The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-17
VIGHANTES IN POWER.
AN ARMY oFF1CER's EXPERIENCE
IN CALIFORNIA.

He Stabs Their Messenger, nnd
They Propose to Hang Him in
Defiance ofthc Uoited States.
Itwas in the year 1852 that the vigi.
lance committee found itself with an i'm
mense amount of business on hand,
which called for immediate attention and
action. Having discarded the cumbrous
machinery and the slow methods OF the
courts, it began work expeditlously.
Among the men they had under the ban
was criminal against whom there was
information to be obtained before the
committee would be justified by It's self
imposed regulations in proceeding to ex-
treme measures. The members, all OF
whom were men of influence and
position, knowing that they were acting
outside the palc,if not in absolute de-
fiance of the law. were always slow TO
convict without the most positive and
overwhelming evidence of guilt. 10
secure the testimony in the case in cues
tion, it was necessary to submit to their
process of inquiry United States army
officer named Ash, whose rank, think,
was that of colonel. His Office was on
the corner of Kearney aud Washington
streets, up stairs, opposite the Plaza.
A messenger from the committee was sent
to him with the usual credentials. You
must understand that all persons con-
nected with the committee were looked
upon as ''offcers," this dignity attach
ing even to the errand boy. You can
easily imagine it was very risky to ques-
ton the authority of one of them, espe-
cially when he came from the committee
in an official capacity.
The man who was deputed to call up
on Colonel Ash was o determined fel-
low, and so was the soldier upon whom
he called. When the messenger had
presented his credentials and conveyed
the demand of the vigilantes for the
colonel's presence, the. latter brought
his piercing eyes to bear upon his vis-
itor, and, raising himself to his full six
feet of height, said sternly: II recog-
nize no official from vigilance COM
mittee. Neither do recognize such q
committee. Leave my office"
The messenger retorted with spice
which was equal to the army officers
haughtiness: "While you, Colonel Ash,
represent tho laws of the United States,
represent the gallows, and one, too,
which operates with needless cere-
mony."
This reply was too much for the
choleric colonel. He sprang upon the
vieilante, and with one blow of his
double ed ged dagger he split the mes
scnrer's neck from tho left ear almost
down to the point of the shoulder. The
vigilante dropped to the floor apparently
| dead.
In very few minutes the committee
were apprised of the fate of their ennis
sary, and in q few minutes more Colonel
Ash was their prisoner and quietly es-
corted to the "fort." The defences out
side the headquarters of the vigilantes
were modelled after General Jackson's
famous barricade at New Orleans, sand
bags, however, being substituted in this
case for cotton bales to the height OF the
second story of the building. Cannon
commanded the approaches from the
north, east and south. The tfort" was
on the west side of the street, in the
middle of the block, with large open
space in front, and was patrolled by
pickets outside and inside, who paced
up and down under arms day and night.
Tho members of the committee
fully appreciated the gravity OF an
incident that had made q United States
army officer their prisoner. To have
such IN officer in the hands of the vigi-
lance committee, charged with the muir.
der of one of their own members, marked
q serious crisis in the affairs of the Or
ganization. Word was brought to head
quarters that the wounded messenger
was living. but that there was no hope
of his recovery. Most of the vigilantes
came to the conclusion that no matter
how the injuries of the committees
member might terminate, the life OF the
colonel was doomed. He had sympa-
thizers in the committee and out of it
who sincerely wished that he had not
dcfed the only strong administrator OF
Justice in the city, but all felt that, IN
order to preserve the authority of the
committee and to continue it the terror
of evil docrs, Colonel Ash must hang. .
The friends of the colonel werc wild
with despair. The courts could render
no assistance. The time was short.
There had been for some time lying in the
bay, down towards the Golden Gate, a
United States man-of-war, q frigate
we'll manned and equipped. As last
resort Colonel Ash's friends appealed to
the commander to demand the prisoner
in the name of the United States gov
crnment, or at least to delay his execu-
tion. The commander complied with
the request and opened up diplomatic
correspondence which terminated IN the
threat of the commander:
'If you hang Col oncl Ash will raH
the city, or as much of it as can, IT,
the ground"
The committee replied: 'Much as we
icgrct to come in conflict with the laws
of the United States, if our officer dies
Colonel Ash will hang"
Fortunately for all concerned, the ON,
~