Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-09-29
WILD PISTOL SHOOTING.
AN ENLIvENING EPISODE IN CHINA
TOWN LAST NIGHT.
One Monaghan Gambler Grabs Another's
Purse and Gets Away-Three Shots
Fired at His Pursuer.

Police officer Frank Rider was sitting on
block of granite at Third and streets
about quarter past O'Clock last evening,
wondering what policeman could do to
keep up his record, or what the newspaper
reporters could possibly find to chronicle
for Monday mornings readers.
Wearying of that line of meditation, he
turned his attention to the slou "a near by,
on the bosom of which the lights from
hundred Chinese huts were dancing and
shimmering, and recalling the grand
scheme evolved a few years ago of trans
forming the Shiny and odoriferous pond
into a second Lake Como, he gave rein to
his Imagination and was picturing to him
self beautiful spot surrounded by mag
nolias and gently waving palms, in the
midst of which slumbered a mirror-like
lake, with real gondolas gliding gracefully
about in the soft moonlight, and fond
lovers strolling on the pebbly beach, and
all that sort of thing, when
Crack went a pistol about fifty yards
from him in the direction of Fourth street
This rude awakening from his pleasant
dream caused the officer TO jump to his feet
and vigorously rub his forehead to bring
back his wandering wits.
''Pshaw !" he grumbled to himself, "that
was only fre-cracker that some Chinese
kid exploded !"
He was about to resume his seat on the
unupholsiered slab of granite and allow
his fancy to continue its wanderings in
dreamlanG, when there came another
"bangl" This time he was sure it was a
pistol that had gone of, and he fastened
toward the spot whence the reports had
come.
Then the officer encountered group of
excited Mongolians rushing about and iab-
bering like lot Of monkeys. He had just
asked one of them what was the matter,
when from around the corner on Fourth
street came another pistol crack.
Rider rushed in that direction and soon
met Chiaaman coming from toward ]
street whose excited manner showed that
hs had been in some way concerned in the
shooting. The officer stopped him and
inquired what he had been doing. The
Chinaman pointed toward the alley and
said
Him gone therel He shootee two, tlee
times at me-"
The officer ran into the alley, but could
find no one, and returning to the place of
the shooting learned that two Cinnamon
had been shaking dice in one of the dens
near the corner of Fourth and l streets,
and one of them laid his purse, containing
according to his story 500, on the table.
Watching his opportunity, the other one
grabbed il and ran to the street, pursued by
its owner.
On reaching the sidewalk the thief, see
ing that he was being pursued, jerked
pistol out OF his pocket and fired at his pur-
suer. The latter was not hit, however, and
kept up the chase. Turning into Fourth
street the purse suatcher shot again at his
pursuer, and again missed the man at his
heels. The latter evidently thought more
of his purse and its contents than he did of
| his life, or else he had very poor opinion
of the others craftsmanship for he kept
| right on. As soon as the alley leading to
| Fifth street was reached the fleeing China
man turned and took parting shot at his
pursuer and then disappeared in the dark
| ness.
The plucky owner of the purse drew the
| line at alleys, however, and quit, and the
other fellow made good his escape.