Other Northern California papers disputed the claims by the other news outlets, claiming only 40-50 people showed up to form the mob
- Reported the vigilantes wore masks to hide their identities, a fact which local newspapers omitted - implying that the lynch mob did not have the vast community support that was claimed
- Non-Santa Cruz papers were critical of the lynchings
- Local newspapers defended it; ironically the Courier took the opposite view after the lynching of a White murder suspect.