ON AMERICAN SOIL 189 



of honest men, whose final judgment bore the stamp oi 

 sound sense. 



However, the committee had set its ambition higher 

 than merely to clear the city and surrounding country of 

 vagabonds of every description, who had openly sinned 

 against law, life and property. It directed its energies 

 likewise against those wdio had helped or hidden the 

 criminals in their respective positions as lawyers, judges, 

 receivers of stolen goods or as den or dive keepers of 

 more or less importance. It was naturally 7iot very easy 

 to bring this class of malefactors to justice, to convict and 

 condemn them to the well earned rope, but they were nev- 

 ertheless dealt with most effectively. The judges and 

 lawyers were practically ruined by the arousing of public 

 opinion against them by publishing in the most popular 

 dailies the trials of noted criminals in the course of which 

 these men had proven themselves unworthy of their call- 

 ing by manipulating evidence in favor of this or the other 

 law breaker, giving full particulars of the tricks used in 

 such cases. By this and similar means they became ex- 

 posed to the wrath of the people, and not only lost their 

 patronage among the honest citizens but generally earned 

 their well deserved public contempt; and whenever they 

 appeared in the streets they were greeted with hisses, 

 shouts and other degrading expressions. As this class of 

 men had accumulated more or less wealth they disap- 

 peared one by one, without noise and without special 

 farewell services. Thus San Francisco was effectually 

 freed from this most undesirable gentry. 



Next in order were the keepers of " fences" and dens, 

 called "cribs," the number, exact list of names and 

 biographies of which had been secured by the vigilance 

 committee by means of secret service men. With these 

 another process was enacted. Most of these fellows were 

 ex-convicts from Sydney, Australia, and, according to 

 information obtained, either exiled, escaped or discharged 

 from there. They were dealt with very effectually and 

 by rather short methods. The vigilance committee paid 

 passage on an outgoing vessel, bound for Sydney, for the 



