Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-04-10
THE VIaILAErs OF 1855.
son RrAAcisco Wa Purxcd Of
- C.sssless Elements a Quarter oa

How San Francisco was Purxcd Of
Ccns.Esss Elements n Quarter %
New YORK Herald.1
Californis JUS episode In the early history OF
c,rti,oas qua, which excited the attention on the
general reoolect M 1s,s has become dimned in
CalifoTnia isset perfectly well remembered Ia
or r. nnSs Ia SSe The only precise knowledge
from Gen. sherman, who. IN op h, - ue !. We
moerS' gives lively. but one SIDED ans
m mUS'T was sse. sa S It's history Gen. sher
Francisco Some time before the crest,on ., san
Vigilance Committee he had been appo,nsaS
major general OF The state militia, put had not
disturbances he was persuaded BY the Goyernor
TO take the ONCE and he entered with charac
teristic dash and zeal upon the task OF suppress
sing the .Nig1lants-" As the movement was
outside the law, &c was the duty OF the state
government TO suppress it, and IL was for Gen
sherman. as commander or the militia. 10 de-
wise the plans But he had no success, AID
threw up his commission in disgust. He ar
piled 10 Commodore FarTagut, then stationed
at San Francisco. for ship, but was refused.
He applied TO Gen. Wool, then commanding the
United states troops In California, for arms.
| he asserts In the Memoirs that they were
promised, and that Gen. Wool afterward denied
MS promise. and he is pretty severely handled
IN the Memoirs I'm consequence When that
alleged promise was violated sherman found
Una ne was powerless. since all the arms on the
coaSe were IN possession either or the Nigilants
or Gen. Wool. Thereupon sherman resigned
MS commission and went back 20 hts bank. An
pp.catlon was afterwards made by the COVER
nor 10 resident Pierce for federal assistance.
winch was refused. The best public opinion
was 20 strongly on the side OF the yigilants
that II was deemed unwise 10 interfere.
Inc state OF affairs was much worse then than
II Is now. Casey. the kearney or that pc 1od,
nad Oct n exposed I'm the B,dliefiR as gradu it
OF sing sing prison. on the same day he shot
King the editor. In the street before The latter
could draw his pistol This was the culmina-
ZION OF an excitement which had been growing
Ior weeks Casey. after the shooting, went ana
surrendered himself TO the sheriff. member OF
IIie ballot Stuffing gang, who was his friend.
INT next Gay after Kings funeral. the Nigilants
weht 10 the prison, seized. Casey, tried him by
lnelr secret tribunal, convicted and sentenced
nun, and on the following day hanged him and
announcer murderer, Cora In front OF the Vigil
laEtS, headquarters. These swift measures
S Terror INTO The corrupt ring, and the Wig
nahIs kept control for the ensuing three months
uhtll they had accomplished their work. in the
course or which they hanged four mis-
creahts and hanished about twenty. The
ilant and relentless energy was their arrest OF
IHe cnlel justice or the state, for stabbing one
OF their constableS, and they would have hanged
MN III the constable had died OF his wound.
| TO the United States Judge for habeas corpus.
when he found pretext for refusing. They
afterwards procured q habeaS from a state
Judge, which put the vigilants in a dilemma
| But their wits were equal TO the occasion. Be-
fore the officer could approach to serve the writ
Iney mad spirited away the chief Justice ami
then opened their doors and told the officer TO
SatlSly himself that they were OBTAINING nobody
in CUSTODY. When they had done their work
.hey resigned, amid festive celebration. Al
| tnough they were technical murderers. no
attempt was made TO punish them for no Jury
could nave been found TO bring in a verdict OF
| guilty.. For the ensuing twenty years San
Francisco was one OF the best governed cities In
the United States.