The morning call., 1892-07-14
THE FRISCO FAGIN.
Hammond Held to Answer on
Three Charges.
His Promising Pupils and How They Pro-
ceeded TO Gather In Goods-No
Defense Offered

The case against John Hammond, for
merly starter for the Geary-street Cable
Company at Geary and Kearny streets. who
is charged with being the receiver of stolen
goods knowing the same TO have been stol-
en-, was resumed in Judge J0achimsen's
court yesterday afternoon.
Hammond has been called the "Fagin" Of
San Francisco, and from the testimony
given yesterday the appellation is we'll de-
served. The man is accused Of having en-
ployed little boys from 10 to 13 years of age
as NJ atch- -peddlers, and given them inStrUc-
tions to enter houses and steal money or
! jewelry ana bring it TO him. II is alleged
that the money he divided with the boys.
/ The iewelry he took he purchased from them
at any price he choose to offer and then
/ either sold or pawnrd it.
! Three little boys were the witnesses called
( yesterday. namely: Strodey Batten of 527
/ Mission street, Robert Hamilton Of 529 Mis-
/ sion and Cornelius Southwic& Of 53 Mnna.
YOUNG THIEVES.
! None of the three is over Is years Of age,
! but by their demeanOr and their testimony
/ showed only too clearly that they had per-
/ fectly learned early lessons in crime al
! which many an older thieI has proved
/ bungler.
The boys came into the courtroom with
! their faces wreathed ia smiles. They were
heet-footed as goats whan they mounted the
] steps leading up to his Honor's bench and
seated themselves, while they kept up among
/ themselves constant chatterlng as they
/ looked over the audience In the courtroom
aud recognized familiar faces.
'Dere's Fatty. See him." said little
! Southwick to his companions: Say, amt
that duffer got mug" be added, and then
in an undertoBe said, Funny they don't
pinch him. He ought to be up here, too"
just then Fatty looked up and caught the
eye Of his hO0dlum friend.
"Ah, there" said Southwick, as he aiTly
waved his hand toward Fatty" who re-
sDonded to the salutation with grin.
''Slence in couTt!' cried the bsiiff, and
he walked over TO SouthHick and gave him
a shake.
go jump at yourself, Won terrier" said
:he lad, as the officer moved away.
After some delay, Hammond, unshaven
and unshorn, was let out of the cage" in
the corner OF the courtroom. and took a seat
beside his counsel The ola man looked
haggaTd. His white, stubby beard OF a
weeks growth made his red nose look ike
a spot Uf carmne on white mask. lie
kept his eyes fastened on the floor and
worked his fingers nerv0uSly as he held his
hands clasped ID his lap.
sOUTHwICK AND SKINNY DUTCH"
Young Southwick was called to the stand
to testify. He knew the nature Of an oath.
somebody had told him IN jail lie could
not write, but evidently knew more about
the world than many of the most learned of
the sdYantS in our colleges.
He was asked to tell about the stealing of
Mrs. Hairs watch at Third and Howard
streets.
well" said the boy, scratching his head
and grlnning, ''you see 1 met Skinny
Dutch on Third street and"
who's Skinny Dutch. ," asked Nj
Stevens.
= doan' know. HISS Skinny Dutch.
That's all know. and a fly kid. Wall, as
was sayin', l meets Skinny and Skinny be
SEE TO me, seZ be. let's tackle that house
pontin' to the one where we nipped the
ticker"
What house was that" interrupted the
attorney.
u doan' know. It was over Shawn
store. You savey. One OF them places
where tie poles with zigzag stripes Is.
Well. l said. said 1, all right skinny sad
II would be good place TO swipe some
thin"
What do you mean by swpe. ," asked
attorney Stevens
Why" with a contemptuous infection,
| expressing the witness disgust at the lg-
norauce Of Mr.. Stevens, why, lift some
We'll" continued the boy, skinny he
goes upon the third floor and l rustles on
the second floor Purity soon down comes
Skinny and says sneak aud said he had
watch. We got out quick and then we
went TO him." pointing at Hammond, land
he gave skinny 81 and Skinny Civ me
/ 81 90. He" again pointing at Hammond,
'patted Skinny on the back and said he
WAS lucky cuss" cause he had got the
| watch"
! "N hat did you do with the money ?" was
! asked.
''Oh. had a bully time" was the answer.
The other boys testified TO other larcenes
and then the prosecution rested Tne de-
! Tense waived the right to present any testi-
mony and Hammond was held to answer in
the Superior Court in the sum of S4Os0 on
three charges Of receiving stolen goods.