Hoge and Colonel Peyton volunteered to act
as counsel for him in Court; and bidding him go good-night, whit hearty
shake of hands, we all came away. Next morning no one appeared to
prosecute him, and Casey was discharged.
It will serve to state the offence for which Casey was sentenced to
State Prison in New York, before he left for California. He had, the
same as many other young men, taken up with a girl of loose character,
whose chastity had been spoiled by another, and hired and furnished an
apartment for her. The two lived as man and wife--much as too many live
in that same relation, for they quarreled and separated. In his hot
temper one day, he saw her upon the street, and instantly the thought
flashed upon his mind that he would go to her apartment and have the
furniture taken from it. He still kept a key to the door. He hired a
wagon, and carried out his determination. The landlady supposed it to be
all right. He had paid the rent in advance and she was that much the
gainer. He took the furniture to a second-hand furniture dealer, sold it
and kept the money. As he bought it, he felt that it was his to sell. On
the return of the girl, the landlady told her what had occurred. In
taking the furniture, he had also carried away some articles which
belonged to the girl. She hurried to the police Court, made charge
against him, and he was arrested. He made no defence and was convicted.
The sentence was eighteen months in Sing Sing prison. He served his time
and came to California. This was the damning record which James King of
William had threatened to publish in his Bulletin. He did not publish
the facts of the case; but only the fact of the indictment, the
conviction, the sentence and imprisonment. King had been told all this
by a man who had been clerk to the District Attorney, and was cognizant
of all the facts. He was a prominent Broderick man, hated Casey for
having left that wing of the party and joined the other wing, and
adopted this means to blast him in reputation. Casey was morbidly
sensitive on the subject. He had been apprised that King intended to
publish the matter; and early in the afternoon of the day of the
shooting he called upon Mr. King in his office, and warned him to desist
from the publication. King gave no heed to the warning; the matter
appeared in the Bulletin that day. Casey was exasperated to madness. He
armed himself, watched for King on Montgomery street, but he did not
conceal himsel
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