In San Francisco, Belle Cora couldn’t sleep. She was worried sick about her lover. She paced the building, from room to room, making sure the doors were left unlocked. She methodically checked out each of the windows, waiting for Charles to return to The Cora House. She did not know, that a few streets away, he was in big, big trouble.

William Richardson was the “friend” in question waiting outside of the bar for Charles Cora that night. The two men walked together toward the waterfront of San Francisco into the brisk fall air. As the two approached the corner of Leidesdorff Street, they began what became a heated verbal exchange. In the height of the argument, Richardson pulled out two hand guns, and Charles Cora swiftly knocked both of them out of his hands. Charles right then, shot the US Marshall, William Richardson, right in the head with his derringer. Killing him instantly. 

The fire bell rang out loud and clear from the Big Six Engine House. This ringing message had not been heard by the public since 1851. As it sounded out the sleeping people woke at the call for the city’s Vigilante Committee. Charles Cora had quickly been arrested, and crowds began to form. The Barbary Coast was quickly, up in arms. 

In the morning, the majority of the population had now gathered in front of the nearby Oriental Hotel, it was as if a riot was about to ensue. Word traveled to Belle and she was rushing around the Cora House, like a mad woman.  She again moved from room to room, this time excusing all of her girls from their posts, hurrying them out the door, and locking the house down behind them.

The most famous man in San Francisco, firebrand Sam Brannon soon appeared in front of the masses. He threw his arms around and the group of men chanted. He was there, giving a passionate speech to the growing crowd, stating they needed to make up for the failure of law and order in California. As his voice raised, the city cheered louder. Sam Brannon demanded that lynch law must take over! 

The civil authorities quickly arrested the protesting Brannon. They pushed him down the street and into the jailhouse. Sam was massively wealthy and a connected man and posted bail right away. Once released, he wasted no time, quickly returning to the crowd. He, of course, had another fiery speech prepared and he was warmly welcomed back by the growing mob.

The mad crowd was seething, bubbling over with the desire for revenge on the murderer of the US Marshall. Like a restless wave, the mass of people roared all the way from the jail on Broadway at Romolo Place, to the Marshall’s personal office in the Merchant Exchange building, where William Richardson’s dead body was being held. After a short investigation by the Coroner's jury, it was found that William Richardson had indeed come to his death by pistol shot that was “fired by the hand of one Charles Cora”. The newspapers read, “The harlot who instigated the murder of richardson and others of her kind, allowed to visit the theatres ans deat themselves side by side with the wives and daughters of our citizens.”

Belle sat at her desk inside of The Cora House, working tirelessly to secure a strong defense for her partner, Charles Cora.  Against this furious mob, it would take a genius to get him off the hook. She used her connections to pull string after string, making arrangements to attain the most expensive attorney in the city. The man she chose, was Colonel D.D. Baker, the greatest criminal lawyer in the state. D.D. Baker was a convincing public speaker and he had demanded thirty thousand dollars up front from Cora, in order for him to take the highly publicized case. Belle, confident in her charms, was able to persuade him to only take half of it first, fifteen thousand dollars, as a down payment. She laid the fee down in gold, and Baker agreed.

It did not take much time at all for the angry townspeople of San Francisco to turn against Cora’s lawyer, Colonel D.D. Baker. They mobbed his front door. They scorned him in the streets. He arrived unannounced at The Cora house days later, and tried to return Belle’s down payment. In a clear attempt to not accept the job. 

The defiant Belle Cora refused to accept the man’s offer to return the gold. Again using her charms to convince the frightened attorney to continue defending Charles in what would the newpapers were now calling The Cora Case. For the next two months, no one would see Belle again, until Charles Cora’s day in court as Baker worked to prepare for the trial of his career. 

Belle locked the doors of The Cora House behind her, and she began the solitude walk towards town. It was the foggy morning of January 17, 1856. It was on this day that the contentious and highly publicized trial was to finally begin. Belle walked to the courtroom alone, her mind racing of all the potential outcomes of the decision that would be made today. As she got near, she recognized a bright, familiar face in the crowd. 

Her heart did a backflip, she couldn’t believe it. It was Charity. Charity, who had by now worked off her indenturement had been living in Sacramento. There, in a hotel where she worked, she had read about the murder, and the trial in the newspapers. The twin was standing at the front door, searching the crowd for Belle’s face. Belle beelined for the woman, stopping in front of her. Charity’s eyes filled with tears, and the girls embraced each other. Without speaking a word, the two long lost friends walked in to the courthouse, hand in hand. With Charity, by her side, Belle sat to face the trial of the love of Belle’s life.

The trial that winter morning, was short. The conclusion, produced a verdict of 8 votes for murder, and 4 votes manslaughter. The stern judge announced that the trial would end with a hung jury. Richardson’s wife broke down in tear’s and stumbled out the door. Belle, looked across to the man detained at the other side of the room, and winked at Charles. 

Evidence had been presented that in fact proved this verdict was made in fear of the feisty mob. Then, rumors began to spread that some of the jurors were bribed by Belle Cora. They were. The judge decided to set a date for a new trial. It would be held in the spring of that year. The public was starting to believe Charles Cora would end up receiving the lesser charge of manslaughter, or an acquittal.

Belle Cora by now had shut the doors permanently to The Cora House. She spent the days waiting for Charles’ trial in seclusion, with only her friend Charity to keep her company. The woman passed the time catching up on the years that they had spent apart. They recalled their adventures in New Orleans, and then to California, and then, the tragedy in Panama. The two women shed many tears for Patience. If only she was with them now.

Belle continued to apologize profusely for letting that man take Charity away that day. Charity admitted the resentment that she had indeed held onto for years. That was until she saw that her old friend was in trouble. They sewed, and sat, and waited waited for Belle Cora to learn Charles fate. 

Another political storm was about to hit in San Francisco, in addition to the Cora Case. The people who lived in California had been becoming growingly agitated with one another other. In regards to the state seceding with the south, and remaining with the Union. Tensions were mounting. The people were divided, and it showed in the media. 

James Casey was a radical editor who favored the South. The man had recently been released from Sing Sing after serving an eighteen month sentence. On the other side of the media spectacle, defending the Daily Evening Bulletin was the popular newsman, muckraker James King of William. In the week leading up to The Cora Trial, William had published an exposing editorial on the criminal past of Casey back home in New York City. Casey had become irate.  

The next day, the men were less than a block from where Cora murdered Richardson. Approaching William flinging aside his short cloak, Casey then pointed a pistol to William’s chest. Casey killed William, in a rage of retaliation. Once again, the bell cried out from the Big Six Engine House. What now?

The people of the city were fuming more than ever. That night in the jailhouse, the two men, Charles Cora and James Casey sat on the dusty floor. The men sat in silence and without eye contact through most of the night. Until James, finally catching Cora’s eye, offered out his hand. Cora did not look up. He shook his head and told Casey, “keep your hands to yourself, you motherfucker, you have surely hung us both.” 

Give us Lynch Law! Tens of thousands of people marched the streets of the large port city, they were shouting for justice. The scene was out of control. The city Mayor, who had been in office for one year, James Van Ness, appeared before the upset people. Van Ness begged the crowd to allow the law to mete out justice. It was not long after, that the council chambers of city hall were entirely seized by the angry mob. Vainly, a battalion of Cavalry men rode through the crowd. The men, on horseback, attempted to break the mob up, with no success at all.  

Belle sat in the second story window of The Cora House at Waverly Place.  She was watching the crowd pass by in a rage. The front of her establishment had been trashed. The murder of James King of William, had sent the population over the edge. They would not settle down, until they saw blood.

Over the previous week, over six thousand members had traveled to join the forces of the Vigilance Committee. The men had arrived bearing shotguns, muskets and knives, and brass cannons. The members were organized into twenty five groups of 100.  The city had turned into an armed camp overnight, and the people were ready for battle. They had demands, and the committee insisted they get the right to run their own lawsuits, trials, and arrests.

 Charity had moved into the house with Belle, grateful to be near her dear friend again. She had never found another friendship comparable to what she had built with Belle.  Also, Belle was the only woman in California that had known Patience, and that made her feel that much closer. Although Charity was always just one room away, her friend was growing more depressed by the day. Belle had found her way back to the loneliness she had learned when she first left her family home in Baltimore. The two women lived under one roof, in a familiar silence.

Thousands of blood thirsty men crowded around the jailhouse that stood on Broadway on the 18th of May. The rioting mob was challanging the authorities.  They wanted Charles Cora and James Casey to be released to them. They deserved, they insisted, to face a trial, held by the People. The Sheriff had refused.

 A loaded cannon was then rolled out from behind the crowd. Men shouted and laughed as it was wheeled around, and was then directed right at the jail house’s locked door.  Again, they demanded the men were handed over. Following this threatening stunt, the Sheriff changed his mind. The man of the law then struck a deal with the vigilantes. 

Charles Cora and James Casey stood trial by the Committee just two days later. They did had defense, and they were given the chance to speak for themselves. However, the attempts were not enough to save either of the men. That afternoon, it was decided that both men were to be hung two days from now. At the headquarters on 41 Sacramento St. at Fort Gunnybags, just off Battery.

It was the day Charles and James were to be hung, their sentence to be carried out. Three thousand militia men had lined the walls to secure the site. Belle arrived at the holding cell, in her finest gown, styled to the nines. The Confidant woman negotiated with the leaders of the committee. Could you find it in your heart, sir, to please, please allow me to stay in the cell with my lover, for the final hours of his life.  Belle’s dramatic personality awarded her the request.

Belle had thought long and hard in the last few months, and had decided to finally give into the proposal Charles had held on to for years. She told Charles, and he and Belle were married in the cell right then and there. This final sneaky move of Belle, would now set her up to inherit his entire fortune. This was just another act of Belle Cora’s uncharacteristic independence. For the first time, legally, Belle officially took Charles last name, just one hour before he was to be executed.

Before the crowd that had come to see a hanging, James Casey gave a long saddened speech. The man, pleading his innocence to the people, was ignored. When it came time for Cora to speak, Charles stayed silent. The church bells rang out for the funeral of James King of William at 1:21 pm, and just shortly after the bells stopped ringing, James and Charles were hung side by side from the second story windows of Fort Gunnybags. 

It would be the end of an era. The ways of the Wild West would no longer be tolerated. The execution of Charles Cora marked the true end of what would be known as The Gold Rush.  The death of Charles Cora symbolized the city’s changing values. The days where crimes went unawnsered to, were over.

After the conviction, Belle secluded herself for an entire month.  Charity, eventually feeling unwelcome, quitely packed her bags and left the house without a goodbye. Her friend, no longer spoke to her, or even glanced her way. Belle Cora returned to the public, a week after she left, a changed woman. She even looked different. Belle sold the Cora House quickly, and donated the remains of her enormous riches to charity, and vanished.

Hierarchical attitudes began to change in America, towards gender, race and class. In Belle’s case, it would eventually rob her of her powers. She was a woman, who was independent enough to be inspiring yet dependent on Charles, a man, enough to appear non-threatening. Her story is proof of the great and persistent disempowerment of women in American history. 

Belle Cora, the legendary Queen of Confidence, had remained steadfast in maintaining her fruitful business, even though it was seen as immoral during a shift towards a new, civilized society. Belle Cora died of pneumonia on February 17, 1862. You can visit her grave, in San Francisco in the Cemetery at Mission Dolores. You will find her there, resting peacefully for eternity, next to Charles Cora, the man of her dreams. 

 Frontier pioneer Eliza Inman wrote in her journal in 1843, “If Hell laid to the west, Americans would cross Heaven to reach it.”   It looks like she was right. I am Andrea Anderson, thank you for taking the time to listen today,  let’s meet again next time, On “Queens of the Mines”