Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-08-25
THE HOUNDS RIOT.
4 Rcmiaisccncc OF the First San FrancIsc,
RlO1.


4 Reminisccncc OF the First San Francisc
RlOt.
We take the following account of tn
crushing Of a gang of thieves and rui
fans who infested ban Francisco in til
early days from the Bulletin Of that city
II will be found interesting reading:
At this time glance at the first rio
in San Francisco may possess more thar
usual interest. In compliance with
request for information rs to the natur
0f tho Hounds Riot in the summer o
1849, al old.time citizen has contributed
the following sketch made up from per
sonal recollections Of incidents whicl
left lasting impression on his mind /:
"The Hounds were the first body o
hoodlums to call forth the spirit Of swift
justice for which San Francisco has be
come noted. 1t was in the summer {
lS49. We were all strangers here, ant
of the strange scenes We looked upon
none were more striking than the band
of men, partly uniformed with jackets
and plumed hats, that paraded the
streets with fife and drum. Theil
rendezvous was large tent near where
the old city hall now stands. How they
slept by day, gambled by night, and
sailed forth in the dark to deeds Of
violence ! They would enter a store,
take what they wanted, and say
'Charge this to the Hounds Mer-
chants dared not refuse them. But they
consulted together and resolved that the
day of retribution should come right
soon.
"'The climax of ruffianism came on
Sunday, July 18th. 1t was murder
ous assault upon III ehcampment of
Chilenos at Clark's Point. The next
day a public meeting was called. There
was n stirring scene on Portsmouth
Square iu front Of the old adobe. Upon
the porch atd In front the Hounds, in
plumcd hats, outnumbefed the citizens
two to one. The earnest meii who were
there to test the question Should law
or ruffianism control the little city of
tents did not falter. But the inquiry
passed 'Who shall organize and state
the purpose of this meeting II, tho face
of such odds?' Presently man &an
seen climbing from the porch to the tiled
roof. Whoever was present will not
soon forget the moment when Sam
Brannan Strengthened himself up on the
roof, drew his revolver and circling it
over his head, yelled out: 'Tll tell you
what this meeting is for 1t is to clean
out the Hounds. It has been said that
no man dare say word against the
Hounds. Ii they did they would burn
MS house. This is my house-now go on
md burn it, The war whoop with which
Sam closed was lost in the shouts OF the
crowd. The plumes dropped back from
.he front and disappeared through the
5hrong. Captain Bezer Simmons stepped
Onward and proposed that we organize
our companies of one hundred men
ZACH, who should pledge themselves to
suspend business until the Hounds were
'leaned out. 1t was done in an hour.
Then came the flight of tho Hounds by
lorse, the hot pursuit the arrest Oh the
oad to San Jose and in the harbor (;
,atroling sand hills those dark nights.
We had no street lights then, and SO
many were the houseless people, that
nen, wrapped in blankets, slept in tiers
lpon the ground by hundreds. The
rial Of the leaders speedily followed, in
which Hall McAllister, then stripping,
lrst distinguished himself. All these
hings are like half remembered dream.
Who will refresh our memory
"The Annals of San Francisco " con-
,ins an extended review of the opera
ions of the Hounds, and the prompt
to overthrow their ruffianly
eign or robbery and violence. When
ne outrages became SO marked and des-
crate that terror began to seize the
opulace, Captain Bezer Simmons and
amuel Brannan waited on Alcalde
and on the sixteenth of
uly the Alcalde issued the proclama-
on calling the law-abiding citizens to
at Portsmouth Square.
After the meeting was organized, .
[iram Webb supplied sixty muskets,
ith ammunition, and sixty resolute
zen were thus armed and equipped for
ar. The same day twenty Hounds,
the ringleader, were arrested,
ID placed on board the United States I
Zip Warren.
All the prisoners were convicted, and {
me were sentenced to ten years in the
As there was no prison ]
which to confine the convicts, they {
ere placed in the United States ship +
entioned above, but they managed to ,
cape one by one and get out of the {
'untry. I
The Hounds were composed of des- I
rate characters from New York and I
nstralia, and lived in the sand hills, E
ong with the most depraved characters.
1eir system of robbery was an organ
ed one, the leaders dividing the spoils
long their followers. Out of that Z
sociation of citizens to break the reign il
terror and punish marauders grew 8
Q public spirit of self-reliance which