San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856 | Page 5

the few months of its existence, the paper was conducted without ability; advocated no good cause; favored no measures for promoting the public interest or welfare; attained no measure of popularity; and its discontinuance inspired no regret, but was felt rather to be a relief.
The thought seems now to have suggested itself that having been so long the distributor of offices to others he might well assume it himself; and thus while obtaining position in society, enlarge his sphere of operations in plundering the public. Accordingly a ballot box at the Presidio Precinct in the suburbs of the City was so arranged or presided over by friends or pliant tools, that four or five days alter the election, the law being conveniently silent as to the time which might be consumed in counting votes and making the return, it was made to turn out James P. Casey a member of the Board of Supervisors of the County, although not known to have been a candidate for the office at the Polls on the day of election. In this responsible position, he could find his way on important Committees, be able to squander the resources of the County, and by his vote and influence assist in passing the most exorbitant claims, of which, it is to be presumed, he received a satisfactory percentage.
So high-handed an offender against the law and the rights of the people could not escape the notice or the withering rebuke of Mr. King. He fearlessly proclaimed him a convicted felon, and dealt with him as one of the principal of those offenders against all law, human or divine, with whom San Francisco had been so long and so terribly cursed.
The Bulletin of May 14th, in which the charges founded upon the most incontrovertible evidence, of Casey's conviction, sentence and discharge from Sing Sing, was made in the plainest terms accompanied with comments upon his ballot-box stuffings and other criminal acts in San Francisco, was published at an early hour in the after noon. At four o'clock Casey called at the Editor's room and demanded of Mr. King what he meant by the article in the Bulletin just issued, and was asked to what article he alluded? "To that" was the reply, "in which I am said to have been formerly an inmate of Sing Sing State Prison." "Is it not true?" said King. Casey replied, "That is not the question. I don't wish my past acts raked up; on that point I am sensitive." King then pointed to the door which was open, and told him to leave the room and never enter there again. Casey moved to the door saying, "I'll say in my paper what I please." To which King replied "You have a perfect right to do as you please. I shall never notice your paper." Casey said, "If necessary, I shall defend myself." King, rising from his seat, said, "Go, and never show your face here again." Casey immediately retired.
At five o'clock, his usual dinner hour, Mr. King left his office. With his arms crossed under his Taima, as was his wont, and his eyes cast down, he passed along Montgomery Street apparently in deep thought, and at the corner of Washington Street began to cross the street diagonally. When about half across, Casey stepped from behind an Express wagon, dropped a short cloak from his shoulders, and uttering a few words, the only ones heard by Mr. King, as he said on his death bed, being "Come on," immediately discharged one barrel of a large revolver into Mr. King's breast. Mr. King drew himself up, and then made a slight motion sideways, indicating plainly to the few persons in sight at the time, that he was hit. The spectators immediately ran in towards him, and assisted him into and seated him in the Express Office. He was badly wounded in the left breast, and was apparently in a dying condition.
In the meantime Casey was hurried by his friends and the Police to the Station House in the City Hall, and from thence, when the demonstrations of the immense multitude of infuriated citizens became awfully threatening, in a close carriage, to the Prison on Broadway, where, within stone walls, he might, as he did, receive the visits an congratulations of his admirers and the haters of the good man, whom he had slain; and lay his plans for eluding justice as so many before him had done. But he reckoned without his host. His hour had struck. The Avenger was on his trick, never more to lose sight of him till he had forced him to a speedy, public and ignominious death. The People, whom he had so long abused and deprived of their rights, as at last almost to have learned to