A Sketch of the Causes, Operations and Results of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856
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Stephen Palfrey Webb >> A Sketch of the Causes, Operations and Results of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856
But large as was the assembly thus occupied in the upper part of the
City in rendering the last tribute of respect to the loved and lost; a
still larger number had collected in the neighborhood of the Committee
Rooms in the lower part to witness a solemn act of retribution. They
swarmed upon the housetops, filled windows, and such, portion of the
streets as was open to them, and from which they could obtain a view of
the proceedings, and waited in anxious expectation the infliction of the
penalty of their crimes upon the two assassins in the hands of the
Committee. From an early hour in the morning, movements in and around
the Rooms had plainly indicated the purpose for which they were made.
Riflemen were stationed on the roofs of the Committee building and those
adjoining. A detachment was sent out, which cleared and thoroughly
searched a building opposite. Cannon were placed at points to command
and sweep the streets in the vicinity. Cavalry patrolled in all
directions, and large bodies of infantry were gradually placed in
position, and formed an immense square enclosing the entire block, and
allowing no new approach to the Rooms. Ominous preparations were also
making in the building by projecting from two of the second story
windows in front, platforms with, hinges just beyond the window sills,
supported by ropes running to the roof of the building.
At a quarter past one, as the funeral procession was leaving the church
on Stockton Street the two offenders against the law of God and man were
placed upon the scaffolds, and, after a few words from Casey, denying
repeatedly that he was a murderer, as charged by the Alta California and
other papers, on the ground that he had been taught always to revenge an
insult or injury, a signal was given and the unhappy men instantly
passed to their account. The whole body of the military, and many of the
other spectators stood uncovered and in profound silence and awe, while
this stern and solemn People's tragedy was enacting. Late in the
afternoon the entire force of armed citizens was drawn up in line on
Sacramento Street presenting a most imposing array; were reviewed by the
Commander, and then marched by companies to the Rooms, deposited their
arms, and, with the exception of guards detailed for further duty,
amounting to some three hundred men, were dismissed.
During this period and for some time after strenuous efforts were making
for the discovery and arrest of two men, McGowen and Wightman, who had
been indicted as accomplices of Casey in the murder of Mr. King. Great
anxiety was felt for the arrest of McGowen not alone on account of his
complicity in the murder, but because it was believed that he knew more
of the operations of the ballot box stuffers and other political
managers than any other person, and that if taken, he would be likely to
expose many who had stooped to obtain office or position by his
unscrupulous arts. Long and earnest search was made, but for some time,
no trace of him could be discovered. At length in the latter part of
June, it was learned that he left the City on horseback, disguised as a
cattle drover, in company with an American and a Mexican, and had been
seen in Santa Barbara, a small town on the coast about four hundred
miles below San Francisco. Being recognized, he fled, and was pursued by
a party from Santa Barbara. On receiving the intelligence, the Executive
Committee immediately dispatched twenty resolute men in a fast sailing
vessel to join in the pursuit. On the 16th of July an arrival from down
the coast brought information of his probable escape. His condition was
represented to have been such as to have excited pity for even such a
criminal. When last seen he was dreadfully wearied and chafed by his
long ride, was without a hat to protect him from the fierce rays of the
sun, his face dreadfully burned and blistered, and oppressed with hunger
and thirst; and thus the poor wretch, loaded with guilt, flying from the
gallows, with hate and despair stamped on his face, spurred on in his
mad flight.
In the first week of June, measures were taken by the State Authorities
to frighten into submission, or to dissolve by force the Vigilance
Committee. The Governor issued a Proclamation declaring the County of
San Francisco in a state of insurrection, and gave orders to the Major
General of the District to make all necessary preparations to suppress
the insurrection. General orders were issued for all lovers of law and
order to enlist, choose officers, and commence drilling. Recruiting
stations were appointed in different parts of the City, and a
considerable number of respectable citizens, and most of the gamblers,
bullies and other notorious characters who had not yet fallen into the
hands of the Vigilance Committee, but must have had very reasonable
fears that they soon might, answered to the call. They mustered no such
force however as led to a public exhibition of their number or
condition. General Sherman, being unable to obtain from General Wood
such arms as he deemed necessary for his purpose, soon resigned, and
Volney C. Howard was appointed in his place. In the meantime the
Committee proceeded quietly in perfecting their arrangements. The
people, to the number of several thousand, offered themselves and were
added to the already formidable force. The demonstrations of citizens
not professedly belonging to, however in favor of the organization,
were, at this and subsequent periods, very impressive. An evening
meeting was held in front of the Oriental Hotel, the number present at
which was variously estimated at from five to eight thousand. This great
meeting was presided over by Hon. Baillie Peyton, formerly a
distinguished member of Congress, and then City Attorney. He addressed
the meeting, as did Judge Duer and other leading men. At the close of
the meeting, the immense assembly was called upon to say whether they
approved and would support the Vigilance Committee, and instantly such a
thundering "Aye" went up as seemed sufficient to rend the sky. When the
otherwise minded were called, two "No's" were heard, faintly breaking
the profound silence. Several other meetings came to a like conclusion.
Such occurrences, and they were frequent, greatly strengthened the
hands, and encouraged the hearts of the Executive Committee. Their
labors were various and unremitting. They issued notice to quit to
numbers of persons whom it was neither for the interest nor credit of
the community longer to retain. By their Police they were daily and
nightly arresting disturbers of the public peace, thieves and desperate
criminals, whom they quietly deposited in their strong rooms to be dealt
with according to their deserts. To be prepared for any emergency their
Head Quarters were made an armed camp. Barriers six feet in height, made
of sand bags, with cannon planted in the embrasures, extended along the
whole front of the building. Sentinels paced the roof day and night.
Companies were drilling at all hours at Head Quarters or in their
Armories. These defenses were strengthened from time to time; and others
ingeniously contrived were placed in the interior; so that, at length,
in the opinion of an officer of large experience, a very large force of
regular troops would have been required to carry it by storm.
In the afternoon of Saturday, June 21st, the perfect quiet of the early
part of the day was broken up by a tempest of excitement of rare
occurrence anywhere. Between three and four o'clock, a Police Officer of
the Vigilance Committee named Hopkins, being ordered with a party of
men, to arrest a man named Maloney, having ascertained that he was then
in the office of Dr. Ashe, Navy Agent, on Washington Street, entered the
office alone, leaving the other officers in the street. A number of
persons were in the room beside Maloney, amongst them Judge Terry, one
of the three Judges of the Supreme Court of California. Hopkins was
unable to make the arrest; and retiring from the room, collected his
men, and kept watch in the street. The party in the room armed
themselves and scattered into the street to make their way to the Armory
of the San Francisco Blues. While passing up Jackson Street, Hopkins
attempted to arrest Maloney. Terry opposed him with a double-barreled
gun, which Hopkins attempted to or did, wrest from him, when Terry
immediately struck him on the neck with a bowie knife, inflicting a
terrible wound. Terry and his whole party then ran and placed themselves
for safety in the Blues Armory. Hopkins was immediately taken into the
Pennsylvania Engine House. The news flew with lightning speed over the
City. The bell of the Vigilance Committee Rooms sounded; and instantly
the streets were swarming with members obedient at all times to its
summons. As the sound struck his ear, every man discontinued the work
upon which he was employed. Draymen passing with loads, unharnessed
their horses, mounted and rode off; engines in the great foundries were
stopped, and employers and men started off on the run; builders,
pressmen, shopmen, merchants, professional men, were alike hurrying to
the Committee Rooms. As they arrived, they took arms, were formed in
companies, and reported ready for duty. In a few minutes, a body of
cavalry were thundering through the streets and surrounding the block in
which was the Blues Armory. Then up every street poured companies of
infantry at double-quick time, and took possession of every important
point. So quickly was this done that only some thirty men of the so
called "law and order" party had been able to assemble in the Armory.
They were summoned to surrender, and alter some little parley, concluded
to do so. Terry, Ashe and Maloney were placed in carriages and conveyed
to the Committee Rooms. The other prisoners were then disarmed and they
were kept in the Armory until evening, when they likewise were marched
to the Committee Rooms.
While this was enacting, a strong force had surrounded the California
Exchange on the corner of Clay and Kearney Streets, where some seventy
or eighty of the, "law and order" men had assembled, and where was a
depot of arms. In front of this building, a battery of artillery was in
position flanked by a detachment of infantry. The commander of the party
in the building was summoned to surrender in five minutes. When four
minutes and a half had expired, the cautionary order of "Artillery,
attention" was heard, and at the same instant the doors were thrown
open, and a surrender made. Every, man was made to present himself at
the door, deposit his musket, strip off his accoutrements, and go back
into the room. The arms were taken to the Committee Rooms, and the
building left under a strong guard. All the other Armories of the "law
and order" party were taken about the same time by other detachments. In
less than two hours after the sounding of the alarm bell, the "law and
order" party had surrendered; all their arms were secured; the leaders
of their troops dismissed on parole; and the rank and file placed in
safe keeping; without the shedding of a drop of blood. The people looked
on with astonishment to see with what precision and dispatch the whole
work had been accomplished. At eleven o'clock the next day, the
prisoners, with the exception of a few, who, had hitherto escaped
capture, were dismissed from the Rooms after having been cautioned
against being taken' again. Their appearance as they marched out of the
building and up the street, each man with his blanket strapped across
his shoulders, some with looks of dignified disgust, and others with a
most crestfallen or woebegone expression. was ludicrous in the extreme,
and caused hearty laughter and many jokes at their expense. In addition
to the offenders those secured in the Rooms of the Committee, there were
many others at liberty for whom a quiet but unremitting search was kept
up. When any one was found, on the street or in any of his usual haunts,
he was very sure to surrender at the first summons of the officer,
probably for the reason humorously assigned by one of the most bitter
opponents of the Committee, who, after an envenomed tirade against it,
was asked, "Suppose, while talking on Montgomery Street, some one should
tap you on the shoulder, and say, you are wanted at the Vigilance
Committee Rooms, should you go?" "Of course I should," said he,
"Indeed," said the other, "I should not, from your talk, have expected
it." "Why," said he, "you don't think me such a consummate fool as to
attempt to buck up against two thousand men." Sometimes, however numbers
gave confidence to the rowdies, and they ventured, regardless of the
lessons of experience, to indulge in their old practices in public. A
public evening meeting was held in front of Montgomery Block to consider
what action should be taken in reference to certain Officials believed
to have been unfairly elected, and a part of whom at least were charged
with maladministration of the affairs of the City. A Committee had been
chosen to request these City officers to resign, and this Committee were
directed to report at an adjourned meeting in the same place. Before the
second meeting was held, it was understood that an attempt would be made
to break up the meeting. The intended disturbers stationed themselves
opposite the Montgomery Block, and by shouts, groans and noises of all
kinds, endeavoured to interrupt the proceedings. This was borne as long
as possible. At last a party of Vigilantes broke in from the extremity
of the crowd, and bore straight down through it, leaving a clear space
behind them, until they reached the point of disturbance, when they made
a charge upon the rowdies, some of whom drew pistols but were afraid to
use them; secured the leaders and principal bullies, and hurried them
off to secure lodgings in the Committee Rooms. The work was done in a
wonderfully short time and in the most skillful manner; and no further
disturbance occurred.
The punishments prescribed for offenders by the Committee being only
two, viz, death and banishment, and neither being applicable to the
cases of some of the numerous prisoners now in their hands, these were
discharged after being cautioned not again to offend. The rest, after
trial of each one in the mode prescribed, were sentenced to banishment;
were quietly embarked at night, and so "left their country for their
country's good."
Perfect quiet now seemed restored to the City. But soon the people were
again roused and horrorstricken by the deliberate murder of Dr. Randal,
a large land owner in various parts of the State, while quietly
conversing with the bar-keeper in the St. Nicholas Hotel, by one
Hetherington who, four years before had been tried for murder, but by
some means had escaped conviction. Several gentlemen were in the room at
the time, and were in considerable danger from the shots fired by him.
The alarm being given City Policemen who first arrived, arrested him;
but he was immediately taken from them by Vigilance Policemen, and at
once conveyed to the Committee Rooms. Two murderers, Hetherington and
Brace, were in due time tried the counsel whom they selected, were
procured; and the witnesses they named, obtained for them. They were
condemned, and some time after publicly executed in open day and in
presence of a great multitude in a public street in the lower part of
the City.
The case of Hopkins so dreadfully wounded by Judge Terry, was, for a
long time, considered desperate by the eminent surgeons and physicians
in constant attendance upon him. But after long hovering between life
and death; to the astonishment of all, he began slowly to recover,
until, at length, after many weeks of seclusion and intense suffering,
in the early part of August, he was able again to make his appearance
upon the streets. And now that his recovery was assured, the question as
to the disposition to be made of the author of his dreadful sufferings
was one of the most difficult imaginable. It seemed at first impossible
that the Executive Committee should reach a conclusion acceptable to the
Board of Delegates, and in which the whole organization would concur.
The meetings of both branches were frequent, long protracted and stormy.
At length a majority of both Boards determined that though his guilt was
unquestionable, under the circumstances the first penalty prescribed by
the Code did not apply. The second, that of banishment, at first
approved itself to a majority of both Boards, but, after anxious
consideration, it was deemed to be impracticable to carry it out, and
make it permanent. It was therefore decided to dismiss him with a public
notice of their belief in his guilt, and that the people of the largest
County in the State were of opinion that he should resign the Judicial
Office he held, and for which they deemed him unfit. Accordingly at an
early hour in the morning his prison doors were opened, and he was
permitted to go at large. In the afternoon of the same day he took the
steamer and returned to his home in Stockton. No sooner was the
decision, and the action of the Executive consequent upon it,
promulgated, than a wild storm of passionate excitement broke forth,
which threatened for several days the very existence of the
organization. But the Delegates met their respective Companies;
explained the action of the two Boards; gave the reasons for it in full;
answered all questions; urged every consideration likely to remove
suspicion, allay passion, and inspire confidence; and finally, with
infinite difficulty, the perilous crisis was passed, and acquiescence,
if not entire satisfaction was secured.
A week afterwards, on the 18th of August a public Parade and Review of
the entire force of the Vigilance Committee took place. The several
Companies assembled at their Armories and marched from thence to the
Head Quarters of their Regiments, and thence to Third Street, where the
whole force of Cavalry, Artillery, Riflemen and Infantry, consisting of
at least four thousand men, in black frock coats and pants and caps and
white gloves, were formed in line in double rank, extending a full mile
from Market Street some distance beyond South Park. The line was
reviewed by the Commander and his staff and the Executive Committee,
about forty persons in all, who thundered along it with heads uncovered,
at full speed. The line then broke into columns of companies, and with
inspiriting music from numerous bands, began their march through the
City. The sidewalks, windows and roofs of buildings on the line of march
were crowded with spectators. The scene from the upper part of Clay
Street, when the Cavalry and Artillery, having wheeled into Stockton
Street, the whole steep ascent of Clay Street, between Montgomery and
Stockton Streets, was filled from sidewalk to sidewalk, with the dark
moving mass of infantry, was most imposing; and to very many, of the
spectators so touching from memories of fears, anxieties and terrors for
their relatives and friends throughout, the eventful movement now so
happily drawing to a conclusion; as to dim their eyes with tears of joy,
and thankfulness. The march extended through the principal streets of
the City, and was terminated and the line dismissed at six o'clock in
the afternoon. This was the last public appearance of the Vigilance
Committee.
In the last week of August, the Executive Committee caused the
fortifications in front of the Head Quarters to be razed to the ground,
threw open the doors and invited public inspection of their rooms, and
disbanded the whole force; retaining however, as they stated in their
Address, the power to defend themselves if attacked; to enforce the
penalty against any banished criminal who should return; and to preserve
the public peace, if it should become necessary. A tap of the bell would
in future, summon the members, if any emergency should require it.
On the following third of November, the State arms which had been sent
by the Governor from Benicia to be used by the "law and order" party in
suppressing the Vigilance Committee, but which had been intercepted in
the passage down the river, were restored; and the Governor then
withdrew his Proclamation declaring the County of San Francisco in a
state of insurrection.
This great and hazardous experiment of Reforms thus brought to a
conclusion nearly six months after its inception, was planned by some of
the best men in the community....
Happily the right prevailed without civil war. The imminent danger of a
collision between the Committee and the United States authorities which
might have arrayed against them the whole military and naval force at
that station was surmounted by the exercise of consummate prudence. The
most deadly peril of all, the internal dissensions and excessive
exasperation in the ranks of the Committee consequent on the dismissal
of Judge Terry without punishment was, with prodigious effort, finally
averted. And then the determined front of the People thoroughly roused
in City and State to their support, awed and finally crushed the force
of organized ruffianism which had so long held sway, and run riot with
impunity ....
The approval or condemnation of the extraordinary movement described in
these pages will depend upon the answer given by every person
thoughtfully considering the subject, to the question whether, under our
peculiar institutions, when a community has lapsed into a condition in
which the bad element has become dominant and has succeeded in
paralyzing or perfecting law and justice so that brute force and
violence have full sway, and life and property are entirely insecure,
there is any other conceivable mode in which the well disposed,
industrious and orderly classes can assert their rights and secure their
liberties, than the one adopted by the San Francisco Vigilance Committee
in 1856? No other was suggested at the time, nor, so far as the writer
knows, has been since. It obtained and preserved throughout, the
approval, countenance and support of a large majority of the citizens of
San Francisco, and also of the people of the State of California, as was
abundantly shown by the numerous and continual expressions of sympathy,
and proffers of assistance when needed and at the shortest notice, which
were received by the Executive Committee.