Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
WHEN v111aANrEs RE1eNED.
How Crime Was Driven From San
Francisco in the Early Days.

Francisco in the Early Days.
From the Kansas City Star.
Present conditions in San Francisco and
the talk Of revival of the vigilance COM
mittee that operated there more than half
a century ago serves to call to mind an
exciting period in the career Of the western
city. Such was the unsettled condition
of society in that then remote territory
during the earlier years of it's mining In
dustry, so multiplied and daring the crimes
against life and property and so inefficient
as we'll as glaringly corrupt the courts
and judges, that for a time robbery, muir
der, arson and violence were completely
in the ascendant, so that every man not
actually in league with the perpetrators
Of these outrages was put on the defensive
carrying his weapons by Gay anu Steep
ing on them by night.
Bold and defiant in their successful ca
reer of crime, members of these outlaws
formed themselves into a mutual orsahl-
cation. with regular headauaf.ers' r hev
swarmed the city and the country, alo'
in their skilled arts as thieves, pickpock-
cts, gamblers, incendiaries and assasslhs'
numbered their victims by hundreoS.
In addition to this, large numbers VI
felons found their way to California from
the convict islands of Van bremen Lahu
and New South Wales, and there. unaer
the existing laxity of law ana auudcily VI
crime reaped a rich harvest.
such was the condition of affairs through
out the state when, goaded ana outraSeu
beyond endurance, the well-dlsposeo GU
zens determined to become a law uii.o
themselves and to administer that law IN
the interests Of justice and self-protection
with promptness and decision Exaiipies
were not long wanting for the execution oa
their purpose; and, In pursuance y. , sno
same end the citizens Of San FRANCISCO
soon found their wrongs being redresseo
nv a. powerful voluntary organization OF
the most influential men In the CITY, styIeo
the vigilance committee, VINO, IN the Con
stitution of their association, declared that
thew thus united themselves Ito preserve
the lives and property OF the cltlzehs VI
San Francisco, binding themselves eacn
unto the other to do ana PERFORM et ,a,
and order and to sustain the laws "hen
faithfully and properly administered-out
determined that no thief, burglar lnceh-
diary, or assassin escape punlshinen., of
nrisons the carelessness or corruption OF
the police, or laxity on the part Oh those
nretending to administer justice
The first and one or the most eNti.iIs
binary organization occurred June, 1921,
when a Sydney convict was causnt IN ine
act Of carrying away small saie Wnlcn
he had stolen the man, uehprs of oe
the vigilance committee, VINO conducted
him forthwith to their headquarters, where
he was tried in the presence OF apout
eighty members Of the assoclauon s,iotad
and sentenced to be hung in Portsmouth
square that night.
During the progress Of the trial the citf-
zens had assembled in large numbers about
the building and in Portsmouth square,
the bell on the engine house at the latter
place having rung the pre-arransed signai
to give notice Of the proceedings going on.
Though very much excited the populace
was not disorderly. Some disapprobatlon
was manifested at the secrecy OF the COM
mittees doings, but when the result pc
came known there was very general &C
ouiescence, although there were many
who deemed the punishment too severe
for the offense, and others believed the
offender should be hanged in daylight.
As soon as the sentence was passed the
bell on the California engine house near
by commenced to toll the kneH of the con-
demned man. This was 1 O'Clock at night.
Capt. Ray OF the police department ap-
piled at the door OF the committees room
and several times demanded that the pris-
oner be turned over to him He was each
time refused. Several members OF the
police department were on the ground, but
saw that 1t was useless to attempt res.
A man climbed, the liberty pole to rig
block for the execution of the death
sentence but q loud shout of Don't hang
was decided that the hanging should take
place at the 'old adobe which had been
used as a custom house.
At the end of the building a block was
rugged and a long rope run through It.
In the meantime number OF police who
were on the ground made several at
tempts to obtain possession OF the pris-
oner, but they were sternly prevented by
the vigilantes. The moose was placed
about the condemned mans neck, twenty
pairs of hands seized the other end, and
the first criminal to feel the vengeance
of the San Francisco vigilance committee
was pulled from the ground. The body
was left hanging until the next morning,
when the city marshal cut 1t down.
After several more criminals had been
hanged the reign of terror became SO
great among the criminals that they hed
for their lives. and soon citizens lived IN
peace and security they had not known