Pioneer Pieces: Dueling Judges

The Vigilante Committee was quite busy in San Francisco in the mid 1800's.  One of the most celebrated acts of the Committee involved Supreme Court Judge David S. Terry, a secessionist and duelist who stabbed a policeman during a street riot.   He was imprisioned by the Vigilante Committee but later released.

Obviously the story doesn't end there - three years later, Terry participated in California's most celebrated duel with David C Broderick, a political opposition who helped defeat Terry and end his political career.  Broderick was killed on September 13, 1859 at Lake Mead in San Mateo, Ca, by none other than David S Terry who most believed acted on pure revenge for his defeat.

Set your clock ahead some 30 years to meet Terry once again in a duel, this time with another Supreme Court Justice, Stephen J Field.  Seems Terry had been jailed by Field for contempt of court and Terry vowed to kill Judge Field before he died.  So they met at a railroad luncheon in Lathrop where Judge Terry fell in the duel to Judge Field.  Thus ended the dueling life of Supreme Court Justice David S Terry -  and all San Francisco felt a whole lot better  at the news of the death of the dueling judge.

Next time - the birth of the San Francisco Chronicle