Day # 157 Swifter

When last we checked, the San Francisco Vigilance Committee, in 1851, had hung four souls, whipped another, deported fourteen-odd back to Australia and informally asked another fourteen to leave.  Whatever that means.  Perhaps feeling that there work was done, the SFVC disbanded for a time.  Another view is that they were worse than the folks they were hanging, whipping and deporting, formally or otherwise.  But they would be back. They hadn't even built their fort yet.

                                                     The handiwork of the first SFVC

Besides wanting a Fort it seems the fine members of the SFVC wanted some political clout.  The fort, Fort Gunnybags, was built in 1856.  It was finally destroyed for keeps by the 1906 earthquake.  Its an ill wind that blows no good, etc.

The political clout came shortly thereafter.  In the rigged (therefore normal) municipal elections of that year, the voters sent an Irish-Catholic candidate to the City Board of Supervisors.  A journalist from the Daily Evening Bulletin, one James King, accused the newly elected supervisor of corruption.  This proved to be an error in judgement.  Casey confronted Mr. King in the street and shot him dead.

After the mob of Vigilance folks dragged Mr. Casey out of jail (it seems that the regular avenues of justice were actually working) they tried him and then hung him.  Quickly.  Over the remainder of the year, the mob hung a few more people, tormented another to the point that he killed himself and busied themselves with the maintenance of the Fort and armory which they supplemented by seizing a shipment of arms from the Federal government.

Behind the scenes the folks of the Vigilance Committee formed a political party, the People's Party, which with their backing and armament, usurped power from the local Democratic machine.  As the Vigilance Committee disbanded, its People's Party ruled The City until 1867 when it was merged into the Republican Party.  Some of the members went on to form other mobs in other places, some settled down to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

It seems that a lot of influence and money found its way into the hands of the mob, committee, whatever.  Imagine, behind the scenes money of wealthy individuals being used to influence political and social events, often with the use of backroom deals, intimidation and even sanctioned violence against the citizenry.

Its a good thing that this sort of behavior did not have any sort of lasting legacy with the exception of a plaque on a wall, overlooked by most passers-by.