The morning call., 1893-10-30
Some Experimental Work
Recommended.
A BLOW AFTER THE BALL.
Suspected Case of Suicide Near Lake
Merritt-LuckIess Encounter
With Dynamite.


had been hushed. and the lights were fed
and the garlands dead, and Military Hall
at Twelfth and Franklin streets was
about deserted. Frederick G. Chapman.
who is professor of dancing, and con-
ducts, with his brother William, the
Irving Hail academy Of the graceful art.
came down into the gray morning light
from the festivities at which he had pre-
sided-wheD, baDgl some body had dealt
Fred vicious blow the back Of the
skull, and taken to his heels before the
heavy hand of vengeance could fall.
Chapman's friends rallied to the side of
the young man, who was now lying s1pine
in the cobwebs and cigar stumps that grace
the foot of Military Hall stairs. They saw
the assailap was gone. and with one
accord voiced threats of summary retrib bu-
tion and told one another what their dis
position of the coward would be if once
they got at him.
Somebody thought of the Receiving
Hospital. That struck the company as
heing good place to go to, considering
Fred's b eedlng head. and away they went
with their battered charge TO Steward
Larsen's dominion.
DR.. johnson was summoned and got out
his lint and bandages and bound up Chap
mans wound, which was in bad place.
on the back Of the head, and two or three
Inches long.
Then the revelers gathered their bruised
friend up and took him to his home at 945
Broadway.
Chapman is resting quietly, with no
serious symptoms threatening.
Neither he nor any of his comrades can
tell who struck Fred that cowardly blow
latter the ball."
Now for Fine Streets.
According TO a report recently filed with
the Board of Public Works by Super
ntendent Harrison the expenditures for
street repairs since that official went into
office op February IA, 1893, have been as
I lows: Purchase price Of rock used
$500, cost of abor, utensils. etc., $780,
total, S4400. In cleaning the streets during
the last four months $500 has been laid
out.
Accompanying this report Mr.. Harrison
volunteered few suggestions which, il
carried out, would rebound to the decided
Improvement Of the principal thorough
fares of this city.
As means of bettering the older
macadamized streets the superintendent
said they should be cleaned and scra ped
and then thoroughly redressed with first
class rock.
He suggested that by way of expert
ment and to establish criterion for fur
L
avenue should be thus operated upon. If
the movement proved to be un wise further
proceedings along this line could be abau-
doned.
He also announced that distribution sta
tions had been established at the West
Oakland eEgine-house. the Market-Street
engine-ho house in North Oakland, the park
a Seventh and Jefferson and at the City
Hall.
Two more such stations, added the su-
perintendeDt, should be made in the
Seventh Ward, probably at the engine
houses.
just at present the superintendent is
busy having the bituminous pavement on
Telegraph avenue repaired. Nearly fifty
tons of bitumen will be applied on this
work.
Was 1t Suicide?
The old man picked up on Lake avenue
on Saturday evening in an unconscious
condition and taken to the Receiving
Hospital. died here at $50 O'Clock last
night. without having recovered sufi-
cieutly to talk Of himself. 1t was supposed
he had some heart trouble.
He was gray-bearded, well dressed, aged
about 60. and weighed nearly 200 pounds.
He mad 60 cents in money. knife. spec
tacles AID memorandum book on his
person. Deceased also had Masonic
EN- hlem pinned 10 the lapel of his coat.
On the first leaf of the memorandum
book appeared the following letter:
GOLDEN WEST HOTEL.
SAN FRANCISCO.
Hotel Vendone, San Jose: / have lost my
for my life no more. have many good fiends
but none knows where am to-day. 1 ask no
favors of any one. GOod bye, too meet in next
world. j. j. Ii.
This was all that appeared in the oook,
except the following, written In another
hand on the last page: Address A. w.
Boolssen, 526h Hayes, San Francisco"
When the old man was picked up on
Lake avenue, on the East Oakland side of
Lake Merritt, he appeared to be in a stu
por, and, when asked his name, could only
humble some unntelligible word that
was repeated 10 him he shook his head as
though TO say no, il was not his name.
Further than this nothing could be got out
of him.
1t Struck Back.
Harvey johnson, teamster- of East
Oakland, % years of age, was brought to
the Receiving Hospital yesterday noon,
decidedly the worse off Tor an encounter
with a can OF giant powder.
johnson went out in field near Sem
mary avenue, and took some giant powder
with him. What be wanted 10 do with 1t
he does not appear to know himseif-sx-
peIimenting. probably. At all events, ne
unu6rraIeQ Jn6 explosive power OF tDe
commodity be had with him, and when he
began Sc ries of lively maneuvers with 1t
the powder awoke to the occasion and ex-
pioded.
With hands and face burned black and
dripping with blood johnson was brought
into the Receiving Hospital. DR.. johnson
attended him, and with linseed oil and
lime water bound up his wounds.
When the young experimen,er emerged
from the hospital only his eyes and the
tip of his nose were visible fIom the
bandages and cotton batting about his
head.
"He looks like Ku-Kux." bystander
remarked.
Johnson Is satisfied now that giant pow
der Is one of the great achievements of
modern times. and holds its independence
in the deepest respect
Successful SkiB-Grafting.
|. Young Frank Adams, who had a leg
taken off in the recent railroad smasb-up
in the West Oakla nd yards. did not lose
his limb in vain, for on Friday-the same
day of the accident-Dr Dnnn took piece
OF the culicle. four inches square, from the
amputated leg and grated it on to the left
leg of James Sullivan, the young man who
bad mis- leg badly smashed in Port Costa
accident recently, and is now lying at the