, 1889-09-05
IN EARLY DAYS.
Troublesome Times When Gold
Was First Discovered In
California.
Interview With One of the Vigi-
lance Committee--Tery's Crime
and Aoquittal.

the ritiraff OF society from all parts ot
the globe. Highbinders from New York,
iailbirds from Australia, gamblers and
cut.throats from the South and the scum
OF humanity from everywhere poured
like an avalanche upon the, up to that
time, well-governed municipality of San
Francisco. From 40 to '56 things were
hot and bad men were numerous, and |
the late Judge Terry was as bad as any
pill in the box"
The speaker was an individual of strik- |
ing appearance-.a gentleman of massive
frame, tall and firmly poised. Although
a close study of his clean-cut features re-
vealed that he was a man past middle
age, no one would suspect that he held
,Ipon his broad shoulders the weight of
7s years. His finely shaped head was
well covered with wealth of straight
white hair; his eyes had lost very little of
their lustrc and searching qualities, while
his hrm-set chin and graceful, though
slightly compressed lips showed that
among his characteristics were courage
and determination. These attributes,
combined with the natural power of
| limb which man of his physique must
have been endowed when in the prime
of manhood, ahd with the mental ac-
compllshments which the gentleman's
position indicated he possessed, surely
made him valuable adjunct to the
famous vigilance committee of 1886, of
which he was a leading spirit. The gem
tleman referred to is no less parsonage
than Captain Joseph b. Thomas, well
known from his connection with the
Standard sugar refinery. This gentle
man was one of the pioneers of 1850,
when the West was in its infancy. In
1856 he, with other intrepid citizens of
the city of the Golden Gate, determined
to crush out with iron hands the crime
that was fast increasing in California. II
was then the famous committee of Wig
ilantes was organized. One of the most
prominent characters that figured in the
excitement of those days and who stood
in notorious contrast to the action of
the vigilantes, was Judge Terry, the late
victim of Deputy Marshal Nagle's pistol.
For the purpose of furnishing the Her
aids readers with the true story of
Judge Terry's connection with the vigi-
lantes, Captain Thomas consented TO
talk when visited by the writer
"The vigilance committee" said he,
"did good thing for San Francisco and
. for the state, too. II purified the city,
. and the influence of our action in the
city extended to the farthest limits OF
the state. As I stated at first, the flood
of humanity that rolled into California
in 18i9 brought the worst of criminals
: | l,,,stk q 10 -, r., I, al,
headquarters, and tattened by robbinp
. those who worked. They would not toi
: themselves but by opening bar-rooms
gambling shops, and by introducing
fraudulent devices of all kinds, they sue
ceeded in depriving the diggers and la
borers of what they secured by hard anc
honest toll. The most outrageou.
:, crimes were committed and passed un
punished. The criminal classes had
+ GAINED CONTROL OF THE CITY.
1t was not necessary to defy TIL,
courts, because they We're in sympathy
with the hoodlum element. There wal
no law except mob law, and the depart
y ment of justice was decidedly unsafe
I, Judges were corrupt; only unprnciplec
: men could secure such positions. Money
. or political influence could operate th,
= legal machinery of the city or state il
Z any direction desired, Property was in
= seoure life was not safe; business wa
:, vanishing, and the prospect appeared
= ing..states in the Union. Thieves anC
= scOundrels held possession of every
!. thing and influential citizens who lovcC
II law and order were openly detied anC
!, often shot down upon the slightest prov
y ocation. Such were the conditions sur
= rounding one of the prettiest little citie
" upon the Pacific coast, San Fran
lni u huI ttpsp
" up the resentment of the law-abidin
populace called the vigilance committe
into being James King William wa
Z the editor of the Evening Bulletin,
a spirited paper, that couragcously eN
u posed the practices of FRAUDULENT poll
y ticians and opposed the progress of time
u His bold and persistent assaults upon tn
rcughs, and his constant hammcring q
u the shams in legal habiliments, mad
y him most unpopular man with thos
u in authority, and one hot day in tn
;, summer of 1856 he was shot and kille
u in cold blood in the streets of Frisco b
y Il notorious politician named Casey
~ ~ This was the crime that called ha
" upon the misrule that prevailed. Sa
10 Franciscans, who possessed any sci
III respect, raised q cry of indignation
James King of William was thus calle
~ to designate him from other Jam,
~ Kings in the place. There were sever,
ny of them from the South. He was from
III place called William, in the District
~ Columbia, and SO signed himself. In
OF mediately following the murder can
70 the cry of the populace for justice, but
nc sudden realization of the fact that
,u would be absurd to look for Justice fro
oe the courts Of law seized the people, al
vi with one accord their hands reached ol
&c for the murder.
III well, the rest is quickly told. Som
thing had to be done, and the prominel
" business men of the place knew VIII
~ that something was. They had la
hands ON the murderer, and they did NJ
)h propose to trust him to the courts,
stinct or reason, born Of hard experienc
" told them that If the prisoner once q
70 out of their power, the crime which
d. had committed would forever go II
punished. The large three-story bri,
ep building at the corner of Sacramento al
ne Front streets was owned by one of d
lis 1citizens. In the intense excitement
gu the hour the people rushed the murder
eu into this building and barred the doc
ne against the authorities. The latter ma
or demands for the prisoner but they VIC
up unavailing. Casey was fairly tried by
We jury of honest and honorable men, W
decided that he was guilty, and I
he improvised court that heard his ca
IN and searched in vain for an excuse
ne his crime, condemned him to be hang
TN by the neck until dead. A hast
aS arranged gallows was put up in front
I,ii the building where the committee of
nut REPUTABLE CITIZENS HELD COURT.
cd A rope was fixed about Cascy's ne
ke and plank projected from q third ste
window. The murderer was made