The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 3, 1897, Page 16

16 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1897. WILLIE HEARST— HOW THE MONEY GOES. SesassSSS — SN =SS L “They say I am a soft mark; but just watch me.” BURNED QUT OF THEIR HOMES Three Houses on Mission | Street Consumed by | Flames. A Narrow Escape for Mrs. F. Munk’s Dwelling From a Similar Fate. Water Was Obtained From Two | Tanks a Very Long Distance | From the Blazs. A serious fire, causing the total destrue- tion of three dwellings and the partial de- struction of the fourth, occurred a little after 7 o’clock yesterday morning, close to the Mission road, near Silver avenue. ‘ Four or five families were rendered home- less and about $4000 worth of property was destroyed. The fire started in the residence of Louis | Metter, at 28 Francis street, which inter- | sects Mission street or Missior road at the | 4900 block and runs toward the west. The | house was a one-story frame, owned by a Mrs. Pratt. Mr. Metter arose a littleaf- | ter 6 o’clock and started the fire in the | kitchen stove. He went out to attend to | his poultry and Mrs. Metter a little later | observed that the west end of the house| was full of smoke. She called her hus- | band, but before he arrived the entire side | and roof burst into flames. Every effort l was made to save the building, but the fire had too much headway and the neigh- bors were unable to make any impression upon the blaze with their buckets of water drawn from a spring near by. There was scarcely a breath of wind, but slowly and surely the building was burned’ to the ground, and only a part of the farniture and personal effects of the family were saved, as the most of the efforts were | directed to the futile attempt to save the house. The loss was about $1000. In the meantime, Dr. Terrello tele- phoned from the drugstore on Silver | avenue to District Engineer E. F. McKitt- | rick at engine 13, on Valencia street, near | Twenty-sixth. McKittrick in turn tele-i phoned to Ocean View to start out engine | 33, while at the same time he ordered 13| to proceed to the fire. Engine 13 had two | miles te travel, while tbe Ocean View steamer had to cover three miles of ‘roads that were none the better from the last rains. While the engines were on the way there the fire had obtained a strong hold on the two adjoining buildings. At 26-Francis street was the one-story frame cottage | owned and occupied by Mrs. F. W. Mer- ritt. In a short time it was sil ablaze from foundation to roof. There was suffi- cient time Lo spsre to get the furniture out of the house, but the latter was doomed. Mrs. Merritt’s loss was over $1000. On the other side of the Metter dwelling was the two-story dwelling and junkshop of Mrs. Bertha Wolch, whose husband runs a junk-wagon. The fire made great brogess and in a little while this building, too, was burned to the ground with some of its contents, causing a loss of about $1500. In the meantime the two engine com- panies had arrived after giving the horses a very hard run. District Engineer Mc- Kittrick knew that he was badly bandi- capped, for there are no water hydrants in that locality, and the nearest water was in two tanks used by the vegetable gar- deners. He sent engine 33 10 a tank away down in a plowed field. Lt was all the | San Francisco there were 116 complaints | guardianship. horses could do to reach seven or eight minutes 700 feet of hose was stretched across the fieid. Some time ago Mr. McKittrick had fixeded a gar- dener’s water-tank near Silver avenue, so | that it could be used in case of a firein the Hebrew Old People’s Home, and fo | this tank he sent engine 13. Over 1300 feet I of hose was run out before the fire was | reached. While this was being done the fire had made iis way into the one-and-a-half-story | cottage owned by Mrs. Frederick Munk, | at 32 Francis street. The water arrived none too soon, for the side and roof of the | building was ablaze when the firemen | the tank, butin | | turned the two streats upon the siruc- | ture, The damage to this building was about $300. The other builaings were by this time burned to the ground. Had there been any wind from the west several other buildings on the surrounding streets | would have suffered the same fate before | the engines could have arrived and got | into operation. | The people who were burned out of | their homes can ill afford the loss they sustained, and it is said tuat several were obliged to accept help and shelier from their neighbors. Those who saw the fire- men at work under such great difficulties state that they did all that men could in their efforts to save property. OHILDREN'S FRIENDS: | Monthly Meeting of the Directors of | the Society Held. | The monthiy meetingof the Society of Prevention of Cruelty- to Chilaren was held at the office of H. N. Newbhall & Sons on Sansome street yesterday after- noon, P. B. Flint was elected chairman, after which Charles Sonntag was chosen presi- dent and George A. Newhall treasurer. | The election of the secretary went over | until the next meeting. | Aletter was read from Senator George | C. Perkins thanking the society for honor- ing him with the office of vice-president; also from Joe D. Grant, enclosing a check | for two years’ dues. | A motion was carried instructing Secre tary Charles P. Welsh to- notify the o lector to turn in all subscriptions as soon as received. The secretary’s report showed the work done by the society during the past year | in this City and Alameda County. In | made, 95 of which were investigated, in- volving 208 children. Eight cases were prosecuted in the courts, in four of which | there were convictions. Forty-two chif- dren were returned to their parents,thirty- | seven placed in public institutions, ten in private femilies ana_sixteen placed under | In Alameds County there | were twenty-four complaints made, thir- | teen of which were investigated, involv- ing twenty-nine children. One arrest was had and a conviction secured. The names of thirty-nine new members | recently elected were ordered placed on | tie mem bers’ roll, The treasurer’s report showed a healthy | financial condition of the society. | e NO MORE INTERPRETERS. | | Mayor Phelan Says There Will Be No | Special Translator of Spanish, There may be some readjustment of in- | terpreters in the criminal courts. Judge | Low yesterduy conferred with Mayor | Phelan on the subject of Spanish inter- pretation. Mr. Marchebout was recently ppointed interpreter of French and Spanish by the commission to name in- terpreters. Judge Low found that Mr. Marchebout conld not interpret Spanist satisfactorily, while he is able to interpret French. Mayor Phelan said yesterday afternoon that no fault was found with Mr. Marche- bout’s French interpretations. When there is any Spanish to te transiated Mr. Marchebout will have to hirs an inter- preter who is competent to do the work. The result will not be any additional ex- pense to the City and County. There may be some further adjustment. A meeting of the Commissioners wili ba held soon. No interpreter will be appointed for Spanish exclusively. —_————— Iroquois Clubs to Meet. The State League of Iroquols Clubs of Cali- fornia will hold its annusl conference &t Pythian Hall, 909 Market street, on Washing- 10n’s birthdsy, at 10:30 4. M. R JEWELRY store, 5 and 7 Third sireet, remove; do 303 Kearny street. KNEW THAT HE WAS N FUNDS The Assailants of 0ld Rod- ger 0'Connor Were Posted. A Stranger Proposed to Sell | H'm a Fat Political Position. No Icquiries Made by the Police in R lation to th: Crime—0’Connor Is Improving. The murderous assault of masked rob- bers on old Rodger O’Connor, which took place at his cottage, 508 St. Rose avenue, on Monday afternoon, is beginning to de- velop into a mysterious crime. It now transpires that several days pre- vious to the assault Mr. O'Connor met a man on Larkin street who accosted him by name and began a friendly conversa- tion. O’Connor did not know the man, but the stranger seemed familiar with his his- tory and in a short time volanteered the information that political jobs were easy | to get if the method was only known. He said that he was a friend and employe of a newly elected City offi ‘ial and that for the consideration of §100 he could procure Mr. O'Conncr a fat job in the City em- ploy that would last.a couple of years at least. The old man with the pleasant garrulity that comes of old age’ confided taat he had recently drawn $200 out of the Hibernia Bank, and made an engagement to meet his new-found friend the nextaay to talk the matter over. The stranger gained other information about O’Connor’s residence and the fact that he lived alone in his little home. The stranger did not keep the appoint- ment made for the next afternoon; though O'Connor “waited for several nours after | the time that had been agreed upon, Then came the assault, with its disas- trous consequences to O'Connor. His brotler, Martin O'Connor, after learning of the conversation with the stranger has come to the conclusion that some one, | learning that his brother had drawn the money from the bank, planned to get it under the guse of procuring the old man a fat political job, and fearing that his | plan would imiscarry, concocted the scheme of the robbery, knowing that little resistance would be encountered. Martin O'Connor, when seen last even- inig, seemed surprised that the police had not evinced more interest in the case. He stated that outside of the visit of Police- man Pyle no one connected with the po- | lice force had called to gain any particu- lars of the assault or learn of his brotber’s condition. HIS FIRST WIFE. Quackenbush Said te Words About Leve Mrs. Nancy Abbott-Quackenbush closed her case in her suit sgainst Thomas M. Quackenbush in Judge Seawell’s court yesterday, wheréin she seeks to obiain $500 & month as permanent support by virtue of a contract marriage with the aged capitalist, who is said to be worth Mr. Foote, representing the defendant, moved fora nonsuit, which was denied by the court. Several witnesses were then examined on behalf of the defense. The most im- ortant witness for the defendant was I. . White, who testified that while the plaintiff and defendant were living to- gether he used to visit at the house and occasionally take a hand at whist with them. Quackenbush, he said, always re- ferred to Mrs. Abbott as Mrs. Abboit and never as his wife. One night Quacken- | bush was in a reminiscent mood and re- minded bim that he, the witness, had | known his first wife. He said: “Ishall | never marry again. Who would marry | me? Certainly no one, except for my money.”’ Mrs. Abbott was present at the | time, but made no remonstrahce when | the remark was made. This occurred in | 1892, three years after the alleged mar- | | riage. | The case will go on again at 10 o’clock | | this morning, and, as usual, Judge Sea- | | | well’s couriroom will be crowded with gray-baired men &nd women who are in- terested in the love-making of this vener- | able lady who confesses to 55 summers | ' and this old gentleman who *'is rising 76.” FIRED THREE SHOTS. | ) a Teamnter, Wounded | by Martin Johansen, a Sailor. | Richard Hughe | Richard Hughes, a ‘teamster living at | 219 Powell street, was taken to the Re- | | ceiving Hospital last night to have three | bullet wounds attended to by Dr. Hartlev. Hughes and bis wife and brother Albert | were walking along Fifth str et about 8| o’clock when one of them stumbled against | Martin Johansen, a sailor, at the corner | of Natoma street. A fight followed -ndj Johansen drew a revolver and fired three | shots, one taking effect in R chard's left | shoulder, another on his right wrist and | | the third in his left arm. Johansen pulled | the trigger again, but it snapped. Police- | man Say happened along and placed Jo- | hansen under arrest on the charge of | | assault io murder. | Johansen sail he was on his way to the | Metropoiitan Temple with two friends, arles ®iolen and Eric Erickson, who live at 860 Howard street. Without any warning he was knocked down by a blow on his head from behind. He jumped to his feet and, thinking he had been at- | tacked by footpads, he pulled out his | | revolver and fired at the n. in he thought had knorked him dawn. He never saw the maun before. He has a cut on the | back of his head to prove that he had been attacked, While Hughes was being conveyed to the hospital the axie of one of the wheels of the patrol wagon broke at Market and Eighth streets and he had to be carried | to the hospital on a stretcher. The wounds are not serious. DIV&.CE MILL BOOMS. Many Houssholds Are Being Disrupted | by the Glad New Year. | Tkere was a boom in the divorce busi- ness yesterday, showing that the spirit of unrest that usnally marks the opening of a new vear has not yet been subdued. Suits for divorce were filed in the office of the County Clerk as follows yesterday : Nellie T. Smith against William H. Smith, for failure te provide; Lambertus Reidsema against “Bessie Reidsema, for | cruelty; F. J. Teegardews against Thomas E. Teepariews, for failure to provide; Conrad Fecker against Sophia Fecker, for desertion; vharles W. Bassett, for_desertion: Mary | Eilen Webber against Louis A. Webber, | for cruelly; Jessie Crall against Beth | Crall, for cruelty. Divorces wers granted as follows: Martha Coleman from Joseph Coleman, for desertion, and plaintiff was allowed to | resume her maiden name, Seiler; Wilhel- | mina Kornahrens from Henry Kornah- | rens, for desertion, and defendant to pay | 310 a month alimony; Frances E. Harges | irom Francis N. Harges, on the ground of | failure to provide; Angus Tache from Eliza Tache, on the ground of extreme o crueity, and Joseph Dastugue from Romanie Dastugue on the ground of cruelty. ———————— ‘Wanted in Colorado. E. Van Stratton was arrested last night by | Datective Anthony and Sheriff Boynton of Colorado Springs, Colo., and was placed in the “tanks” at the City Prison. Sheriff Boynton says ne was arrested at Cripple Creek for steel- ing Sovper plates {rom a stampmill valued at #500. He wus released on bonds sud disappeared. He will be taken back to stand his trial. Cut on the Neck. Richard Garrity, 142 Townsend street, em- ployed Jobn Nipel, a neighbor, to cut some | wood for him for $2 50. Nipel did not com- lete the job, but jast night he called upon arrity and 'demanded the $2 50. Gagrity re- fused and Nipel cut him on the neck witha knife, inflicung a deep flesh wound. Garrity was taken (o the Receiving Hospital and Nipel was arrested ona charge of assault to murder. ———————— THEY make & specialty of Bank Stock paper: it hus the water-mark. Mysell-Rollins, 22 Clay. S CHASING A FLEET CHINESE LUNATIC He Escaped on the Front From the Sheriff's Van. Scaled the New Ferry Depot Wall and Hid Among the Wharf Stringers. The Aloha Tcks Out the Most V.lu- able Cargo Ever Carried by a Schconer. Outside of the arrival of the Swanhilda the most exciting incident on the water | front yesterday was the escape of a luna- tic from the Sheriff's van. Several un- fortunates were on their way to Ukiah, and when the door was opened one of them—a Chinese—made a break for liberty. Immediately there was a hue and ery, and soon a hundred men and boys were attempting to ran the poor unfortunate to earth. The maniac scaled the wall that surrounds the new ferry depot, and half a dozen athletes got over after him, while half a thousand people who had congre- gated in the meantime yelled arder!"” “Thief!” *Police!” The Chinese nid himself among the stringers under the wharf, but was finally located by Ed Casey, a “‘rnnner” for the New Western Hotel. Ed did not waste any time, but at once climbed down the | vite and made the lunatic climb up in front of him. He was then secured and taken back to the van. It appears that when the van reached the Tiburon ferry the Depaty Sheriff opened the door and started to take tbe men out one by one. While ‘moving the first man the Chinese made the break for his liberty, and of course the Deputy Sheriff could not pursue him until he had made everything safe in regard to the Engineer McCaie of the steamer Monowai was able to get out of bed yes- terday after a ten davs’ illness. He will be able to_resume his duties when the steamer sails for Australia next Friday. Captain Carey, who was also dangerousiy ill, was able to leave his rooms at the Oc- cidental, but only for ashort time. He also is out of danger, and his well-known face will be seen on'the bridge when the steamer leaves the dock. The Monowai will be a day late in getting away, owing to the detay in the arrival of the English mails. The big foursmasted schooner Aloha has cleared for the Hawaiian isles with the most valuable cargo ever taken out of this port by a vessel of her rig. Itcon- sists of all classes ol merchandise, and is valued at $52.740, or a little ‘more than the valuation placed upon the cargo of the last China steamer. Among the big schooner's cargo will be a iarge consignment of mules, which are intended for work on the plantations. g The Norwezian tramp steamer Eva has gone on Hunters Point dryvdock for an overhauling. After that she will go to Puget Sound to ioad lumber for Austra- lia. A committee from the Journeymen Stonecutters’ Association waited on the Harbor Commissioners yesterday to urge an eight-hour-a-day rule in the Colusa quarry. Tt was pointed out to the mem- Lers of the union that_the board could no more control the time schedule of the uarry than it could that of Carnegie's Tron Works, that was making the steel for the depot for the Risdon Iron Works of this City. It was also pointed out to the committee by President Colnon tnat the use of Colusa sione meant a saviug to the State of $53,000, and not an extra expendi- ture of $7000. The committee acknowl- edged the mistake made in 1ts statement to that effect in writing. Morton's Special Delivery has relin- NEW TO-DAY—DRY GOODS, N U U CUNUSSSSSN LAGE CURTAINS! LAGE CURTAINS! different designs. are Our customers are informed that we have purchased from the manufacturer PAIRS ECRU NOTTINGHAM LACE CUR- TAINS and will offer them, commencing MONDAY, February 1st, at l _59 per Pair, The above Curtains measure 60 inches in width, are 3} yards long and come in 27 At the price quoted they 1500 BONA-FIDE BARGAINS! £~ Country orders recelve prompt attention. L@~ Goods delivered free in San Rafael, dale, Mill Valiey, Oakland, Alameda and Berkeley. Sausalito, Blithe= GORPORZ; | & ooz, b 111, 113, 115, 117, quished its offices in the ferry depot | the Commercial Iransier Company | pre-empted them. | . Yesterday tne Oregon Navigation and | Improvement Company sent a crew to Portland to bring down the George W. Elder. The steamer wiil bring down a general cargo and will take the place of the Columbia, now laid up for repairs. GEORGE A. BRUSH DEAD. The Talented Grainer Passes Suddenly While at Work. George A. Brush, a grainer, living at 1213 Twenty-sixth street, dropped dead vesterday afternoon while at work at 1615 Fulton street. Brush was not an ordinary painter. He was an artist in line of work. In 1876 he went to the Centennial | Exvosition at Philadelphia, where he en- tered into competition with the best grainers in the world. superior talent to them all and won six Away or. Brush was offered a number of posi- tions, several of which would have taken him to Europe, but he refused all and came back to California, his native State, with his honors. He was about 52 vears of age and leaves a widow and three children. THE CAMERA WILL DECIOE Crocker Blanks and Pencil | Deeds Certificates Pho- tographed. Magistrats Ciok” Will Compare Ea- largements in the Cooney Case on Saturday. The proceedings in the Cooney case yesterday were confined toa sort of official photographing of ail the documents that bave a bearing on the issues involved. The decision of Magistrate Cook on Monday to make expert comparisons on his own account between the Crocker blanks and the pencil deeds acknowleag- ments resulted in a change of front on the part of the prosecution. It was on the card that Expert Max Gumpel should be called to point out the various defects in the proofs of the notarial blanks printed by H. 8. Crocker & Co. on January 8, 1896. In them he would declare tnat identical typographical errors existed in the Cooney acknowledgments on the pencil deeds. This the Fair people would ‘contend was evidence in itself that the certificates on | Mrs. Craven’s documents were not vrinted | until January 8, 1896, although they bore date of Seotember 27, 1894. This in a nutshell was the case which the Fair peo- vle styled the “mathematical demonstra- tion by which tuey would eftect Cooney’s conviction.” £ Magistrate Cook has accordingly decided to dismiss without hearing sny experts {or the present. In_conformity with his announcement of Monday the Crocker blanks ana the pencil deeds were photo- graphed for inspection and comparison yesterday in the presence of attorueys for the opposing interests. The camera was set in the Disrict Attorney’s office in the afternoon. The Fair interests nad Theo- dore Kytka there to supervise the proceed- ings in their interests. Cooney was repre- sented by Henry B. Smith of the Thor gallery. Two photographs of the Crocker proofs were first made. Tke certificates in the pencil deeds were then reflected oun the sensitive glass, after which a finished copy of the Crocker blanks was subjected to similar treatment. \ 3 The six negatives will be made into bromide enlargements to-day and sub- mitted to the critical examination of Mag- istrate Cook. As District Attorney Barnes is ill the case has been continued until He proved to beof | medals for the best graining in the world. | 119, ara | bas | | { | 18 121 POST STREET. Saturday next, when the comparisons will be made in open court. The civil case on the pencil deeds was called in Juage Siack’s court yesterday and postponed for two weeks to ‘allow the jury lists to be completed. RISING RIVERS. The Sacramento Likely to Overflow Its Banks Shortly. Forecast Official W. H. Hammon has issued the following bulletin regarding the effects of the recent rainfall in the in« terior: The rain‘all of the past three days has caused a rapid rise in the Sacramento River. At Redding the riveris 8.2 feet, & rise of 1.4 feet since last evening. It willreach its crest ofabout 9 teet to-aa Red Bluff the stage 1518.7 feet, a fall of feet since last night, Itwill remain ne: stationary. At Colusa the river is 23 9 re se of 1.7 feet since Iast evening. It wil: ach its crest of about 24 5 feet to-night. The Feather Ri erat Oroville stands at 10 x t olsom reached its cet auring the night, and has now fallen to 17 feet. It will continue to tall. The river between Colusa and Sacramento wiil overflow during the next two days. At Sacramento the stage is now 20.8 feet, a 1ise of 8 feet since yesterday. It will probably con- tinue to rise slowly until Thursday. But the coudition of the levees above the cify will probably not admit of the stage exceeding 23 or 23 feet. e Reduced Cyclery Licenses. The new rates of licenses for cycleries pro- posed by the resolution introduced In the Board of Supervisors Monday are as follows: For gross quarterly receipts -of $4000 and over, $8 por qu or $4000_ or ‘less quar. terly receipts, #4 per quarter. The old rates, ification, were, re- on & different basis of ¢ ctivel £15. $10 and § NEW 7TO-DAY. COMPARE 4 Jrophy Baking Powder with the best you know of. B Tillmann & Bendel, Mfra, ©0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-00-00 AN EXCELLENT Properly prepared and, promptly served, ca always bs obtained in THE GRILL ROOM OF THE Deoidedly the P A I ACE Dining Apart- ment in town. Most Popular 0-0-0-0-0-C-0-0-0-000:0 e e s et