The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-02-25

these days, when much IS being heard about
the Liberty bell and the desirabty OF bringing it
to San Francisco in 1915, it is not inappropriate
to sound the equally cracked note of the old
Vgilante bell, which has history thrilling for
native sons and daughters than the bell of 1776
Surely it should be given a place, and prominent
one, at the exposition.
Cast by the firm of Hopper & Co. of Boston, it
shipped around the Horn in the days when trans
continental railroads existed only in the brains of
dreaming engineers and arrived in San Francisco in
time for the stirring of 1856-the year when
San Francisco upright citizens signed their decara-
ton OF independence from the reign of crime and
lawIessness. Since then it has had varied career
and at the present time lies in the dust-well nigh
unhonored and unsung-in Petaluma warehouse
That it loAg remain in such huniliatng quarters
when the loyal children of California reminded of
its distinguished past IS nconceivable.
In 1856 San Francisco frontier town, the eddy
which caught the fotsam and etsan of the whole
world come to the golden west in response to the
news of gold for the taking. Market street was a
sandy expanse called road and its business houses
unsghtly shacks. A few more permanent build
ings graced Montgomery street, which held the ques
tionabe distinction of saloons where you paid
for drink and gambling houses where brass bands
drowned the clnk OF the money you lost The Pre-
sidio, separated from the town by waste of sand
dunes, housed small force of soldiers in adobe
Francisco
A criminal by the name Of James P Casey had been
manipulating in San Francisco for four years. He
with excellent qualifications for his line of busi-
ness, having won 4 term in Sing Sing by the same
previous to his advent the Golden gate. Casey
like many alas! who since his day have operated here
appreciated the opportunities of public service and
forthwith became the servant of the people, perform
ing for them such menial tasks the controlling of
election of city officials and stuing the ballot
box when the situation demanded heroic handling
No attempt made to dislodge Casey when he had
himself returned duly elected supervisor from
district in which he did live and for which his
name had never been mentioned at the polls Never
theless Casey making unsavory reputation for
himself When he, shortly after this picked quarrel
with James King Of William, editor of newspaper
and man we'll loved in San Francisco and shot him
down in cold blood the decent men Of the town rose
IN revolt against the corruption that made such an
act possible.
Casey alone could not have preciptaed the reign ofs
unsparing justice that followed He came as the
cuminaton-the too lnuch-which broke the
endurance of the respectable citizenship The admin
istration Of officials of the Casey type had made the
enforcement of the law than a farce During
a period Of 10 short months 4S9 murders had been
committed IN San Francisco. The gun was increas-
ingiy mandy the hand of every man; as the popua-
on was wild and desperate in character so the use of
the gun was frequent and reckless. 1t was inevitable
t;at men reckless of everything else should become
reckless of human ife and the crack of the pistol had
often added its staccato note to the music of the
midnight bands that it to be regarded as Gus
tomary if not necessary, accompaniment the life of
the good old days of SO The logical and to bo
expected outcome OF quarrel was for the enemies to