These thugs are destroying your homes, taking your gold and threatening your lives.
Unless they are all sent to the gallows, there will be no peace in our San Francisco.
The laws of this land should not be defended by me alone, and justice should not be upheld by me alone. It should be upheld by you! The people of San Francisco, because this is our common home!
If you need me, Sam Brannan, to take action, I, Sam Brannan, will lead you to defend the laws of this land and uphold justice on this land without hesitation!
Long live the United States of America! Long live the people of California!"
The San Francisco Peace Commission was established amid Brannan's impassioned speech.
Although the deserters failed to attack San Francisco, they still looted some shops and houses in the city, causing immeasurable losses to San Francisco.
What's even worse is that after the disaster, San Francisco has become a paradise for criminals with numerous gangs.
Brannan was not spared from the riots. The mobs looted his four shops, making him one of the merchants who suffered the greatest losses in the riots.
Brannan kept a cool head. He did not indulge in the sorrow of property loss like other store owners, nor did he curse the thugs blindly, because doing so would not bring him any substantial benefits.
Brannan saw an opportunity in the chaotic and panic-stricken San Francisco; perhaps he could take advantage of the people's insecurity and fear.
He is now the richest man in California, but his ambition does not stop there, he wants to go further.
With the establishment of the Vigilante Committee, Brannan used his gold and US dollars to buy off some gangs in gang-ridden San Francisco and used these gangs to eliminate other gangs.
The public security in San Francisco improved in a very short period of time, something that even Sheriff Flagg could not achieve.
Brannan's reputation in San Francisco soared as a result, which was exactly what he wanted to see.
Improving the public security in San Francisco was just a side job, and it was not the purpose of Brannan to establish the Security Committee. The gold spent must also be recovered and converted into tangible benefits.
When Liang Yao returned to San Francisco, he could clearly feel the difference in San Francisco. Groups of gunmen with armbands patrolled the streets of San Francisco, dragging "thugs" out of stores from time to time.
The onlookers applauded and rushed into the store to start buying for free, wishing their parents had not given them two more hands so that they could take more goods from the store.
"Mr. Brannan is the savior God sent to San Francisco!"
"It's hard to imagine San Francisco without Mr. Brannan!"
"I like them to deliver justice, I really hope they can deliver justice every day!"
People coming out of the shops with their bags full said so.
"On trial of criminals! Mr. Brannan is trying criminals in the square!"
The news that Brannan was trying the "mob" in the square quickly spread throughout the streets of San Francisco, and people flocked to the square to watch the first trial in California's history.
Liang Yao, who possessed the "bad qualities of the Chinese nation", was naturally no exception and went to the square to watch the execution with his companion Robinson.
"Jenkins? No! He's not a thug! He's just a law-abiding store owner, a legal businessman!"
After seeing the defendant's face clearly, Robinson had a painful expression on his face.
"What crime has poor Jenkins committed?"
"According to the laws of the United States, Jenkins is a good citizen who abides by the law. If he has committed any crime, it is only that he blocked Brannan's financial path. But this crime is enough to send him to the gallows in San Francisco."
California has not yet been established as a state, so naturally there is no state law. If there is any law to be followed, it can only be the laws of the United States federal government.
Liang Yao saw more clearly than Robinson. In California today, whoever has the most gold and the strongest fist is the law. Now that person is Brannan.
"This is a blasphemy against the laws of the United States of America!" Robinson felt extremely indignant.
In this country with a post-Roman Empire appearance, respect for the law has become a consensus among middle-class and well-educated citizens like Robinson.
He would not allow the sacred law to be violated, even though all the laws in the world were an extension of the will of the ruling class and Robinson was not a member of the ruling class.
"When it comes to blaspheming the laws of the United States, there are many people who deserve to die." Liang Yao shrugged and spread his hands.
"Is this a beheading? Where is the executioner? Where is the knife?"
Deng Wenyu, who came to San Francisco with Liang Yao, was looking around curiously, trying to find the executioner.
He had never seen a beheading, but he heard that several Guangxi rebels who spread false rumors and misled the people and regarded ghosts as their fathers were beheaded in Guangzhou City two years ago.
I didn't expect to see beheading in the United States, which made Deng Wenyu excited and expectant.
"If nothing unexpected happens, the well-dressed Brannan is the executioner. People in the United States think beheading is too bloody. They prefer to hang people with ropes or burn them to death. This is more civilized."
Deng Wenyu looked at Brannan, who was very different from the executioner he had in mind, and muttered to himself, "It's death anyway, what's the difference? Maybe beheading is more pleasant."
"What is your companion talking about?" Robinson, who didn't understand Cantonese, asked curiously. "He said that beheading might be more humane than hanging." Liang Yao scratched his head and explained to Robinson.
Brannan fabricated false charges against Jenkins in front of an excited crowd and finally sentenced Jenkins to death by hanging.
Brannan then put a noose around Jenkins' neck.
"Brannan, you will get your comeuppance!"
Jenkins, heartbroken, glared at Brannan.
"When I get to heaven, I will tell God about your evil deeds! God will punish you!"
"No, you will go to hell, you and Satan go talk about this!"
Brannan's mouth twitched involuntarily, and he strangled Jenkins himself.
In this absurd trial, Brannan played the roles of judge, jury, and executioner.
Jenkins became Brannan's first victim. Perhaps there will be a second, third, or even more victims, that is, Brannan's competitors, who will be sent to the gallows.
By lynching Jenkins, Brannan is no longer just a selfish, profit-seeking businessman and speculator, he wants much more than that.
"Sheriff Flagg, you are here too? What a coincidence, I was just about to come visit you."
After the crowd gradually dispersed, Liang Yao saw Flagg with a bandage on his right hand and a complicated expression.
In the eyes of these indifferent masses, Brannan is now the king of San Francisco and even California. No one will remember that there is a sheriff in California.
Of course, this is not the worst.
Flagg also knew that California's chaotic state could not last forever. There was gold here, and it was only a matter of time before the United States' complete administrative and judicial institutions moved in.
Obviously, Brannan's behavior had clearly crossed the line and far exceeded Flagg's psychological expectations.
Flagg received a lot of gold from Brannan. If the matter is investigated in the future, people will only regard him as the sheriff and an accomplice of the villain Brannan.
"Oh? It's a coincidence indeed." Flagg raised his head and forced a smile. "I received your greetings and gifts. Thank you Liang, and Dr. Robinson. Your medicine is very effective."
Flagg hosted Liang Yao, Robinson and others at his home. He was well aware that one would not visit a temple without a request.
He knew that Liang Yao and Robinson came all the way from Sacramento to San Francisco to see him not just to visit him or to show concern for his injuries.
"California is not just about San Francisco. Sacramento is also growing very fast and many people have settled there.
Of course, the security situation there is not optimistic now. I think the honest Sheriff Flagg does not want Sacramento to become the next San Francisco."
Liang Yao directly explained his purpose, but this time his words of praise were obviously not as effective as last time. It seemed that Brannan's lynching had given Flagg a great stimulus.
Flagg looked indifferent as he cut a piece of rare beef from the steak and put it into his mouth and started chewing.
"So you want me to send some police officers to Sacramento? Perhaps your request is reasonable. It is our duty to protect the safety of American citizens, but I need to report to my superiors."
Liang Yao knew that this was just a perfunctory remark from Flagg, so he asked Deng Wenyu to move a full 1,000 ounces of gold.
Words of praise are not effective, and Liang Yao does not expect the gold to produce much magic power.
As expected, the gold impressed Mrs. Flagg, who had not seen much of the world, but did not impress Flagg himself.
Flag wanted gold, but these pleasant things now seemed very hot to him.
"Oh, dear, you have no reason to deny this young gentleman's reasonable request. They are just insecure."
Mrs. Flagg couldn't let go of the gold and felt its heavy weight.
"Go! Clean up your kitchen!"
Flagg slammed his fist on the table and raged at his wife.
Liang Yao also knew that Flagg liked gold, but gold was not what Flagg wanted most at the moment.
"On the day California was established as a state, if those fat-bellied congressmen and your superiors were surprised to find that there was an orderly place in this chaotic land that strictly abided by the laws of the United States, I think they would be very surprised, and all this is thanks to you, Mr. Flagg."
Liang Yao continued to try to convince Flagg that he could not organize a private armed force with combat effectiveness comparable to those of the former professional or semi-professional mounted police in a short period of time. Moreover, Flagg had the legal law enforcement power granted by the federal government, so Flagg was very important to him.
"Sheriff Flagg, Sacramento needs you." Dr. Robinson also cast an earnest look at Flagg.
Flagg just took a big sip of milk, wiped his mouth, and threw the napkin casually on the table.