on horse back and putting spurs
to the pony, who sprang away with
but one rider; holding them high I'm
their arms and letting them drop as far
as the hemp would allow. Such were
some of the methOds of hanging, but
the same irrevocable fate resulted from
all.
Sometimes the ruffians would trem-
BILE, and plead and threaten in crazed
and incOherent despair; prayer and
menace were unheeded by their stern
captors. But ordinarily they died as
they had lived, reckless of present or
future, and profaning every sentiment
which men deemed worthy of respect.
Launch your - old boat; it's only
a mud-scOw anyway" ordered one as
he stood on the shore of eternity.
Gentlemen, I'm green at this busi-
ness, never having been hung before.
Shall jump off or slide of?o Being
told to jump he leaped into the air, as
one steps from his carriage after O
morning ride.
The road agents rarely buried their
murdered victims; the vigilantes
usually left the malefactors hanging
where they put them, allowing friends
to bury them where they pleased.
Usually quiet and seriousness attended
all executions. Spectators were always
many, and sympathizers not few
but guard of vigilantes stood about
the gallows with cooked revolvers, ,and
a movement in the crowd meant in.
slant death. Once an outsider pressed
against one of the guard, at the same
time putting his hand in the bosom OF
his shirt. Take away your hand
please" remarked the vigilanter
pleasantly, ~ want tn shoot just
through that middle BUTTON" The
hand came down, and the man kept
his distance very carefully.
On one occasion. however, the hang
men were enraged beyond control.
They went to the cabin of u Mexican
named Joe Pizanthia, known and
feared everywhere as "The Greaser. u
His crimes were numberless and
bloody. COncealing himself in his hut
he shot the two men who first entered
the door, Killing one-a very pOpula,
Extraordinarily. The vigilantes re.
treated. They could see no mark, and
were sure Of death IL they approached.
A mountain hOwitZer was not .fav
away, and while some guarded, the
rest brought the cannon, and with
shells and round shot soon demolished
the building-nO reply coming from
the concealed foe all this time. Two
men ventured near, and at last inside
the house. From under the ruins OF
the chimney, knocked to pieces by q
cannon bal, l,peered the Greaser's boots,
and by these they pulled him out. He
was fatally hurt, but his six shooter
was by his side, and as soon as he was
free from the debris Of masonry he
reached for 1t. 1t was his last move,
The man whom he had wounded al
the door sat there waiting for him, and
the Greaser's body was filed with bul.
lets before his head had been dragged
out Of the hole. 1t was like killing q
snake, and it was little better than q
snake they wcre killing. But this was
not retributiOn enough. They hung
the body up, drawing altogether on the
rope as though the soul was still In the
mangled ,inanimate form and could ap.
preciate its agony, and fired hundreds
of bullets into the riddled corpse, sway.
Ing there 80 dreadfully. Then these
mere madmen cut 1t down, and setting
a-fire the ruined cabin, cast the body
on the blaze with savage glee and loud
laughter at inhuman wit, as they jok.
ed about his fate. The pyre and body
were consumed together. The smoke
Of the dreadful revenge was changed
to azure mist In the purity of the up.
pei air, and sun-gilded like the wreath
curling from your own loved hearth.
The avengers washed the blood from
their hands In limpid brook, which
strove for miles to free itself of this
Stain cruelty imposed upon 1t. The
sun sank gl0riously behind the purple
Al. Il y.