San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856 | Page 5

newspaper, called the Sunday Times,
and without principle, character or education, assumed to be the
enlightener of public opinion and the conservator of public morals.
During 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