ardson was a brave and honorable man, and beloved by all. He
was about 33 years of age, a native of Washington, D. C., and married.
Cora was confined in the County jail. We will now leave this case in the
mind of the reader and take it up later on.

Shooting of James King, of William.

On May 14th, 1856, the city was thrown into a great excitement by an
attempt to assassinate James King, of William, editor of the "Evening
Bulletin," by James P. Casey, editor of the "Sunday Times." Both Casey
and King indulged in editorials of a nature that caused much personal
enmity, and in one of the issues of the "Bulletin" King reproduced
articles from the New York papers showing Casey up as having once been
sentenced to Sing Sing. Casey took offense at the articles, and about 5
o'clock in the afternoon, at the corner of Montgomery and Washington
streets, intercepted King who was on his way home, drew a revolver,
saying, "Draw and defend yourself," and shot him through the left breast
near the armpit. Mr. King exclaimed, "I am shot," and reeling, was
caught up and carried to the Pacific Express office on the corner Casey
was quickly locked up in the station house[1].

Immediately following the shooting large crowds filled the streets in
the neighborhood anxious to hang to the nearest lamp post the
perpetrator of the crime. Casey was immediately removed to the County
jail for safer keeping. Here crowds again congregated, demanding the
turning over to them of Casey and threatening violence if denied. Mayor
Van Ness and others addressed them in efforts to let the law take its
course but the crowd which had been swelled into a seething mass,
remonstrated, citing the shooting of Marshal Richardson, and demanding
Cora, his assassin, that he, too, might be hanged.

Military aid was called to the defense of the jail and its prisoners and
after a while the multitude dispersed, leaving all quiet.

Casey and Cora Turned Over to Vigilance Committee.

Sunday, May 18th, a deputation of the Committee was delegated to call at
the door of the jail and request the Sheriff to deliver up the prisoner,
Casey. Upon arriving at the door three raps were made. Sheriff Scannell
appeared. The delegation desired him to handcuff the prisoner and
deliver him at the door. Without hesitation, the Sheriff repaired to the
cell of Casey and informed him of the request of the Vigilantes. The
Sheriff, after going through some preliminaries, brought the pri