tales." This pure-character did not stand alone in his experience of
penal servitude, as birds of a feather, and he was under no necessity of
examplifying Lord Dundreary's bird, to go into a corner and flock by
himself. That some turbulent offenders, and largely too many of them,
defied the law, is likewise true. But that they were countenanced or
favored by the Judges, is utterly without truthful foundation. And it is
remarkable that, of all the men hanged or expatriated by the Committee,
only two had ever been complained of or arraigned before the Courts for
any crime of violence; not one of them all had been here accused or
suspected of theft or robbery, or other felony. This is more, as I have
just above stated, than can be said of some of the forty-one members of
the Executive Committee. And among the members of the rank and file of
the five thousand or six thousand enrolled upon the lists of the
Committee - of natives and English-speaking citizens or residents -
there were scores of scoundrels of every degree, bogus gold-dust
operators, swindlers and fugitives from justice. Of the members of other
nationalities - some of whom had not been in the country long enough to
acquire English - I have no occasion to pass remark; but the fear of
communism and disturbance, from the increase of its incendiary votaries
in our country, east and here, cannot be lessened or composed by the
recollection of the conduct of many of the same nationalities who then
swelled the ranks of the Committee troops.



Chapter II.



Saturday Nov. 19, 1855, between 5 and 6 o'clock, the community was