Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-30
RAMPANT H0opLuMIsM.
Excitement in Observation-Disclosures As
saults Go Unchecked.

| Excitement in Chinatown-Murderous As
saults Go Unchecked.
There was war in Chinatown last night
About IL o'clock Chinaman applied at the
police station for an officer to go up to Fifth
and streets and arrest hoodlum who, he
said, had broken Chinaman's head with
club. There was only one officer there,
who was in charge of the Jail, and he could
not leave. The Chinaman was advised to
come down Monday morning and swear
out warrant for the arrest of the unknown
hoodlum.
He had been gone but a minute, when
there came fierce rapping at the door OF
the prison, and when the jailer sang out
Come in!' little man named Weller
burst through the door, He was nearly
beside himself from excitement but man.
aged to explain that an l street Junk dealer
named George Shoemaker was on a
drunken rampage in Chinatown, and had
broken in the doors and windows of his
(Weller's) house on l street and had also
brutally beaten an aged Chinese doctor
He was also told 10 come down on Mon
day and get warrant for the fellows ar
rest.
Yes said Weller, "but what'li we do
to night? That fellows crazy drunk, and
I'm afraid he'll murder my wife and boy"
The laller could give the man no help,
and he rus aed oil toward his home accom-
panied by reporter. On reaching the
locality of Shoemaker's depre6ations, the
reporter found that Weller had told the
truth. The latter's wife and some other
ladies living in an adjoining building were
on the sidewalk excitedly discussing the
assault, while groups of Cinnamon were
gathered together all over the block fercely
blowing police whistles, but without sue.
cess in drawing an officer in that direction.
The reporter learned that Shoemaker
had gone to the low dive on the southeast
corner of Fifth and l streets, pursued by
mob of Cinnamon. On reaching the spot
ne was told that the terror of l street has,
gone Oft out Sixth street
There was crowd of boys, ranging from
eight TO twelve years OF age, going out and
In through the doors of the dive, where
they seemed to be perfectly at home From
the inside came the voices of drunken men,
and bedlam seemed TO have broken loose
IN that locality
1t is fortunate that an upheaval of some
kind is about 10 take place in police QUAR-
ters. The men are and have been for
some months in demoraliZed and practi-
cally useless condition, owing to political
"IaHSIes anu ulVlGeG 8utDOTltV. II is
preposterous and shameful that citizens
whose homes are assaulted by unknown
rowdies can get no redress but must wait
for two days to swear out warrants for the
arrest OF brutes engaged in the pastime of
breaking in doors and windows and threat
ening the lives of innocent women and
children.
This is no imagination, but was an actual
occurrence last night.
The police authorities, whosoever they
may be, must inaugurate reform at once,
or they should be held responsible to the
public for such state of affairs. The po-
licemen Misunderstanding to the perni-
cious system of electing new force every
year, are obliged to spend the last half of
the year in pulling" for reelection, while
the first half is spent in learning the
boundaries of their beats and the location
OF the cosiest hooks for winter nights. 1t
is the system in vogue here, more than the
men, perhaps, that is to blame for the
worthless condition of our police depart
ment.
Is there any relief in sight?