Perfect quiet now seemed restored to the City.  But soon the people were again roused and horrorstricken by the deliberate murder of Dr. Randal, a large land owner in various parts of the State, while quietly conversing with the bar-keeper in the St. Nicholas Hotel, by one Hetherington who, four years before had been tried for murder, but by some means had escaped conviction.  Several gentlemen were in the room at the time, and were in considerable danger from the shots fired by him.  The alarm being given City Policemen who first arrived, arrested him; but he was immediately taken from them by Vigilance Policemen, and at once conveyed to the Committee Rooms.  Two murderers, Hetherington and Brace, were in due time tried the counsel whom they selected, were procured; and the witnesses they named, obtained for them.  They were condemned, and some time after publicly executed in open day and in presence of a great multitude in a public street in the lower part of the City.

The case of Hopkins so dreadfully wounded by Judge Terry, was, for a long time, considered desperate by the eminent surgeons and physicians in constant attendance upon him.  But after long hovering between life and death; to the astonishment of all, he began slowly to recover, until, at length, after many weeks of seclusion and intense suffering, in the early part of August, he was able again to make his appearance upon the streets.  And now that his recovery was assured, the question as to the disposition to be made of the author of his dreadful sufferings was one of the most difficult imaginable.  It seemed at first impossible that the Executive Committee should reach a conclusion acceptable to the Board of Delegates, and in which the whole organization would concur.  The meetings of both branches were frequent, long protracted and stormy.  At length a majority of both Boards determined that though his guilt was unquestionable, under the circumstances the first penalty prescribed by the Code did not apply.  The second, that of banishment, at first approved itself to a majority of both Boards, but, after anxious consideration, it was deemed to be impracticable to carry it out, and make it permanent.  It was therefore decided to dismiss him with a public notice of their belief in his guilt, and that the people of the largest County in the State were of opinion that he should resign the Judicial Office he held, and for which they deemed him unfit.  Accordingly at an early hour in the morning his prison doors were opened, and he was permitted to go at large.  In the afternoon of the same day he took the steamer and returned to his home in Stockton.  No sooner was the decision, and the action of the Executive consequent upon it, promulgated, than a wild storm of passionate excitement broke forth, which threatened for several days the very existence of the organization.  But the Delegates met their respective Companies; explained the action of the two Boards; gave the reasons for it in full; answered all questions; urged every consideration likely to remove suspicion, allay passion, and inspire confidence; and finally, with infinite difficulty, the perilous crisis was passed, and acquiescence, if not entire satisfaction was secured.