In November 1854 he was appointed County Treasurer until the next general election. In April 1855 he is cited in that role, collecting taxes and other fees and paying out distributions, including distributing revenues from taxes to then-Sheriff M.M. Sexton.
In early 1857, Sheriff Reiner led a dozen men to San Luis Rey in pursuit of a band of robbers and murderers. The San Diego Herald, 7 February 1857, reports that the Sheriff’s party met up with 36 U.S. Dragoons, and 34 Indians under Manuelito and another 12 Indians from San Luis. Between them, they found and arrested and/or shot and hanged all the robber band. Some were captured further north and taken to Santa Ana, where it was reported they stole horses and made an escape towards San Juan.
However, the newspaper says, “We think it much more likely that they escaped to another world, through the aid of a little cold lead, their captors being actuated, no doubt, by the praiseworthy desire of saving the county of Los Angeles the expensive farce of a jury trial.”
In October 1857, the San Diego Herald published this notice “Joseph Reiner, Esq., will please accept our thanks for some fine fresh Mackerel, a portion of the result of a few hours fishing down the Bay.”
The 1860 Federal Census lists a Joseph Reiner in San Diego as a “Lighthouse Keeper,” born in Hungary about 1820. With prominent Hungarian Agoston Haraszthy serving as the first Sheriff, this is likely the same person, making him about 36 years old when he took office as Sheriff. This would indicate that after his term as Sheriff, he became Lighthouse Keeper, in the old Point Loma Lighthouse, which went into service on November 15, 1855. The old Point Loma Lighthouse lists a “Joseph Renier” as the Keeper in 1860.
