A Sketch of the Causes, Operations and Results of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856 by Stephen Palfrey Webb
page 35 of 39 (89%)
page 35 of 39 (89%)
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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, |
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