The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-05-13
The Vigilantes of Fifty-Six.

Several columns of the Indianap
oils Journal are taken up with an
interview with Mr.. G. L. Divine,
the foreman of the composing room
Of that paper, on the situation of
San Francisco and the state of
things that prevailed there in 1856.
Mr.. Divine believes in condolences,
and began the conversation by re-
marking that he "wanted Dennis
Kearney and his sand-lot hyenas to
keep up their bowling until the
18th of next May" which it seems
will be the oath anniversary of the
culmir ating of one of long series
of deeds of robbery and blood which
led to the formation of the famous
San Francisco vigilance committee
of 1856.
At a theater one night in 1856
General Richardson, United States
marshal, looked long and earnestly
through lis opera glass at beauti-
full and wealthy courtesan named
Bella Cora. The woman was Of
Tended, and told her man, a gambler
named Cora, that she would not be
satisfied until he had killed Rich
ardson. The gambler and the mar
shal met at a drinking place, and
the latter. being taxed with the in
suit, apologized. The apology was
accepted and the two drank to
gether in token of friendship; but
they had no sooner passed outside
of the saloon than Cora shot Rich
ardson dead. Cora was arrested
and placed in Jail by Sheriff Dave
Seannell, a notorious New York
rufflan; but there were no hopes
that he would be brought to trial
The excitement following this MUIR
der would have died away, out di
rectly thereafter-on the 14th of
May-James King Of William, edi-
tor of the Bulletin, which had de-
clared war on the ruffians, was
killed by Jim Casey, who had been
denounced by King as a graduate
of Sing Sing. Casey, who gave
himself up to his friend, the sheriff,
apparently having little fear of pun
ishment, became the jail companion
of Cora.
Tue news of that murder brought
all of San Francisco to its feet
Business houses were closed, and
merchants, mechanics, the oest citi-
zens of every class, came out in the
streets. There were men speaking
at nearly every street corner, urging
that the time had come for the peo
pie to take the law into their own
hands. Mr.. Divine made his first
and last speech on this occasion,
and at the corner of Merchant and |
Montgomery streets. At the close |
of the speech he was told that he
was wanted at large warehouse
on SAMSON street, and going there,
with others, he registered his name
as one of the vigilance committee
and took his number, which was
1895. The next morning all the |
papers except the Herald, printed |
by John Nugent whose death, by
the way, is just announced), de
nounced the killing of King. The
Herald was the leading democratic |
paper of the Pacific coast and its
advertising patronage was enor-
nous; but it lost its power and pat
ronage in a day and appeared there
after as an SxI0 sheet, the organ of |
the ruffians, who were known, oddly |
enough, as the claw and order
party.
The vIgilantes met in a large hall |
the next two or three nights, elected |
officers and were divided into regi- |
ments. No man was called by |
name; each had his number. The
force soon numbered six thousand |
men, and was composed of cavalry, |
mounted rifemen, and in
fantry. Nobody knew who the
leader was; he was simply known as |
"Thir:y-three." A large building |
in SAMSON street was soon occu
pied, in which were cells, a court
room, storage rooms for arms, etc.
1t was thoroughly guarded at every |
point. On the - nd were sandbag |
there were four
cannon upon the roof, while numer !
Gus pieces of artillery were pointed
down from the roofs of adjacent
buildings. There were six thousand |
stand of small arms and thirty can
non. A sloop loaded with arms
was sent from San Francisco TO the
law and order party, but was seized |
by the vigilantes. A large bell was
placed on the quarters in Sansom
street, and when three taps were
sounded every vigilante was to
come instsntly to the committee