harged upon him. I am not
aware that he was ever accused of crookedness in elections except in his
zeal to secure the election of Delos Lake, Whig, as District Judge, in
1851. When the Vigilance Committee was organized, in 1856, he openly and
boldly denounced it, and was an ardent supporter of the Law and Order
side. On what charge he was arrested and banished I have never been able
to ascertain. The manner of his arrest added no laurels to the parties
who conspired to effect it and the participants in the arrest. It bore
the tokens of jealousy and spite sprung from his election years before
as Chief Engineer, more than of any present cause. He was entrapped,
seized, hauled to the committee cells and banished, nevertheless.

Billy Mulligan was the incarnation of fearlessness, fight and
frolic--dangerous frolic it was sometimes to any he did not like. Of low
stature, slight frame, active as a cat, the expression of a
bull-terrier, and as, quick to an, encounter, Mulligan was not a man to
pick a quarrel with--the other party invariably second best. He had
served under Colonel Jack Hays in his troop of Texan Rangers, and
Colonel Hays gave the praise that he was one of the bravest, pluckiest,
most daring and desperate fighters he had ever had in his command. Billy
had his full share of the vices of drinking, gambling, fighting and a
fast life. He was active in politics and "went in to win." But he had
the virtue not to lie; and he would not betray any confidence reposed in
him, turn faithless to any promise he made. He was bold, frank, manly,
magnanimous except towards those he despised as well as hated, and to
these he was implacable and merciless. The world's wealth couldn't
seduce or bribe him from the support of the men he liked, no matter how
poor they might be; and he would on every occasion interpose to protect
the helpless and defenseless from the violence or maltreatment of
others. Crime of any degree was never alleged to his account. He had
faithfully served as collector of moneys for the County Treasurer two
years, and fully accounted for every dollar that he received. Beyond his
fighting bouts and his conduct in elections--about the same as prevails
now--there was nothing to warrant his arrest and banishment. But the
terrors of Fort Gunny Bags did not intimidate Mulligan. One of the
committee remarked to me, on the occasion of his death by the rifle shot
of a policeman while he was wild with delirium tremens, tha