The morning call., 1890-06-11
A FIGHT TO DEATH.
Brutality and Blood at the Golden
Gate Club.
a Disgracsful Pr'ze-Fight Which Results in
the Death of One of the Principals-Ar-
rests Of hs Accessories.


two men shall meet in any one of the local
athletic clubs and there so batter one anOther
that death shall ensue, without any c0gnZance
thereof being taken by The authorizes, has been
settled by the action Of Chief OF Police Crowley.
Charges OF murder are now on the Central
Police station register against Frank la Rue,
James j. JamisOn, Joseph Bowers Bernard
Nley. r. John JOEL and Timothy McGrath.
These entities are the aftermath OF the fight
at the Golden Gate Athletic Club on Stevenson
street last Monday evening, between Frank la
Rue ana Henry Mcbride. La Rue was a waiter
at the Poodle Dog Rest aurant OIL Bush and Dr.
pont streets, while Mcbride is reported as hav-
ing been last engaged al the Palace Hotel
A deprayed. dlssolute woman, known as Mag
gle TobIh, who frequents the drinking resorts on
Dupont and O'Farrell streets, was the immediate
cause OF the battle.
On Monday afternoon McBrlde and La Rue
met ID a saloon on 0FaTreu street. La Rue
cused Mcbride OF having said that lie did not
consider The Tobin woman just exactly a-mem-
Der Of good society; also that be, for one, would
not care 10 have his LADY fllends associate Win
her.
Whether La Rue was egged on by the TObin
woman accuse Mcbride has not been as
certained. But that he did charge Mcbride with
having MADE these statements, and that he did
also challenge Mcbride TO fight him. has not
been coutradcted.
The friends OF both men espOused the ehal-
lenge, and SIS was wage ed by La Rues friends
maj lie would defeat acbTlQbs luc latter par
usans covered the money, and the pIelimlnaries
Of tie battle we're arranged.
Inc place selected for tue fight was the Golden
Gate Athletic Club. Now comes Ia The question,
how is II tEat this club was selected as the lOea-
ton where The dispute should be decided? IL
las not YET been ascertalned that either Nc
BRIDE or La Rue were members of that organlZa-
tiou. But IN some way the privilege OF hgntlng
there was obtained.
ALTO O'Clock the two men met in the regular
rag OF the club. There was but a comparatively
small attendance; only the regular professional
pugilistic hangers-OD OF the club and the imme-
diaLe friends OF The two principals and about 100
Others who had been induced TO patronZe the
bar Of the resort in consideration OF seeing
brutal encounter.
DOMINIC light gloves the original weight Of
which It Will be hard TO determine, owing to The
great increase IN their aYolrdupOis from the
large quantity OF blood lost by one OF the con
testants which bedaubed themi the men faced
each other.
READY FOR SLAUGHTER.
1t was at once apparent that both were utter
nuvices in the science Of pugilsm. Neither OF
them had the least idea of fighting according TO
ring rules, and furthermore both were utterly
OuI OF condition 10 engage In any regular fstic
contest The crudest iudlments OF boxing were
strangers 10 them.
referee and seconds were easily found
among the miscellaneous audience, and "time"
was called. Ii was a farce as far as science was
concerned from the beRinuing-a mere brutal
display Mcbride was handicapped from the
beginning by a disabled left hand, the first finger
of which lie had lost, aud which member he was
10th to use. La Rue, whose physique is OF the
weakest and slimmest, had some advantage IN
height and reach. Although he entered the
ring in drunken condition, this possible ad-
vantage was Offset by belief that Mcbride SUI
fered from heart disease.
Under these conditions the combatants met
both physically Incapable TO enter into pro-
logged contest. The crowd seemed to look upon
The affair a good joke. To them IL was great
suOrL 10 see Two inebriated nnfOrtunates fight
over a dissoute woman for an SIS purse. To The
credit OF some Of the professional lighters pres
eut it may be said that from the first they dis
countenanced the entire proceedings. They were
better Judges Of the eXerIlO1s and drain on the
system that even short contest exacts. But
Tie generality OF the low mob in attendance
wanted 10 see tie blood flow. and one or much
mOle 10 their taste Doth men battered and
bruised out OF the semblance Of humanity. In
this they we're gratifed fully. In the language
u the fOntier, "they had man Tor breakfast"
BLOOD FOR BRUTES.
Time" was called and the fight commenced.
II was all in favor OF La Rue from the COM
mencemeuL Aided by his superior length OF
reach and McBride's utter lack OF any boxing
ability all that La Rue had TO do was to atm a
blow at HcBrides defenseless face to reach his
mark. For nine rounds Mcbride was made the
target OF La Rue's blows, most OF which reached
bis face Before the last round was up the CO.
piOUs flow OF blood from bis nose caused Nc
Bride TO halt and look for some sympathy from
the audience. His mouth and throat
clogged with blood, and IL was with difficulty
that he caught his breath. But this disgusting
and heart-appealDg condition of Mcbride was
exactly what the brutal audience wished for, and
they revelrd In his misfortune accordingly. They
positively painted for blood
bruisers present. the crowd urged poor Mcbride
on. SHOW you are gamer Go Tor hlm!' You
by these urgings Mcbride again faced La
RHeis blows
In the tenth round lie tottered up scarcely
sensible TO meet La Rue's attack. He received
a left-hand swinging blow the face and reeled
from its effect A second or two latter he turned
ashy pale and fell lnsenslble. La Rue rushed up
aud tried TO strike him while he was down, but
failed the crowd yelling Foul, FOUL" The
tlmekeeper counted ten and the referee decided
Mcbride knocked QUIZ and La Rue the winner.
DELIGHTED AT MURDER.
The audience hOwled with delight They had
seen the blood they desired. In the meantime
Mcbride had been carried to his corner and his
inexperienced seconds were exhaustlng all their
knowledge to restore him without effect. Nc
Bride remained unconscious despite their best
efforts.
IL was soon discovered that something serious
was the matter with Mcbride. He was carried
into a back room, and as he could not be brought
back 10 consciousness medical attendance was
summoned. Officer Videau brought III DIR. Ro-
gers. A galVanic battery was applied ana artlh-
cal means OF respiration essayed. After several
spire, but was still unconscious. Cerebral hem
Ofrbage had been diagnosed by the physician.
More doctors were called IN and at . O'Clock IN
The morning three physicians were IN attend
In the meanwhile McBride's condition caused
considerable alarm among the audience, and
most OF them left the club as quickly as they
could In fear OF arrest.
Early yesterday morning Mcbride grew worse
and commenced to sink rapidly. AT S:45 he
died. stili unconscious.
Mcbride was about 81 years OF age aud has
been employed in several local restaurants
where be was well known. His brother was no.
tilted and was with him when he breaIhed his
last.
Before Mcbride died La Rue was placed under
arrest and taken TO the Southern Station 10 await
developments. He was In the condition known
as sury drunk" and was Incapable OF grasp
ing the true situation OF affairs.
THE ACCESSORIES.
AS soon as Chief Crowley was notified Of Nc
Brides death, steps were at once taken for the
arrest OF those who had taken any part or had
been present at the contest. Bernard Meyer,
barber. living at 1884 Bush street, was tue first
10 be arrested on charge OF murder as access
sorry He came TO the Murgue to view McBride's
BODY whittier IL had been conveyed He ac-
kDowedged that he had acted as a sort OF sec
Ond TO La Rue. Never said he saw three men