The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-06
SURROUNDED HIM.
How an Officer Caught a
Safe=CraCker.
Policeman nahoney Spreads Himself
Around Building by a Clever
Little RuSe.

Metaphorically speaking. Officer N. c.
Mahoney is the largest man of the police
force.
BY clever ruse he stretched himself
around building early yesterday morning
and captured a burglar in the act of break
ing open safe containing many valuable
documents and about $50 in coin.
While patraIling his beat on Union street
at 80 O'clock yesterday morning Mahoney
had reason 10 believe that burglars were at
work in the meat-market of Himmelmann
IL Heinz, at 1927 Union street, near Laguna.
When the officer passed tie place al
o'clock the gas-jet was burning, but half
all hour later the light had been extin-
guished. Knowing that the market had
been visited by burglars twice during the
past year Mahoney became suspicious.
On listening at the trent door lie heard
the sound OF a drill inside.
He also saw two men standing on the cor
ner.
At the same time Officer Carroll saw the
men on The corner. and not knowing of
Mahoney'S presence, started after them.
After chasing tie suspected men as far as
Fillmore street he lost sight of them.
All this time Mahoney was listening at
the front door of the market. and was re-
Surely some one Was boring into the safe.
He softly tried Tie door, but il was locked.
The place Is peculiarly located, and we'll
suited for the plan that MahOney rapidly
formed. There are small alleys running
along one side and in the rear.
MahOney silently erept around to the back
door and found IL also fastened. When he
reached the front again everything was
quiet
He feared that he had been heard by the
hur nnip oh ix-o lid mt t,f q
surrounding the building. all by himself.
lie could not go away or blow whistle for
help, and II he tried 10 break in either door
the safe-cIacker would escape out of the
other.
"Then," said Mahcney. as he related the
story to CALL reporter several hours later,
Il decided that the only way to capture the
burglar was tn surround him. / fired my
revolver into the sidewalk at the front door,
and running TO the back door fired again.
To make the burglar believe that some one
was in front l shouted: 'Heyi don't shoot
any more there in 'front.'
Not hearing any sound within, / yelled
Hey. Mikel Ii he comes out that front
door drill him. I'll fetch him out this way.
THAT settled II, and heard the burglar
SOU eRking as he exclaimed:
Fer Gods sake. don't shoot at me any
more and III come OUT
II ordered him TO open the door and come
out quick before the other fellows killed
i
asked him where his partners were be said
he was alone"
BY this time the whole neigh borhood was
aroused and Officer Carols came on the
run at the head OF a small procession. The
captive was promptly "irOned' aud locked
up on charge of burglary.
he gave his name as William Francis.
When the officers returned 10 the market
they discovered that two holes had been
bored in the top OF the safe. Had be not
been interrupted the daring cracksman
would have had the safe open In q few
minutes more. On the floor lay brace
and bit, a small sledge hammer and two
steel drills. Under the sack was found a
new Smith WessOn revolver, where the
burglar had tried to conceal il.
When searched at the station bunch Of
skeleton keys was found in the prisoners
possession. With these he had opened the
back door OF the market. At the City
Prison tie burglar admitted TO a reporter
that his true name was William Francis
Kavanagh. He Is rather gOod-looking
fellow and about 30 years old For some
time he roomed at cheap clearinghouse
on Market street.
The police say that his face is familiar.
but they cannot recognize him as a burglar
with a record. He answers the de scription
OF the daring house-breaker who entered a
half dozen residences in the Western Addi-
ton during the past month. While being
questioned Kavanagh said he had never
been arrested. except for drunkenness and
illegal voting. He was arrested on the lat
ter charge during the recent election but
the case was dsm ssed.