Tag Archives: gold rush

Ned McGowan tried

When Edward McGowan, indicted in San Francisco as an accessory before the fact to James Casey’s murder of James King of William, finally appeared in Sacramento he had the support of the Law and Order Party and was himself skilled … Continue reading

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Vigilantes influence 1856 SF elections

In the election of November 1856 the People’s Party, the successor to the spirit and principles of the Committee of Vigilance, brought a whole new era into San Francisco and to some extent the state of California starting with a … Continue reading

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Vigilante headquarters on display

Soon after their stunningly successful military parade, starting on August 21st and lasting through the 23rd, the Committee of Vigilance opened their headquarters, Fort Gunnybags, for inspection by the general population to further emphasize the intimate connection between the committee … Continue reading

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The last march of the vigilantes

All of the displays of the power of the Committee of Vigilance had been remarkable, most notably when Casey and Cora were taken from county jail and then when the law and order forces were overpowered and marched through the streets … Continue reading

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Vigilantes to suspend operations

The Committee of Vigilance lasted much longer than expected with a bigger burden on members, and particularly the executive committee, than anyone had anticipated. On June 18 a committee had been appointed to start the process of a speedy adjournment … Continue reading

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The vigilantes banish their last man

After the execution of Hetherington and Brace and the release of David Terry the following week there was little left to attract the attention of the vigilance committee or to keep the excitement of the community. Though the black list … Continue reading

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The execution of Brace and Hetherington

On the afternoon of Tuesday July 29th a scaffold eight feet square and ten feet high with a trap door in the center and a cross beam seven and a half feet above it, was built on Davis Street between … Continue reading

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The vigilantes try Hetherington

Thursday July 24th, the day after David Terry had been found guilty of assault on Sterling Hopkins, Joseph Hetherington shot and killed Dr. Andrew Randall in the office of the St. Andrews Hotel at Sansome and Commercial Streets. Born in … Continue reading

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The vigilantes convict Philander Brace

After David Terry’s trial ended the next business before the executive committee was the trial of Philander Brace, a large, intelligent and reasonably well educated young man barely past twenty-one years old. He’d been arrested even before the stabbing of … Continue reading

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Vigilantes free Terry

The vigilance committee’s board of delegates was called together on the Friday following the guilty verdicts in the trial of David Terry to give their approval of those decisions. Feelings ran high and the meeting room was full. The doors … Continue reading

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