Affair with a miserable scamp calling himself a lawyer, — Vigilance committee regularly organized, — Arrest of two notorious burglars, — Trial, — Attempted rescue by the city authorities, — Incidents of their reception and execution, — Dreadful conflagration, — Fickleness of fortune, — Tour through the Mines, — Desire to see all that was going on, — Scene at a gaming table, — Results, — Meet an acquaintance, — Remarks on California, — Cruelty of the Indian quack doctor, — Leave my business with two " nice young men," at Panama, — Propose to return home, — Cross the Isthmus,— Arrive at Jamaica, — Imprudence of the passengers, — Arrive home, — My " nice young men," burst up, — Start again for San Francisco, — Sailed from New York in the Cherokee, — Arrive at Chagres, — Took boat for Gorgona, — Arrive safe, — Procure mules for Panama, — Thrown off my mule, — Take passage in the Tennessee for San Francisco, — Taken down with fever, — Death of a passenger, — Escape death by avoiding medicine,— Recovery, — Arrival at San Francisco, — My property squandered by these "nice young men," — Live on board the Susan Drew, — Villanous treatment towards Capt.
Constant, by an execrable wretch called a " Lawyer," — Terrible fire, — Assist in building a store, — Assist a young man in going ahead again, — Remarks of a Boston gentleman, — My anathema, — Leave for San Francisco, — For San Juan del Sud, — Arrive, — Description of the place, — Difficulty in getting ashore, — Incidents, — Previous trouble with Spanish soldiers, — Affair with a Missourian, — Trouble with the agent, — No mules, — Obtain them and start, — Difficulty commences. The morning after the execution of Jenkins, there was an attempt to get up an indignation meeting, and a pettifogging lawyer undertook to make a speech, setting forth the inhumanity of the act, and various tender-hearted remarks.
He had not proceeded far in his sympathizing speech, when lie had to make his escape, or he would most surely have been lynched. The idea of a lawyer telling about inhumanity — a fellow who would suck the last drop of blood from an unfortunate man, and leave him gasping, tell about inhumanity! Necessity compelled me on a peculiar occasion, to call upon a lawyer to get a paper drawn which would probably contain about twenty-five lines. This paper was to be signed by two others besides myself. The lawyer that I employed had been a Western judge. After the instrument was written he wanted his pay, which he said was fifty dollars, but would take something less.
I told him that when the other parties had signed it, which would be as soon as I could get them together, we would then pay him. Not being able to find but one of the others, the paper remained with him several days. As I was walking on the plaza one day, I met this lawyer and another. They were walking together. In a very abrupt manner he called me by name, and said: " You know the number of my office, sir, arid if you donH call and get that paper, Til sue you f Unfortunately for me, I never had philosophy enough to bear an insult. I approached, and told him if he opened his mouth to me again in that insulting manner, 1 would knock him 'down.
He turned pale as death, and said no more. The gentleman who was walking with him had gone off ashamed of his company. I went immediately to his office, related the affair to his partner, who in a very gentlemanly manner wished me to take no further notice of it, saying, he knew V e was a close-fisted fellow, and wanted all he could get, adding that when the parties were ready, just come in and we will make it all straight. I met the other fellow a few days afterwards, in Well's banking hous, He was then as polite as a French barber. The Vigilance Committee were now perfectly organized, with regularly appointed officers in every department, with ample and convenient rooms for trial and confinement. ^ Many of the most respectable and influential men in San Francisco were members.
The next culprit was an English highway robber, who was taken in the act. The alarm bell was rung, the court immediately assembled, the robber was tried, condemned, and received his sentence to prepare for death, in one hour. I reparations for the execution of the sentence were made at the end of the wharf. A clergyman kindly volunteered his services to attend him to the place of execution. _ At hist the criminal bejran to curse and swear, fairly abusing the good minister who continued faithfully exhorting him to repentance. The poor deluded convict was apparently inexorable until a few minutes before he was run up, then in a faint voice asked the clergyman if there was a hope for him.