al press was divided.
The religious papers, the _Pacific_ and the _Christian Advocate_, both
openly declared that Casey ought to be hanged. The clergy took up the
matter sternly, and one minister of the Gospel, Rev. J. A. Benton, of
Sacramento, gave utterance to this remarkable but well-grounded
statement: "_A people can be justified in recalling delegated power and
resuming its exercise._" Before we hasten to criticize sweepingly under
the term "mob law" such work as this of the Vigilantes, it will be well
for us to weigh that utterance, and to apply it to conditions of our own
times; to-day is well-nigh as dangerous to American liberties as were
the wilder days of California.

Now, summoned by some unknown command, armed men appeared in the streets
of San Francisco, twenty-four companies in all, with perhaps fifty men
in each company. The Vigilantes had organized again. They brought a
cannon and placed it against the jail gate, and demanded that Casey be
surrendered to them. There was no help for it, and Casey went away
handcuffed, to face a court where political influence would mean
nothing. An hour later the murderer Cora was taken from his cell, and
was hastened away to join Casey in the headquarters building of the
Vigilantes. A company of armed and silent men marched on each side of
the carriage containing the prisoner. The two men were tried in formal
session of the Committee, each having counsel, and all evidence being
carefully weighed.

King died on May 20, 1856, and on May 22d was buried with popular
honors, a long procession of citizens following the body to the
cemetery. A popular subscription was started, and in a brief time over
thirty thousand dollars was raised for the benefit of his widow and
children. When the long procession filed back into the city, it was to
witness, swinging from a beam projecting from a window of Committee
headquarters, the bodies of Casey and Cora.

The Committee now arrested two more men, not for a capital crime, but
for one which lay back of a long series of capital crimes--the stuffing
of ballot-boxes and other election frauds. These men were Billy Mulligan
and the prize-fighter known as Yankee Sullivan. Although advised that he
would have a fair trial and that the death penalty would not be passed
upon him, Yankee Sullivan committed suicide in his cell. The entire
party of lawyers and judges were arrayed against the Committee,
naturally enough. Judge Terry, of the Suprem