Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/416

 the rightful

owner of  a  lot  on  Mission  street ;  Union  Square  was fenced in,  and  when  by  order  of  the  mayor  the  street commissioner attempted  to  remove  it,  the  claimant drew a  pistol  but  was  disarmed  before  he  could  use  it. It was  in  a  quarrel  over  a  lot  on  Greenwich  street that John  Baldwin,  an  old  and  respected  citizen,  was shot dead  by  one  Hetherington. There was  a  multi- tude of affairs  of  this  nature,  many  of  which  resulted fatally.

Samuel Brannan  in  1851  had  deeded  the  Odd  Fel- lows' ground for  a  cemetery,  and  by  mid-summer  1853 squatters swarmed  on  it. In certain  quarters  there appeared something  like  systematic  organization  with wealth behind  appearances.

It appears  that  Captain  Folsom  experienced  no little  trouble  from  the  squatter. He repeatedly  em- ployed armed bodies  of  men  to  clear  his  property, tear down  fences,  demolish  houc:es  and  drive  off  claim- ants. This was  a  rather  arbitrary  practise  for  a whilom  government  officer;  but  the  courts  were  slow, much slower  than  gunpowder;  and  when  property  was rapidly appreciating  and  depreciating,  lengthy  litiga- tions would entail  loss  even  to  the  winner. A lot  on the  corner  of  Mission  and  Third  streets  was  the  scene of a  fatal  squatter  riot  about  the  first  of  June  1854. Some ten  men  were  engaged  on  either  side. The police were  rather  inclined  to  favor  the  squatters,  but they were  finally  ejected. In this  disgraceful  affair two men  were  killed  and  five  wounded.

So rank  had  become  this  evil  that  holders  of  prop- erty under title  derived  from  the  city,  and  others, held a  meeting  on  the  5th  of  June,  1854,  at  the  office of Theodore  Payne  and  Company,  and  steps  were taken toward  the  appointment  of  a  special  police  for the protection  of  their  lots,  or  in  other  words,  for  the organization of  a  band  of  fighting  men  to  drive  away the squatters. Something of  the  kind  was  needed, and, indeed,  justifiable,  for  the  squatters  had  entrenched themselves on  Mission  street,  and  threate