The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-04
BLOOD FOR VOTES.
A Religious Row at the
Polls.
ONE MAN MET HIS DEATH.
Catholics and the A. p. A. i'm
Mortal Combat.
)NE MAN MET HIS DEATH.
BITTER FEELING ON BOTH SIDES.
elimination of an Animosity Which
of Late Years Has Been Steadily
Increasing.

IFOCecllVe Association ana the Catholics
came together in bloody conflict at the
polls to-day. 1t cannot be stated which
side is responsible for the fray, as each
charges the other with being the cause of
all the trouble. More than 200 shots were
exchanged between the combatants in less
than that many seconds. and when firing
ceased the following named were lying
dead, dying or injured on the pavement:
Mike Callahan. City Sidewalk Inspector,
shot through the right side; fatally in
jursd.
Harry Fowler, laborer, shot through the
back.
Con Brosnshan. contractor. shot through
kidneys.
Jerry Pate. Deputy Constable, shot in
the face.
Patrick Fleming. shot in the left shoul-
der
John McGovern. laborer, shot through
right arm.
The riot was the elimination of bitter
feeling which had been manifested by ac-
tion and words ever since the polls opened
in the morning. The two an ntagonistic ele.
ments were soldly divided in their choice
of candidates for Mayor, and the aggres-
candidate during one Of the hottest cam
paigns ever known in this city engendered
a strong sentiment of bigOtry. 1t was.
therefore, in no amicable mood that the
workers for the respective factions came
together at the different polling places
throughout the city, and that these work
ers came expecting trouble to occur before
the day had passed is apparent from the
number of deadly weapons that were in
the riot when the first shot was fired.
The riot which resulted so seriously was
the climax of a series OF smaller riots
that took place at other points earlier in
the day between the same opposing re-
igious factions. This riot took place on
the Southwest boulevard very close TO po-
lice station 8, and those who took part In
il had been heated to a fighting temper by
reports that had been hourly arriving at
the station of brawls at other polling
places. Only an hour before it was known
that John Geolev, stoDemason, was shot
in the back and forehead by William
Henry Walker at polling-pIace at the
corner of Fifth and Campbell streets. and
that the low was directly due TO fiery de-
bate between the two men regarding the
principles of the A. P. a.. to which Geoev
was violently opposed. That Cooley was
not instantly killed was due simply to the
fact that the pistol used was mere toy of
% caliber.
The A. P. A. which supported Webster
Davis, the Republican candidate for
Mayor, had its own workers at the differ
ent polling places and they distributed in
some precincts their own tickets bearing
their candidates name and de- GRATED with
the American flag. jim Pryor. Fifth
Ward politician and aniagonstic to the A.
P. a., who supported Frank Johnson, the
labor union and Democratic candidate,
was active at the head of fifty constables.
which he got Justice Latshaw to appoint
last night. 1t is said that the constables
were, many of them. irresponsible char
acters and were solely the cause of all the
trouble. Consequently there were loud
threats OF mobbing them before they were
got to headquarters after the bloody riot
was over.
1t is claimed that one of Pryor's follow
ers fired the first shot. That one was Mike
Callahan, and be was killed the next mo-
ment. Then the battle began. The deputy
constables at this polling-booth and the
workers of all the political factions
crowded together in a solid mass, about
100 strong, and every one of them seemed
to be armed. For minute or two the dis
charge of weapons sounded like volley of
musketry by a regiment. Hundreds of
citizens gathered at every point of vantage
to witness the battle, which, however, was
of short duration. These onlookers trem-
bled with wild excitement. Many of the
residents along tine boulevard added to the
general feeling Of terror by leaning from
their windows, shouting and gesticulating
wildly.
In less than five minutes from the time
the first shot was fred the bluecnats from
station had appeared on the scene and
ouieted the disturbance. With their first
appearance the fighting workers ceased.
hostilities and made a quick effort to hide
their weapons. Pryor's men are claiming
that Callahan was an innocent victim
They assert that it was Jerry Pate, an
A.. A. man, who fired the first shot. and
say that was the shot that killed Callahan.
Pate was serving as constable, having
been appointed by Westport Justice to
serve warrant for the arrest OF John
Pryor, Jim Pryor. his son, and Bert Pryor
for an alleged felonious assault on citi-
zen earlier in the day. He and Callahan
met. had some words. and either one or the
other fired the shot that commenced the
conflict.
Pryor's side Of the story gets some color
from the fact that Harry Arthur, who is.
however. one of Pryor's followers. says
he himself is the man that shot Pate in
the face. According to his story be was
standing on the bridge that crosses y n
Greek close to he scene Of the riot when
Jerry Pate and another man came on the
other end of the bridge in buggy with
four men running behind him. Wnen
Pate reached the spot where Arthur was
standing he jumped out of his buggy with
gun in his hand, and grabbing hold OF
Harry McGoverp said
Here's one of the men we are after.
I've got warrant for your arrest"
81 went up to Pate," said Arthur. 'and
said You cannot take him. Jim Todd
stepped out. too. and said. No, you can't
take me either"