The herald., 1894-12-09

wsys and fine singing and acting in one
particular opera, which recall TO mind
entitled, La Viuds Ell Sacristsn CHE
| Widow and the Sexton). Each compsn;
usually remained here and played at in
tervale during an entire season.
1t was in this upper story, or auditor.
ium OF the old court house that th {
funeral services were hsld by the peo pie
of Los Angeles, simultaneously with
their observance throughout the United
States. OF the martyred PRESIDENT, Aora-
ham Lincoln, on the 19.h OF April. 1865.
On this occasion the late Rev. Elias
Birdsall pronounced an admirable ora
tion before large ooncourse OF our oiti-
zene.
Alter the death OF Mr.. Temple in 1866
Mr.. A. f. Hinchman, Mr.. Temples
brother-in-law, and administrator of his
estate, sold the building Tor $l5. 900 to O
syndicate, which afterwards sold it to
the county for $4,000.
At first, District Judge Benjamin
Hayes held court on the first
floor, on the northeasterly side fronting
Temple block. and in the middle Of
the building.
l remember vividly an exciting trial
that took place before Judge Hayes in
this court room in the month of Decem-
Der, 1868.
a man by the name Of Charles Wilkins
had murdered in cold blood John SAM
! ford, q brother-in-law of General Ban
ming, on the road between here and Fort
TETON. Wilkins, who by his own con-
fession was q quadruple murderer, was
caught near Santa Barbara aud brought
to our Jail. then where this Peoples store
now is. A. ]. King. under sheriff. was
taking Wilkins from ths Jail to the court
room when brother and nephew OF his
victim came forth from the corrugated
iron hnnse that atond on the present
site of Central block. one with a rifle
and the other with double- -barreled
shot gun but there was such crowd
OF people in the street that it was i'm
possible for them to shoot him without
hitting others; but Wilkins broke from
his guard and ran into the adobe on the
west side of Spring street, where the
FIRMLY of Jack Trsfford lived. and hid
under bed. He was soon caught and
brought out and taken to the court house
and tried by Judge Hayes; the trial oc-
cupied about an hour, tho prisoner
pleading guilty in open court before an
immense crowd; the court room was
cleared and the prisoner was ordered
back to jail, when a rush by the excited
populace headed by Captain Banning
and his small army of tsamsters. was
made into the court room and the mis-
cradle wretch, who showed the most
abject fear, was seized and
carried off to q neighboring gate
way, where Lawyers block now stands,
and hung by az determined and angry q
crowd of men as it was ever my lot to
see. | remember as the people took
him across Spring street to Temple, he
begged that they would shoot him and
not hang him: but the people paid very
little attention to his appeals, for he
was q hardened william of the worst
class. He shot John Sanford with San
for6's own pistol in the back. He con-
fessed that he killed Sanford, who was
an entire stranger to him, to see ii he
had money; he did not know if he had
any, took his chances. he said, and kill
ed him to find out. He further avowed
that he was in the Mountain Meadows
massacre; that he afterwards killed
man named Blackburn on the MohAve,
also drover named Carr near Yreka,
etc., etc.
He said he stole q knife and pistol
from the Bella Union hotel here some
time before this and gave them to
young man named Woods, who was
hanging about town, and told him to 20
out on the road and earn his living like
q man. Woods had acted on his advice
and had turned highwayman here in
the streets OF our city, and coon after
was hanged with four others OF his
gang in front OF the Jail. In fact, mur-
ders and highway robDeries about that
time had become 80 frequent and SO
bold that the people were compelled to
rise up in self-deiense and summarily
exterminate the thieves, thugs and as
sassins who were preyiDg ON the CONS
muuity.
Wilkins was the seventh criminal ex.
ecuted by the people ineide of q month
in this CITY. Very few now realize the
state OF affairs that existed here then.
The hanging Of Wilkins seemed to end
the chapter; it cleared the atmosphere
wonderfully; justice had bean done
without any quibbles or evasions or es
cape, but swift aud sure; the
people, who had bosn stirred up by
by magic; and human life and property
rights from that time on, were never
safer, and peace and quietness pre-
vailed for long time. | have deemed it
proper to say this much in vindication
OF the actors in the scenes OF that day.
Probably the only way in which people
in our day, who condemn all vigilance
committees and all revolutions can APP
preciste the overwhelming motives
which impel men to take part in euoh
movements, would be for them to take
the places of those whose acts they 30
freely criticize.
When in a new country, murder and
robbery run riot, and regular and legal
remedies utterly fail to protect society
and stark anarchy threatens its very
existence, society, il it possesses a
spark OF virtue or stamina, will protect
itself. and il need be, by summary
means. Most people who have been
through these experiences, can say that
it ia better to take up arms against an
anarchic sea OF troubles and end them,
even by summary methods, than to let !
them continue indefinitely - becoms
chronic and unbearable.
Among the judges who held court in |
this old temple of justice besides Judge |
Hayes, were Judges Pablo de la Guerra,
VIM. q. Dryden, Murray Morrison, r. |
M. Widney, Ygnacio Sepulveds. H. K.
S. O'Melveny, Volney Z. Howard, A.
M. Stephens. Anson Brunson, A. ].
King. VIM. A. Cheney, A. W. Hutton,
II. NJ. Smith, etc., before all of whom,
many cases of great magnitude or i'm
portance were tried.
At fret, courts were held on the lower
floor of the buildinp. aftervarda thav