The morning call., 1893-06-05
MCGOWAN DYING.
Befriended by a Man Who
Tried to Hang Him.
TIMES WHIRLIGIG AT WORK.
President of the Vigilence Committee
Aids Forsaken but Once
Famous Man.

Deserted by his friends-the gamblin g
Fraternity that at one time numbered
thousands and was the menace of San
Franeisco-Edward MCGOWAN lies for
saken and dying at ST. Mary's Hospital.
while the first man to come to his aid is
one who. thirty-Seyen years since. would
have hanged him if he had fallen into the
hands of justly aroused populace. The
gen tleman to first show that the milk of
human kindness is not exhausted in the
present day is William 7. Coleman, the
man who was famous long ago as the pres
ident of the Vigilance Committee.
Judge MCGOWAN, or Ned" MCGOWAN,
or white Hat" MCGOWAN, as he has been
variously identified in the past, has his
tory that is closely interviewer with the
darker side of California's history. He
was early identified with gamblers, of
whom he was the recognized leader, and
the part he played in bribng legislators
was such that he earned the opprobium of
upright men. AS decrepit ude has grad
ually grown upon him he has latterly in
his maudln way boosted of the brides he
has paid individual members of past Leg
islatures, whose names he has used as
though they had been dead a thousand
years.
the reign of the gamblers was rudely
broken by the organ iZation of the Vigil
lance Committee of 1856, upon the death of
James King Of William, publisher of the
Evening Bulletin. Supervisor Casey, who
did the shooting, and man named Cora
were hung while the funeral cortege was
on the way to the noted editors last rest
ing place. Ned" MCGOWAN, who was ac-
cused of having lent Casey the revolver
with which he killed James King of WILL
lam aud with com plicity in the deed. made
his escape He was holly pursued by the
Vigllante> through the southern counties
of California for several months. and only
surrendered into the hands of his friends
after a friendly Legislature had granted
him change of venue to an interior town.
He was afterward acquitted of completely
in the deed.
McGuwan's reign was at an end, how
ever, as the supremacy of the bling
fraternity was at an end. He lived on the
border edges of politics fer years with ever
found him broken down in health and
daily growing more destitute.
The Commercial Hotel has been his
stopping place and during the past few
months he has been befriended by the
proprietor. His decline was both mental
and physical. From the man of strong
constitution who during months of wan
behring's and hiding from just vengeance
only felt the loss of his daily toQdy he has
become a halting, bOwed-dowu old man.
His mental condition is such that for hours
he prays and swears alternately and tells
over and over again of past deeds Of
wckedness.
Within the past seven days he has been
confined to his bed and part of the time
lnsens!ble. Edward Holland, proprietor
of the Commercial Hotel, recognizing his
condition. went to McGowan's old head
quarters-a saloon, of courss-on Bush
street, to see whether any of his old
friends would help him In his extremity.
There was not single response. On SAT-
urday MCGOWAN was transferred 60 ST.
Mary's Hospital at Hollt expense.
I Oae of the first persons to hear of Nc
| Gowan's deStitulion and approaching
death was William T. Coleman. He. who
at one time embodied the righteous indig-
nation of an aroased peOple, also has a
good. large heart hat has made him 60 to
the assistance of many in the past.
He could not forget in his extremity the
man he once would have had hanged if
caught-the man whose ability and per-
sonality would have been so valuable to
the community had thev been united with
| right purposes. He called at the CONNER
cial Hotel yesterday morning.
Here is $40 for McGowan," he said.
II am not friend of his. let 1t be under
stood; quite the contrary. ! am William
7. Coleman"
He laid the money on the counter and
passed out as unostentatiously as he had
come.
Laying on his cot at st. Mary's Nc
Gowan will learn that the only one to
assist him is one who. seeing him disarmed
and made harmless by deaths grasp, is he
who at one time hunted him that society
might live.
Mr.. Holland had appealed to a priest
who knows McGowau's relatives and an
effort will be made to reach them. They
have in the past refused him support.
One of them is said to be high official IN
the United States navy and others are said
to be in good circumstances. MCGOWAN is
now so years of age.