Learning Objectives
STUDENTS SHOULD LEARN:
About the gang known as the Hounds and why
they came to prominence in San Francisco
About the Committee of Vigilance and why
they come into being in San Francisco
About the events that led to the decline of
both groups
Gangs of San Francisco
Using the Student Worksheets
The Dungeon’s worksheets are designed to give
students a brief description of one of the worst gangs
in San Francisco’s early history – the Hounds, or the
San Francisco Society of Regulators. The worksheets
will also give a brief history of a group that was
created in a reaction to this gang – The Committee of
Vigilance. These descriptions will describe the rise
and fall of both of these groups.
Dungeon Links
Torture in the Middle Ages is
a key topic which features
throughout the Dungeon.
Extension Activities
Discuss how The Hounds and the
Committee of Vigilance would be
received in modern society.
Ask students if there are groups like the San
Francisco Committee of Vigilance in the
modern day and how they are viewed by the
public and legitimate law enforcement.
STUDENT WORKSHEET 1 gives students
background information on which to base their
responses to the following activities. Students are
asked to compare The Hounds to The Committee
of Vigilance.
STUDENT WORKSHEET 2 has students match
which activities and types of people would belong
to which group – the Hounds and The Committee
on Vigilance.
Discussion Points
Even though The Hounds and the Committee of
Vigilance were committed to different ideals,
how were they similar?
Would you have been a Hound or a member
of the Committee of Vigilance?
TEACHER NOTES
thedungeons.com
Ac t i v i t y 1
Gangs of San Francisco
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“The Hounds”
“The Committee of Vigilance”
The Hounds, also “The San Francisco Society of
Regulators”, were a nativist or anti-foreigner gang during
the Gold Rush of 1849. At that time, the United States
had just acquired California as a result of the MexicanAmerican War.
The Committee of Vigilance was formed by prominent San
Francisco citizens in June of 1851. It formed as a response
to the seeming ineffectiveness of the city’s police force
and judicial system, especially regarding The Hounds.
The Hounds attacked and terrorized groups of immigrants
of Hispanic origin, then expanded, demanding
“protection” money from local residents, looting and
robbing stores, and killing anyone who resisted.
Several members of The Hounds were arrested and tried
after a vicious attack on a group of Chilean immigrants.
They were sentenced to imprisonment or banishment.
Several sentences were not enforced due to influence by
sympathetic politicians. The Hounds were never a major
factor afterward.
A few weeks after their organization, the Committee of
Vigilance captured, tried, and executed several Australian
men, thought to be known criminals. The Committee ran
several criminal round ups, hanging, beating or banishing
the criminals they were after.
Their courts met in secret and suspects were entirely
at their mercy. Although their intentions were to mete
justice on criminals in a timely fashion, they mostly
operated in a fashion no better than the criminals they
were trying to apprehend.
Malachi Fallon - First Chief of Police and City Marshall
Malachi Fallon was born in Ireland in 1814 and was taken
as a young boy to New York to apprentice as a saddler, or
saddle maker. As an adult, he served in the New York Police
Department at the Tombs Prison.
He headed West upon the announcement of gold being
discovered in California and set up a mining partnership.
While on business in San Francisco, the same time as The
Hounds were facing trials, he was approached to become
the Chief of Police.
After a city election in August of 1849, Fallon was appointed
as the first Chief of Police of the city of San Francisco. Early
on, Fallon had a moderate amount of crime with which to
contend. The city was relatively calm over the winter of
1849 and spring of 1850.
2
The summer of 1850 established a charter for city
government and the establishment of Fallon as City
Marshall. The summer also saw a massive growth in crime
- a doubling of murders and housebreaking and robbery due to an influx of Australian ex-convicts not intimidated by
Fallon’s police force.
Fallon, and his department, were perceived as ineffective.
He was voted out of office in April 1851, but the crime wave
continued, sparking the formation of the Committee of
Vigilance. Allegations of misconduct on Fallon’s part were
made against him by the Committee on Vigilance, but
nothing was ever, although he was continually slandered in
the press shortly after his leaving office.
After serving as the first Chief of Police and City Marshall,
Fallon never served in law enforcement again.
STUDENT WORKSHEETS: Gangs of San Francisco
thedungeons.com
Ac t i v i t y 2
Gangs of San Francisco
Meet in secret
Targeted Hispanic immigrants
Were anti-immigrant or “nativist”
Match th
e descrip
tio
The Hou
nds or Th ns to either
e Comm
of Vigilan
ittee
ce.
Disbanded after three months
Dressed in pseudo-military uniforms
Extorted money from local businessmen
The Hounds
Activity 3
Write a job description for a member
of each group – The Hounds and The
Committee of Vigilance - in 150 to 200
words. You can present this as a poster
or a billboard.
Ignored Police
Formed from enraged local businessmen
Committee of Vigilance
Include information about:
What will be a member’s main
responsibilities
With whom they will be working
What kind of personality might
be bests suited for the position
Previous experience required
3
STUDENTS WORKSHEETS: Gangs of San Francisco
thedungeons.com