Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-18
4 SUBURBAN MYSTERY.
REPORTED SHOOTING NEAR OAK PARK
LAST NIGHT.
A Man Who Was Robbed Relates What
He Heard just Before He
Was Help Up.

Tie driver of one of the Oak Park cars
told RECORD UNION reporter, late last
| night, that at about 9 o'clock his car was
| boarded near Oak PARK by man whose
name he could not give, but whom he had
known sometime, and who reported tha.
he had just been ''stood up" in that vicinity
in fact, right near the stable at Oak Park
by three footpads.
Under a threat of being killed, he al.
lowed them to rob him of what he had and
that was only quarter of q dollar and a
plug Of tobacco
But he was more deeply impressed with
something he heard just few minutes be.
fore he met the footpads, than with his
| own adventure. He said he had been to
the house of friend in that neighborhood
to get some grapes, and was on his way
across the fields toward Oak Park, when he
heard five or six shots IN quick succession
not far away. Immediately following the
shots he heard some one cry out:
my God You've shot mel"
He continued on his way. and on reach.
ing the terminus of the street railway he
encountered the three men referred to, and
who proceeded to rob him as stated, 1t
was quite dark, and he did not see any
weapon in the hands of any Of the men,
but they ordered him to submit or thew
would kill him.
Whether the outcry heard before was
made By some victim of the thugs, or bv
one OF themselves, be could not tell, but it
sounded to him as if made in earnest.
Considering that scarcely day or night
nc rr-tf hAr,
robbed, or houses or other buildings plum.
dered; and in view of the small number of
policemen on duty at one time (less than
half DOZEN, it would seem to be an excel
lent time for the citizens to organize vol
unteer force of Deputy Sheriffs and sweep
the city and suburbs of the gangs of foot.
pads and thieves that now infest this com.
munity. There are plenty of young men
who would quickly volunteer their sery.
ices, and it looks as if they could find some
pretty lively work to do.
That there are a number of desperate
men now operating in about this city there
can be no doubt. They represent all grades
of criminals, from the commonest sneak
thief to the foodpad and highway robber.
who would not hesitate to kill in order to
get money. This was shown by the attack
on young Vaudeville the other evening on
thickly inhabited street, and at an early
hour.
There are thefts committed daily and
nightly of which the police do not hear.
Some are not reported to the police, and in
other cases the facts are suppressed in the
hope of catching the guilty parties.
few days since blanket was taken by
some fellow from horse tied on the street.
and yesterday robe was stolen from
doctors buggy on K street, in front of his
Office.
The men who commit this class of thefts
are of the "low down" order of tramps,
whose first thought is for their bodily com
fort. But there are others more desperate.
and even the common tramp becomes
holder as he succeeds in his petty larcenies.
Something should be done to rid the city
and suburbs of these scoundrels. The first
step in that direction should be to revoke
the licenses of the numerous dives about
town that harbor many of the thieves, but
that appears to be asking TOO much, judg-
ing from past experience.
ANOTHER CASE OF ROBBERY,
On Tuesday night gentlemen who re-
sides somewhere near Wheatland was in
this city, and in going to the depot to re.
turn home by the Oregon train he was
stopped by two men on the foot. bridge
over China slough. They demanded his
money, and as be did not shell OUT with
the alacrity desired they set upon him,
Knocked him down and robbed him of be-
tween IS and $40.
The man showed up at the depot with
various wounds about his head and face,
where the rutfians had beaten him. He
LETT for home without reporting the case to
the police.
ONE TOWN AROUSED.
A telegram from Bakersfield will be
found in the RECORD UNIONS news col
umns this morning, stating that County
Treasurer Baker was knocked down there
last night and beaten by footpaGs The
official succeeded in killing one of his as
sallants, and the police captured the others
The citizens at once.held meeting and
organized vigilance committee to rid the
place of tranps and thieves. Bakersfield
cannot possibly be more seriously afflicted
than Sacramento and some. other towns in
this part of the State.