Research is a treasure hunt, and author Nancy J. Taniguchi found a big, shiny nugget for her Dirty Deeds: Land, Violence and the San Francisco Vigilance Committee (Oklahoma, $32.95). Taniguchi located the long-believed-lost records of the 1856 committee, the second set of vigilantes to stretch necks in the infant City by the Bay. She covers the infamous hangings of James Casey, Charles Cora and two others, plus the bizarre imprisonment of State Supreme Court Justice David Terry. And, she reveals the secret dealings behind the scenes. This tingling page-turner is not just a major contribution to California history, it helps us understand how the concepts of justice evolved in our society.
—Casey Tefertiller, author of Wyatt Earp: The Life Behind the Legend
– Courtesy of the California History Room, California State Library, Sacramento –
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