The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-11

The existing excitement in San Francisco
forcibly recalls the events which in May, 1856
followed the murder Of James King, Of Viii
lam. editor of the San Francisco Bulletin
by James P. Casey, whose early antecedents
Mr.. King had revived in his newspaper very
much as Mir. Charles De Young in the
Chronicle revived the early antecedents OF
the senior Kalloch. Mr.. King, for several
months previous to May, 1856, had commented
upon the organization in San FRANCISCO OF q
spoils system OF party management there
under the lead of men who had received the
highest education in political corruption be-
fore they left New York city-a city which
had furnished fully one-siXth OF the then pop.
ulation of San Francisco. Gin fact" said
Mr., King in one of his editorials, "some OF
the boldest and most dangerous criminals In
California are themselves officials On tues
day, Nav 18th, he singled out Of this category
in an editorial James p. Casey, who at a re-
cent municipal election, while an Inspector OF
elections, had stuffed tickets into the ballot
box with his own name upon them for the
Office of Supervisor, when he was not pub
licly known as a candidate, II upon the
strength of these ballots had declared himself
elected. Mr.. King took the pains to send to
New York city for a full exposition OF Casey
early life there, and SO became acquainted
with the fact, unknown till then In San
FTaIlClSCO. Judb SdSCy q SSSA oiho SiHS
felon. The Bulletin containing the exposure
was issued about 3 o'clock, p. m. About 5
O'Clock p. m., Mr.. King quilted his editorial
rooms and when a short distance from them
in the street was confronted by Casey, who
drew a pistol, exclaiming: "Draw and defend
yourself." King made a movement for his pis-
toll. but Casey followed his words with a shot
which entered the editors breast, pierced his
lung and lodged in his shOulder-blade. King
staggered into an adjoining offlce, where he
fell senseless, MORALLY hurt. Casey was III
stantly arrested, aud, as was the case also
with KalIoeh last Friday, he was with diff
Guilty saved from the popular fury. A mob
besieged the Jail. The Mayor was obliged to
repair thither and harangue the angry citizens
who showed symptoms of opening the court
of Judge Lynch. AS early as 9 O'Clock of the
same evening, a notice calling for the immedi-
ate formation of a vigilance committee was
posted in the streets. There was a large at
tel, dance at h designated time and place, but
no plan of action was proposed. Upon the
following morning, however, a new notice
brought almost the same men to a room which
had been used as a Know-knothing lodge-a
room that had double doors with wickets, and
which was in every way adapted fol a secret
meeting. Here doorkeepers excluded all who
were not vouched for by the few who had IS
sued the notice and hired the room-and
these had been members OF the first vigilance
committee Of 1851. A book was obtained
in which was recorded the names of those
present, who also signed and made oaths OF
fealty and secrecy. MIR. william 1. Cole-
man. n wv of this city, was made Chairman
of the BODY and Mr.. Isaac BlucXome, who had
been Secretary of the earlier vigilantes, &C
c,pted the post again. An executive commit
tee was formed and the ASSOCIATION received
and enrolled members who were formed into
military companies Numbering an hundred
each. A general suspension OF business fol
lowed. The city militia practically dlsband-
I'd by distributing a majority into the new
organization. Within three days the new
guardians of law aand order had gotten into
good working order. The first meeting was
held on Wednesday, and on the Saturday fol-
lowing the executive instructed a sub-comlnit-
tee to make arrangements for taking Casey
from the jail OH Sunday at . o'clock. AT the
same place and time twenty-four companies
armed with bayonets, bit unattended by mu-
sic, met as protectors OF this subcommittee.
There was also present a volunteer artillery
company, with d brass cannon turned upon
the main door of the Jail. Precisely as the
clock struck the designated hour, amid All
ominous silence, and with almost the entire
population of the city as lookers-on i'll adjacent
streets, two of the Subcommittee went to the
principal door of the jail and informed the
Sheriff that Casey was wanted. No resist
ance was made by the official. Casey came
out with \ somewhat uniaunted mien, and
thinking lie Was to be Immediately executed,
asked for ten minutes in which to make a
speech. To his great surprise he was in
formed that they had come give him a fair
trial, and to take possession Of his person only
because King, his victim, was yet alive, al
though dying, Casey was then removed to
the headquarters of the committee and there
Kindly treated but well guarded. He sent
for counsel and prepared his defense. On
the next day King died, and OH Tuesday
Casey was put on trial in The main
room Of the vigilance headquarters. To
this only twelve members of the committee
and the accused and his counsel and the
witnesses were admitted. Several of the
committee were men of legal education. No
hearsay testimony was to be feared, because
only those who saw the shooting were exam
ined. Excepting that the court was self
constituted, and the quasi jurors were uilchal-
lenged for bias, the trial was as regular as if
it had been before a high court of jurisdiction.
Casey's defense was that at the most his deed
was manslaughter, done upon the spur of
passion suddenly conceived upon reading the
editorial. He was, however, convicted by
the twelve committeeman, their verdict was
approved in writing BY three delegates from
each ofthe companies, and he was condemned
to die. On the succeeding day Kings funeral
took place, and while those who participated
in the procession were in the act of entering
the cemetery, Casey, who had been shrivAd by
a Catholic priest, was hung from one of the
windows OF tie headquarters 1.-The time, place
and surroundings having been selected with a
view to the most dramatic effect. The subse-
quent doings OF the vigilance committee-the
futile attempts of General Wool, of the United
States army of Governor Johnson, and of
the present general of the army--Sherman,
then a private citizen OF California-to destroy
the committe e 1; the disbandment of the vigil
lantes in August, amid all the accessories of a
popular fete-have become matters Of history.