The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 15, 1896, Page 16

16 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1896.- A BURGLAR SHOT TO DEATH BY A BUTLER, Battling for Their Lives in a Darkened Basement. THE ROBBER SUCCUMBED | | they encountered the electric wires fur- Young Frank J. Miller, the Slayer, Dangerously Wounded. THE DEED OF A HERO. Fighting Against Overwhelming Odds to Save the Life and Property of His Employer. The apotheosis of vigilance and crime could hardly be better illustrated than it | was yesterday morning in the residence of J. L. Franklin, at 2930 Californis street. | The dumb and the dead, wrapped in each other's embrace, lay on the hard flooring of the basement as mute evidence of a battle for life. The struggle was only partially successful, and the criminal lies | dead at the Morgue and a faithful servant lies at death’s door in his master’s com- fortable home. | The story 1# a magnificent one of hero- ism on one side and desperate want on the other. It occurred at 4:45 o’clock in the morn- ing. Frank J. Miller, whois a well-built lad of about 20 years of age, and who has the tap to the gas meter. | turned off, depriving the house of gas, | longer remain in that attitude. | again, | daughters and sons whom he loved were caliber five-shooter to Miller's head while the other two burglars disappeared up the winding stairs to the parlor floor of the house. The men carried a bundle with them which afterward proved to be the tools with which they intended to work their way into the different rooms. At the head of the first flight of stairs nishing lights and telephone service; also The latter they and with their nippers they severed the electric wires, placing the entire house so that no light might be sprung on them. In their hands, lighted candles and they worked their way to the upper story, where they began their work on the room centrally located and which happened to be the music or sitting room of the family. It was at this juncture that the tragedy of tane night occurred. | being held up with a revolver against the kitchen partition, was working his brain | | to see how he could get out of his unpleas- | ant predicament. His arms had become so weary held high in the air that they gradually worked downwara. *‘Keep them up!”’ the burglar shouted under his breath. “Keep them up or I shoot!” he threatenea. Miller heard the men at the top of the | stairs cut all the wires, and in the stillness | of the basement he could detect their foot- | fall on the heavily padded stair carpets | leading to the upper story. It was a terrible ordeal. The man who was covering him with a gun threatened to shoot if he did not bold his hands up, and 1t was a pnysical impossibility to Then his master, his mistress, their likely at any moment to be molested, per- baps killed. The entire situation resolved itself in however, they carried | Miller, who was | burglar and the butler was all over, and the most terrific known to the police of this City. While the shooting and the struggle was going on downstairs the peovle in the upper apartments were in a terrified con- dition. Twice before they have been treated to visitations of the kind, and they immediately realized what was going on. From all sides they threw open windows and began blowing police whistles. Within a minute, Officer F. J. Green, who is on that beat, responded. He found Mr. Franklin in his nightshirt. “The house is full of burglars!” ex- claimed the frightened man. Green ran around the back way and found the kitchen door open. He rushed in and lighting a taper saw the ghastly scene. The men lay partly in the kitchen and partly in the hallway, across the threshhold, as it were. By this time Officers J. Alvares, John O’Connor and Herlihy came along and Green ordered the latter two to attend to the front of the house. “Watch the front door!’ he exclaimed. ‘‘Hers are two of the burglars. They’re dead, but the others must be upstairs; I'll g0 up and chase them.”’ | About that time Samuel Solomon, the | son-in-law of Mr. Franklin, came down the service steps and recognized the under of the prostrate men as Miller, the family’s | butler. He was relieved of the other man’s | weight and it was seen he was still breath- | iqg. The burglar, too, gave a gasp, opened his eyes and then closed them forever. Physicians from the neighborhood were called in and caused a bed to be made on the floor where Miller was lying, and he still reposes there, as moving him might | cause a hemorrhage which might cause immediate death. While these preliminaries were going on | and the Morgue and police patrol wagons | were on their way out, the house was | being searched from cellar to dome. The first thing observed was the candle | grease all over the kitchen floor; next the telephone and eiectric wires dangling in | their uselessness. The front door was | wide open, being left so probably as the | two other burglars made their escape while been a butler in the service of J. L. his brain inz less time than it takes to | !h¢ Shooting was going on downstairs. Franklin for the past two years, was get- | write it. L. J. Franklin's Home, Which Has Been Entered Three Times by Burglars and in | Whichan Unknown Was Killed Yesterday Morning by the Brave Butler. ting ready to rise, according to his custom, to collect the newspapers and other things placed by milkmen and bakers on the front stoop. His room, in the basement | of the three-story mansion, was provided with an electric push button and a bell by | which his employer could be notified if | there was anything wrong downstairs, or he could be called to the upper stories if | his services were needed, Regardless of the push button which he could have used to call for assistance, | Miller bravely jumped outof his bed -vhen he heard strange footsteps in tne base- ment. He pocketed his revolver and went out into the dark to investigate. Opening the door of his room, and step- | pine out into a square hallway between an assembply or banquet room and the kitchen, he found himself confronted by three masked men, with pistols raised in a threatening manner. “You — — —, hold up your hands!” one fellow said. “If youopen your head I'l blow it off.”” The salutation was thoroughly in keep- ing with the surroundings. The burglars carried a lighted candle, and their general make-up was in accord with the most ap- proved melodramatic style of a hold-up. Miller complied with the order and held his hands up high, showing the burglars his intentions to be non-aggressive. The heavy-set man cf the trio, who | seemed to be the leader, pushed Miller up | against the kitchen partition and ordered bim to remain there. “Matt,” he spoke in an undertone, “keep him covered till we get back.” Matt,” who is now at the Morgue, did | as he was instructed. He held his 38- REAR NEW TO-DAY. A WORD IN YoU THE SECRET OF BEAUTY of the complexion,. hands, arms, and hair 3 is found in the perfect action of the Peres, produced by | | ' ! %3 The most effective skin purifying and—— beautifying soap in the world, as well as purest and sweetest for toilet, bath, and nursery. t the world. British depot: onr s Bons, Jo Kine Edwardst. London. F. Nrw. = Droe axp Cuxx. Corr., Sole Props., Boston, U. 5. Ae | threatening pistol, He remembered how, some years ago, the 15th of last January, three burglars had broken into his master’s house. They beat and gagged him when he fought them. He drove them away, however, and saved his employer’s goods. One newspaper, in commenting on the at- | tempted burglary, hinted that it was pos- sibly a creation of the butler's excited brain. This cut the lad to the quick and | be stated then that if it ever occurred azain to him to face burglars he would sacrifice his life sooner than permit them to be masters. He remembered, too, that the three mis- creants who had his employer’s house at their mercy had failed to search him and that his revelver was still in his pocket. If he could only get it out for use he might make away with the fellow ‘*Matt,”’ who was guarding him. ‘‘Matt” took his eyes away from Miller only a second, turning Lis head as if to listen to what was going on upstairs. That was the time for action, and the butler’s right hand was slapped on the burglar’s pistol in an instant. Then tue struggle bezan. The burglar was of a much slighter build than the butler, but he had the pistol and both | tussled for the weapon, Miller all the time | reaching around with his left hand to draw his own weapon in his trousers pocket. He succeeded in getting it par- tially out when his handkerchief caught in it and down it fell to the floor. Miller's efforts after that were to disarm his adversary and also to get his own pistol. Reacbing down for the latter he left an opening. The burglar struck him square in the face with his left fist, felling him. But he still hela his grip on the and in his fall he dragged the burglar along with him. As they rolled over the floor Miller managed finally to reach the revolver with his left hand. In doing so, however, he lost his grip on his adversary, and then the shooting began. It was terribly wild. Shot after shot rang out, each man parry- ing or thrusting aside the aim of the other. In the scuffle the butt of the bur- glar’s pistol smashed the thumb of Miller’s left hand, splitting the nail and causing the upper part of the thumb to be torn | away. He nearly lost his weapon then. The burglar fired his fourth shot, and Miller was struck in the neck. The bur- glar was on top of him and he had little faith in saving his life. In one last des- perate grip he encircled the fellow’s neck with his right arm and, placing his pistol at the man’s head, he fired twice, in rapid succession. There was no more shooting afier that. Miller swooned from the pain of the bullet in his neck and his crushed thumb, and ontop of him in what appeared a brotherly embrace, the robber lay dead. The battle in the dark between the | On the top floor, i front of the music- | room door, the lockpicks, skeleton keys, | candle, blow tubes and a knife were found. The men had not had time to either use them or carry them away. Two masks made of a yellowish material, such as might be used for the lining of a woman’s dress, were found in the house. One was alongside the dead man and the | other upstairs. was also fashioned so as to do for a mask. | In the blood of the two men in the base- ment were a couple of revolyers, each with four chambers fired and one loaded. From the wounds inflicted the burglar must bave used the 38-caliber *‘Universal double-action” weapon, and the butler the 32-caliber *‘Hopkins & Allen.” Miller remained unconscious for five hours, after which he was able to tell the story here related to Samuel Solomon, who gave it to the police, The physicians decided not .to allow him to speak any more until he is stronger. He was found to not only have been shot | in the neck, but also in the foot, as well as to have an injury to his left thumb, At the Morgue thg dead man was sub- | | jected to close scrutiny. He was clad in the tattered garments of a tramp and he was fairly reeking with vermin. He quite evidently bas not fed on the fatof the | land, for his body is emaciated to a pain- | ful degree. He is of blond complexion, | with short red hair and stubby mustache. On his right arm were found the tattooed initials M. 0. D. and a large star. On his | leftarm isa smaller tattooed star. The man, who, from all appearance, must have been a seafarer at some time, is as vet unidentified. Miss Jennie, a girl in Mr. Franklin’s employ, declares she re- | members the dead man as one who ped- dled Los Angeles oranges last week and who rang the doorbell and offered his | wares for sale. 4 The method the burglars emploved in | | | | On the sidewalk outside | | the house was a woman’s dark veil, which | \ \ \ \\\‘ | Frank J. Miller, the Butler Who Heroically Resisted the Robbery of His Employer’s Home. He Was Shot Through the Neck and Subsequently Killed One of the Burglars. statements of the brave butler and Miss Moore, was filed last evening: SAN Fraxcisco, Fen. 14, 1896. Captain I. W. Lees—DEAR : Acting under vour instructions, and in company with De- tective Ed Gibson and Ed Wren, I went up to the Franklin residence, 2930 California street, to obtain an interview with Frank Miller, Mr, Frank]in’s butler; and obtained the following statement from him at 9:30 r. )., above date: I woke up at the usual time, about 5 o'clock, and left my room in the basement to turn on the electric lights. I found that I couid not light them, and then I attempted to light the gas. I got some matches and tried to light the gas, and found that the gas would not light either. This was still n the basement of the house. Then all of a sudden Isaw three men in the middle of the hallway, in the middle of the entrance near the stairs. All three of the men wore masks and all three of them had pistols. The three of the men leveled the pistols at my head and told me to keep still and not to move. 1 had nothing in my hands then save a few matc! 1 had a pistol, though, in my pocket. Iwas accustomed to get up atthis time | and go to the front door to get the morning papers | getting into the house were made ap- | | parent upon investigation. They first | pried off a couple of boards separating the | Franklin house from an empty lot on | Baker street, neax the corner of Califor- nia. Getting into the yard, they used the nippers to cut away the wirework protect- ing the window of the kitchen door. This window they broke, and inserting their | hand turned the key left in the door. They used their knife to open the door | | between the kitchen and the hallway, | | where they met the butler and held | bim up. { Captain Lees isin hopes that the dead | man may be proved to be one of the robbers | who held up the Ingleside electric-car a | month or so ago. | Deputy Coroner found two newspaperclip- | pings giving the story of that mysterious | robbery. At1o'clock this morning Dr. Washing- | ton Dodge, who, with Drs. Max Solomon | and Davis, is looking to the welfare of | young Miller, declared he was out of dan- | ger. The lad’s wonderfully strong consti- | tution and nis good habits in the past | have stood him well in hand, and will ma- | terially assist his recovery. The following report, containing the In his pockets the'! | band as it trembled. and then come down again to wash. One of the men grabbed nold of me and had his pistol leveled to my head, and he walked in front and the other | two were at either side of me, und led the way to the kitchen. They had just one lantern and a small candle. The fellow with the lantern led the way and the | others followed. They were a little undecided as 10 who should stay with me. The biggest fellow had the lantern, and he wanted t0 g0 upstairs, but they finally decided to leave the bigzest man downstairs, and he kept his pistol leveled at my | head and the other two fellows went away. At the time 1 did not know just where they went, as it was so dark. There was just a piece of the candle they had burning. This candle was elther on the kitchen chair or table. We were at this time in the kitchen. When the two men left I afterward heard a door close above me, and then I knew that they had gone upstairs. All this time the man had his sun pointed at me. Lwas terribly excited and for a moment did not know what to do. I knew that I had & gun in my pocket, but did not know how to getatit. Iro- ticed that while he had the gun in my face he was very nervous and his hand was trembling very much, Twaited I should jndge about three min- utes and gazed steadily at him and watched his Then I suddenly grabbed | him by the wrist and he wrestled with me, and | then he fired the first shot. I got my hand around his neck and grabbed his wrist and held the pisiol away from me. Then I grahbed for my pistol and T suppose T was so nervous that I dropped it after geLting it out of my pocket. We were still wrest- ling and he was trying to get me down, and I had | iust stooped down to grab my pistol from the floor when we both feli togeth er. As we fell he discharged his pistol again and the trigger of his pistol caught me right on the thumb. Then we were on the floor and 1 grabbed my pistol: he had failen on top of me and his head was right on me, s0 L put my pistol to his head and I shot the first shot at his head and he just fell back and moaned. I fired three or four shots successively. The first shot he fired I believe struck me in the neck. While we were wrestling on the floor he hollered for his friends, but none of them came down to his assistance: also while he and I were wrestling he said something to me I did not quite understand, but I suppose he was cursing me. Aiter I fired my gun Ido not know what hap- pened as I became unconscions. It would be im- possible for me 1o describe these men as it was so dark and they all had masks, the only light there being the lantern and the small candle, but they were all pretty good-sized men: the biggest man wasthe one I was wrestling with. None of the men wore overcoats. All three of them had pis- tols. 1 did not have time to look around or any- thing, it happened so quick. He, the man I was grappling with, had a very harsh volce, and when he fell one hand fell under him and the other hand Iheld by the wrist. That is all I know about the case. Miss Rena Moore, in the employ of the Frank- lin family, made the following statement: Tt was about a quarter to 5, I belleve, when T heard the first shots fired. First I heard one shot, then three or four more in succession. I went downstairs right away—about three or four minutes. after the shooting—and found the side middle door and the front door wide open. When I got down- stairs, I saw the body of the burglar and the but- ler Iying on the floor in the kitchen, the butler was unconscious, and Frank still had his hand on the burglar’'s head. Very respectfully, 0. H. HEYNEMAN, BULLETS MISS THE MARK Deputy Sheriff Brownlee Fires at Deputy Sheriff By- ington, Arrested and Locked Up on a Charge of Assault to Murder—Row Over a Loan. Deputy Sheriff Brownlee shot twice at Deputy Sheriff Byington last night, missed his mark and was arrested and locked up on a charge of assault to murder. The affair took place late at night in front of the City Hall restaurant, Larkin street, almost opposite police headquarters. The two deputies haa been together dur- ing the early part of the evening and were standing on the sidewalk in company with several friends. Brownlee asked Byington for the loan of a couple of dollars. Byington refused, saying that Brownlee had ‘“not done the square thing’’ with him on some previous occasion. The lie was passed and Byington struck Bromlee, knocking him down. Brownlee drew his revolver and fired, Byington started to run and Brownlee get- ting on his feet fired again. He was about to fire a third time when his arm was caught and held by a bystander. Officer McCottery was just across the street at the time. He arrested Brownlee. Both parties to the affair refuse to make any statement as to their differances, or the real cause of the trouble, though it is understood that there has been some bit- ter feeling between them for some time. Byington has been a deputy in the Sher- iff’s office for some years. He was not ar- rested, but went to his home after the shooting. Brownlee emptied his revolver about a week ago in a saloon ceiling on Ellis street. He reloaded the weapon and going out on the street began firing it again, when a bullet struck a hackman in the foot. Brownlee was arrested for discharg- ing firearms in the City limits, which case is pending in Police Judge Campbell’s court. | A Half-Emptied Whisky Flask, a Cloth Mask, a Pair of by the Burglars Who Ran From J. L. the Butler, Killed Their Companion. ‘W. Lees. Head of the Detective Department of San Francisco. ippers, a Knife and Six Lock Picks Left Behind Franklin’s House on California Street When Frank J. Miller, These Relics Were All Sketched for “The Call ” by Captain I. LOUDERBACK AND GALLAGHER CLINCH. Opposing Attorneys Had a Fist Fight Over the Brown Case. SEPARATED BY FRIENDS. Duties of Lawyer Woodhams in the Council Clearly Defined. MRS. COOPER MAKES A REQUEST. The Case of Mrs. Mary A. Davidson Will Come Up Before Judge Bahrs To-Day. There seems to be considerable doubt as to what figure Attorney M. S. Woodhams will cut in the council called to pass on the charges affecting the moral status and good name of Dr. C. O.'Brown. 1t will be recalled that on Wednesday night last he was delegated to represent the First Church during these interesting proceed- ings, butas to the latitude of his pcwers nothing was said. A gentleman who is thoroughly familiar with Congregational usage thus defines the attorney’s privileges: Mr. Woodhams will represent the church only to the ex- | tent of presenting to the council in proper form the records leading up and including the call for an investigation. No power has been delegated to him to make suggestions as to the policy to be | pursued by the council. The church as a | body is supposed not to have an opinion except-the one of law, which supposes a party innocent until proven guilty. Con- sequently any instructions from the church as to what evidence is to be admitted isen- tirely out of place. The council, and not Mr. Woodhams, as representative of the church, must pass on the acceptance or re- jection of evidence—its relevancy to the matter in hand. Mrs. Cooper has written a letter to Mr. Woodhams, in which the request is made that things be so arranged as to admit of her being heard by the council. This | letter, with such others of similar import | as might be received, will, when the body is formally organized, be turned aver to the moderator, whoseduty it will be to lay | it before the council. She will be asked to | briefly outline her charges, after which the council will pass on their merit: | Mrs. Cooper has not yet completed the | general statement of the case asshe un- | derstands it, which is to precede the intro- | duction of proof. Just what this evidence | will be is, of course, a matter of conjecture, | though there is a current belief, and Mrs, | Cooper does not deny it, that Mrs. Tunnell | will be ber principal witness. It is now not { thought probable that Mrs. Stockton will appear in any capacity whatever before the council. ~Mrs. Cooper has practically | admitted that she did not intend to call her. This determination is said to be due -in a measure to the many episodes in which Mrs. Stockton is alleged to have been a prominent figure. In this connection it is proper to say that the statements published some time ago, in which Dr. Brown is said to have asmitted paying Mrs. Stockton $600, was a ‘ mistake. The lady herself admitted this during the early stages of the case. m‘ Brown has called attention to this, hence the correction. | A rumor was current_yesterday that Miss Overman had on Wednesday night left Dr. Brown’s house and gone across | the bay with a view of taking up her | temporary abode at the home of a Jfriend. | Miss Overman has at no time left Dr. | Brown'’s house since she first went there in December last, unless accompanied by | the pastor’s wife. It is her purpose to re- | main there until after the council has heard her statement. After thisit is her purpose to return to her home in Tacoma. Letters by the score are still being re- ceived by both Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Cooper indorsing the course of each. Dr. and Mrs. Brown have rcceived over 500 letters and Mrs. Cooper nearly as many. A few days ago there was an exciting encounter in one of the main corridors of the new City Hall between Attorneys Gallagher and Louderback, in which both gentlemen claim a victory. Just how many blows, if any, were struck seems to | be a matter of dispute, but a perfect volley of words not carefully chosen are admit- ted to have been hurled by the angry at- | torneys at each other. The story goes that the two gentlemen met by accident in the corridor on the Larkin-street side of the building, and after exchanging formal f)reetgngs began a discussion of the Brown- avidson case. The argument waxed warmer and warmer, until finally somebody said some- thing about “unprofessional conduct, ’and then they clinched. How far this pro- ceeded 1s not a part of the story, for friends separated tEe thoroughly angered attorneys before either had come to any bodily harm. The interested parties de- cline to discuss the affair. The case of Mrs. Davidson, charged with extortion, will be set for trial by Judge Bahrs to-day. Attorney Gallagher will enter the usual demurrer, and he has strong hopes of securing a dismissal of the charge. fie will argue that it is admitted by the prosecution that Elizabeth Jane Baddin exists, and that Mrs. Davidson acted as her agent. The information plainly states this. Mr. Gallagher will further say that Mrs. Davidson is beinfi tried as principal, when she isonly charge as being an agent of some one else. This, he argues, is against the Criminal Code. The last issue of the Pacific, a Congre- gational organ, contains the following: The rather recent transferrence of minis- terial standing from the Bay Association to the Bay_ Conference may have confused some brethren’s mind. We print the following from article VII, section 2 of the constitution of the latter body: “When the standing of a minister or of a church of the conference is called in question, it shall be the duty of this committee (i. e., the committee on credentials) to entertain specific charges from respousible persons to_inquire into the case and to report to the conference, which shall then proceed according to the Scriptural method and ex- tent.” With the well-known and long-tried method of investigation by the local church through a council, and, in_addition, the possible pro- cedure through the conference, it need not be $aid that our polity caunot protect itsell and its membership and its ministers. If they do not receive protection it will not be the fault of the polity, but of those who misrepresent it, and we must protest again that neither Con- gregationalism nor Christianity is on trial, but only those who' are charged with unfaithful- ness to the principles of both. Mrs. Barton is indignant that any one should have said that she was the mys- terious Mrs. Baddin. She disclaims all knowledge of this person except that she holds a certificate in the World’s Co-oper- ative Society. Mrs. Barton says. however, that she knows a great many things, but will tell them only to the council or on the witness-stand. THE TEACHERS FUND, Its Rights in the Fair Litigation Under Argument. There is opposition on the part of the teachers’ pension fund to the probate of the first Fair will. The “fund” is inter- ested to the extent of $30,000 in the pencil will, and is therefore in_opposition to any hroceedings under the first will. W llhars ierson and Garret McEnerney represented the claims of the original docun}enl m:i D. M. Delmas represented the pension fund. Mr. Pierson argued that the pension fund had no_ rights in the matter what- ever, as the gift to it in the pencil will was invalid. He contended tnat the $50,000 was left in trust to'a fund which was not at the time in existence, nor was there any definite prospect of it materializing. By leaying the money thus indefinitely, coun- sel claimed it violated the law prohibiting perpetuities, and so was _u\\'a]lfl. Mr. Delmas will answer Mr. Pierson’s argu- ment some time next week. et DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. John A. McCormick, a Chemist, Charged With Grand Larceny for Trying to Recover His Own. John A. McCormick of 777 Folsom street was booked at the City Prison last evening on a charge of grand larceny, preferred by Simon Greenbaum Jr. McCormick is a chemist by profession. He claims to be more sinned against than sinning—that he is the victim of a sharp practice. He says that he saw an advertisement in a newspaper offering to pay big interest for, a small loan with ample security in the shape of diamonds. He wrote to the address given, received a note from Greenbaum, met him and agreed upon terms. He loaned Greenbaum $368 50 and received as security two pairs of earrings, two studs, two rings, two scarf pins, one star pin and seven other pieces, cuff-buttons and rings, all with diamond settings. Greenbaum gave him a note for the sum loaned, and in the agreement attached it, wae stipulated that McCormick should be permitted to sell the jewels in case the was not paid. The note was not paid and McCormiclk put the diamonds in the hands of an auc- tioneer to sell, giving Greenbaum notice to that effect. Greenbaum was at the sale and bought in the diamonds for $240. This left McCormick $152 17 short on the deal, counting the interest. In order to get even he negotiated the purchase of certain of the diamonds from Greenbaum to the value of $160. He secured the dia- monds, placed them in .his pocket, put $7 85 in money on the counter and handed over Greebaum’s note to square the ace count. Greenbaum, seeing his intention, made a grab for the diamonds in McCormick’s vocket and secured one of them from its setting. McCormick struck at him; there was a scuffle, and Greenbaum called “Police.” An officer responded, and McCormick was taken to the lock-up, where he spent the night. Rl L REPUBLICANS AT WORK. The Thirty-Fourth District Club Pres paring for a Grand Meeting. A special session of the executive come mittee of the Thirty-fourth Assembly Dis- trict Republican Club was held at the intersection of Sixteenth and Mission streets last night for the purpose of making arrangements for a large meeting of the central club of the district. Charles Meyer, the chairman, appointed George Elder and Carl Wetgen as a committee to secure a hall for the occas:on. The gentlemen were so expeditious that after a_brief absence they returned with the announcement that they had secured the Native Sons’ Hall on Seventeenth street for the night of the 26th inst., when the proposed meeting will take place. M. Williams, George Elder, J. Becksey and George Burkhardt were appoinfed a committee to secure speakers, while the requisite printing and advertising was confided to E. B. Smith, E. W ustice and C. Wetgen. e All Agree. GREAT AMERICAN IMFORTING TEA CO. Sells Crockery, Chinaware, Glassware and Tinware CHEAPEST OF ALL. TRY THEM. Very Pretty Dishes. Very Cheap Prices. 52 Market street, BRANCH STORES ——— A Trainer I An exciting runaway, in which the driver, N. Webber, a well-known horse-trainer, was thrown from the buggy and painfully injured, occurred in Golden Gate Park yesterday after- noon. Webber was coming toward the City trom the Cliff House driving s spirited animal when one of the wheels oi his buggy came off. The horse became frightened, ran away and the jolting of the broken vehicle threw Webber out. Mounted Policeman J. H. Cavanagh sent the injured trainer to his home. Webber’s in- 3 are not believed to be dangerous, but are of such a character that it will be some time before he will be able to resume his occus pation, Headquarters. IRY WHERE. When Paderewski Gomes HE WILL PLAY THE STEINWAY PIANO SHERMAN, CLAY & (0, Cor. Kearny and Sutter Sts,, Pacific Coast Representa AUCTION EXTRAORDINARY ! $25,000 Worth of LADIES’, MISSES' AND CHILDREN'S Cloaks, Suits, Fur Gapes, BTC., BTC., Must be sold without LIMIT or RE- SERVE before movine into our new build- ing at No. 914 MARKET ST. Sales commence SATURDAY, Feb. 15, at11 A. M., 2 P. M. and 7:30 p. M., and will continue daily. LOEWENTHAL'S CLOAK AND SUIT HOUSE, No. 9 Stockton Street, Near Market.