The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-24
BRISK FUSILLADE.
Fifteen Shots Fired on
Geary Street.
Three Cornered Fight Between Two
Policemen and a Carpenter-Oniy
One Shot Takes Effect.

There was three-cornered fight with
pistols on Geary street., near Kearny,
shortly before o'clock yesterday MORN
ing. The participants were Policemen
Sawyer and Morgan and John A. Bowen,
a big, burlv carpenter, living at 6l6 Fol-
som street
The shooting was wretchedly bad. Fiji
teen shots were fired and only one took
effect.
Bowen took il into his head to be bold,
bad man just TO see how it would work.
He fortified himself with liberal rotations
of whisky and clapDing revolver in his
hip pocket lie start ID out on the warpath.
His movements up TO 4:30 A. NJ yester-
day are uncertain, but al that hour he
entered the Robin Hood saloon on the cor
ner of O'Farrell and Stockton streets. The
only occupant of the barrOom WAS The
bartender. Bowen ordered drink and 4
cigar. He swallowed the liquor, lit the
cigar and placed the money on the counter.
AS the BARTENDER reached for the money
Bowen was too quick for him, and put il
again in his pocket. The bartender told
MIN to hand over the money, when Bowen
pulled out his revolver, pointed IL at the
bartender's head, and remarking with an
air of bravad0 that he would blow his head
of II he at.eE pied 10 move, he backed out
OF the door.
A caDman was standing on the opposite
corner and the bartender asked him to get
q policeman to arrest Bowen for threaten
ing to shoot him. He pointed TO Bowen,
who was walking north on Stock ton street
toward GearY. The cabman ran along
OFarrell street to Mason, where Police
man Sawyer was standing, and told him
what Bowen had done.
Sawyer went after Bowen, and at Grant
avenue aud Geary street he met Policeman
Mangan. They overlook Bowen on Geary,
near Kearny. Bowen, as soon as he saw
them. ran 10 the middle of the street, yell
ing excitedly. Then he faced round and
Immediately opened fire.
Sawyer TOOK up position in the middle
OF the street t. his right and Mangan
stood on the sidewalk iu front of him.
The first shot was fired at Sawyer, who
turned the fire. BOwen's next shot
whiZzed past Mangan's head, and he also
promptly commenced firing.
pop, "pop," went the Ievolvsrs, and
Sawyer and Bowen did not cease firing till
both their revOlvers were empty. Man
gan had fired three shots by this time, and
after two mCre shots ceased firing The
two policemen then closed in upon the
murderOus Bowen, Sawyer reaching him
first. Bowen used his revolver as a CLUB
and made vicious blow at Sawyer's head
Sawyer ducked and grasped Bowers right
Danu, WDne ManEan TILED to Subdue HIM
with blow on the head with his club.
Bowen struggled fercely, but Sawyer
managed TO wrench the revolver out of his
hand. just then Policemen George Doug
lass and w. Dinan, attracted by the shoot
ing, cams to their assistance, and Bowen
was soon oyerpowered an handcuffed.
There Is a lump on Sawyer's right hand.
showing the effects of the struggle TO get
possession of the revolver.
One of Sawyer's shots took effect in
Bowen's right thigh, and Mangan's CLUB
had made cash in his scalp. The patrol
wagon was summoned, and Bowen was
taken to the Receiving Hospital DR..
Simpson found that the bullet had gone
through his right thigh ana made a slight
impression on his left thigh. His wounds
were dressed and he was taken to the CITY
Prison.
Yesterday afternoon Sawyer entered a
charge of assaultto commit murler against
him at the City Prison. Bowen was willing
10 talk about his occupation and Residence
but when asked what tempted him to play
the part of Il Gesperado he was silent as a
clam. He said he had been working ON
Second street, near Brannan. He is a
powerfully bIilt man. 40 years of age.