The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-01-04
WESTERN VGILANTES.
Organization of the First Committee
San Francisco.

Organization of the First Committee In
San Francisco.
Continued lawlessness, unchecked by
the usual processes of criminal law,
made life and property in San Fran
cisco insecure. Criminals of every
grade, from the penal colonies of New
South Wales and Australia, the Sand
witch islands, and other Pacific por is,
had tlocked to San Francisco, allured
by the prospect of plumber and rob
berry in community then living in a
state of almost Arcadian simplicity and
security. IL a twelvemontb, murder,
arson, burglary and other crimes
against person and property were ex-
ceedingly common The police were in
efficient, and, like the courts, were sus-
pected of collision with the law-break-
ers. The jails were insecure, juries
were bribed and the whole course of
justice clogged.
Finally, one Burdue, caught red
handed in murderous assault on
Mr.. Jansen, a reputable merchant, was
taken to prison and put under lock and
key The people, as if convinced that
this wretch would escape, as others
like him had escaped before him,
silently and sullenly surrounded the
Jail, determined to keep watch over
the subsequent proceedings.
William T. Coleman, drawn thither
by mild curiosity saw that the COM
mon thought and object of the assem-
blage was the speedy punishment of
the criminal. AS the temper of the
crowds waxed more intense, he broke
silence and besought them not to
proceed to violence, but to Or
ganize court and try the man
then and there. If Burdue was in
nocent, then he should go free; if he
were guilty. he should be hanged be-
fore the sun went down. This was
agreed to, and although, by strange
miscarriage of justice, the would-be
murderer escaped, the Vigilance COM
mittee of 1851 was born. Later in that
summer, May and June, 1851, two
great and destructive fires, undoubted-
set by pillagers, swept the city with
the bosom of ruin. Millions of dollars
worth of property and one hundred
lives were lost in these fires The in
cendiaries were indicted. Under hair
splitting technicalities they evaded
punishment
This was the occasion of the formal
organization of the San Francisco
vigilance committee, which had previ
ously had an inchoate existence, with
William L. Coleman as one of its active
members. The names of some two
hundred substantial business men were
enrolled on it's books of membership,
and these citizens pledged themselves
''to watch and pursue, and bring to
justice the outlaws infesting the city,
through the regularly constituted
courts if possible, through more sum-
mary process if necessary" The first
offender caught was one Jenkins,
taken in the act of carrying off a safe
from store. He was tried, condemned
and hanged within an hour. Other
arrests followed, and during the
thirty days of active operations
of the vigilance committee four
men were hanged, and about thirty
were deported beyond the seas
by outgoing vessels, under the threat
of death if they returned. In every case
the proceedings of the vigilantes were
characterized by decorum; and every
accused man was granted fair trial
by jury, competent counsel being as
Sipned him -Harner'S Weakly