The morning call., 1893-12-21
MANY ROBBERIES.
The City Is Infested by
Gangs of Thieves.
Tar Flat HoOdlums Waylay and Un-
mercifully Beat a Mongolian.
James Morris Experience.

For Gods sake take my money but
spare my life" was the prayer uttered by
a trembling miner in dark hallway in
Chinatown last Tuesday night. He was
held by the throat at the time by masked
robber, while two Chinese were picking
his pockets. The robbers left him after
they had taken from him a check oa the
National Bank for $500. gold watch and
chain and S120 in cash.
The place where the robbery was COM
mitted was the hallway OF 93S Dupont
street. The victim WAS Thomas James of
Haley, Idaho. James is a miner, about 80
years of age. After he had escaped from
the garro,ers he sought and found police
man, to whom he told his story. and yes
terday afternoon he informed the Chief of
Police.
This is james account of the affair: 81
came to this city on business Yesterday.
aud took rooms at the New Wisconsin,
House. l spent the evening with some
acqualntances and set out for my hotel at
II o'clock. / thought that 1 was on
Kearny street, when in reality | was on
Dupont.
''While passing the hallway of 93S
heard scuff1e above. and the door being
open went in to see what was the mat
ter. | was Immediately seized by man
who had black cloth over his face and
of stairs.
He took me by the throat and held me,
gasplng and struggling. while two or three
Chinese searched me and took all that |
had with the exception of an old knife and
a bunch of keys. Then they threw me
down the stairs, and l fell in heap on
the pavement. l was afraid to raise an
alarm. but made my way to the nearest
police station. | have had payment of
the check stopped at the bank. and will
not regret the loss OF the money if ] can
recover the watch which was given me by
my mother.
James says that he does not know the
town and declared that he was not intoxi-
Gated when he stepped into the Dupont
street hallway. lie also affirmed that he
had been in no place where he might have
been robbed.
A diminutive. sickly looking Chinese
was held up by six young hoodiums on
Townsend street last Friday night. After
robbing him of Geo cigars they gave him
most unmerciful beating. He reported his
loss at the Southern Police station, and at
an early hour yesterday morning Police
Officers Enright. Crockett and posse ar
rested John Tuly. Thomas LAWN, Ed
ward Dougherty. Robert Taggart, Thomas
Hawley (slias Dick Hawley) and Charles
Claffey on suspicion of beng the 70 bbers.
They are known as the Brannan- street
gang, and a tougher-l0cking lot OF young
men would be difficult TO find in the city.
They have terrorized the fiat for months,
but the police believe that they have not
merely confined their operations to that
neiR hborhOod, but have been implicated in
recent robberies in other portions of the
city which have been puzzllng the depart
ment for some time.
In LAWNS possession was found a
double-cased silver watch, and the police
hope 10 find the owner of 1t and thereby
1x one robbery at least upon him. The
Chinese was taken to the City Prison yes.
terday afternoon, and the six young toughs
were ranged before him. He positively
Identified two Of them, but was not sure
about the others. The right side of his
face is horribly disfgured from the kicks
Of the hoodlums, and his legs and arms are
badly bruised.
EPoliceman Christensen ceverly cap
tured two footpads early yesterday morn
Ing on Hyde street. between Turk and
Eddy, and booked them at the City Prison
on the charge of rob bbery. About O'Clock
James Morris. young Englishman, told
Chrlstiansen that while on bis way home
be had been, about quarter OF an hour
previously, held up by three men on Eddy
street, between Jones and LeavenwOrth.
They had robbed him Of lady's gold
hunting-case watch. Christensen, accom-
panied by Morris. went after the footpads,
put they had disappeared. and Morris went
nome discoDsOlate at his loss.
About a quarter to 6 o'clock Christian
sen saw two men acting susplciously on
Hyde street. between Turk and Eddy, and
ordered them to halt. They obeyed, and
while he was searching one of them he
observed the other put his hand over his
vest-pocket. In this pocket Christensen
found lady's gold huntlng-case watch.
On the inside of the case is the inscription,
From Mother. May %, 1892" and on the
outside Is the monogram 'E. W."
tin II h rfnnr fr,k
watch and be said he bought it in Chi
cago.. At the City Prison the man who
had the watch gave the name OF William
Stark and the other John Riley. They
are both about 20 years of age, and said
they came from the East.
A receiving vault Of marble and granite con-
structed in the Egyptian style of architecture,