The San Francisco call., 1895-12-23
is POSSIBLY A MURDER.
Michael Finnigan Was a Per-
fectly Well Man When
Taken to Prison.
WHERE WAS HE INJURED :?
Chief Lloyd Thinks the Verdict Cen.
suring the Police Department
Is Unjust.
OAKLAND OFFICE, SAN Francisco CALL

908 Broadway, Dec. %.
1t now seems possible that Michael
Finnigan received his death blow while in
the City Prison. Officer Rand is certain
that when he took Finnigan from the hos
pital Friday morning the man was not
injured.
Tomorrow morning Officer Rand Will
suggest to Chief Lloyd that the opium
"fends" who shared the cell with Finni-
gan be examined, as he thinks that the
dead man received his fatal injuries in the
cell. This view agrees fully with the tes-
timony of Drs. Fisher and Johnson that
the man could not possibly have lived
eleven hours with his brain and skull in
such a fearful condition as they were in
when lie died.
Chief of Police Lloyd is not at all salts
fed with the verdict of the Coroner's jury
censuring the Police Department in the
case of Finnigan's death. He says
that the fact of the injured man being
taken to the Receiving Hospital first
should relieve the department from all
blame.
"In the face of the evidence that verdict
is not a just one" said the Chief to-day.
1--WE have rule here by which a helpless
drunk is always carefully attended to,
and is always put in a cell where he can be
watched. This is for the purpose of pre-
venting Just such an affair as that of Fin
nigan's. In this case consider we are not
to blame IN the matter, as the man was
taken to the Receiving Hospital first, and
after being declared free from injury, was
sent up here. l presume that the steward
OF the hospital knows his business and it
certainly is not our business to teach him.
The verdlctls Is great surprise TO me, and
do not think 1t is supported by the evil
dence. AS to the story that Finnigan's
skull was cracked in the patrol wagon or
at the Jail, it is all nonsense, as the medi-
cal testimony does not support such
theory"
The prisoners who were in the cell with
tinnlgan say that his bunk was only
few inches from the ground, and had he
fallen out he would not have hurt himself.
They declare that he did not fall from his
bunk, and that he met with no injury
while in the prison.
Night Jaller Swain, who was called in
by prisoner named Kelly to see Finni-
gan, says that as soon as he saw him he
could see that he was dying, and sent for
doctor at once. Swain says that a man
in the condition Finnigan was when he
came to the prison would have been care
fully examined had it not been that he
had been sent up from the hospital.
Steward Victory still declares that Fin
nigan was not injured when he lett the
hospital and says that he must have re-
ceived his injuries later. DIR. johnson is
of the opinion that the in jury was caused
by an instrument of the nature of short
club, and that il Finnigans skull was
cracked when he was injured he could not
have lived so long as he did.
The case Is as much Ola mystery as ever,
and at present both the police and hos
pital rest under the censure of the jury.
End of Murder Story.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 22.-Some ex-
element was caused to- night by a report
received at the City Hall that murder
had been committed on Plymouth avenue.
Sergeant Hodgkins and a posse of police
drove out and found a man with a bleed
ing head lying on the edge of the side
walk. An investigation proved that the in
juIed man and friend had been out for the
evening and had become intoxicated, and
one Frank Mahan had fallen on the side
walk. His condition gave rise to the mur-
der story. Mahan was treated at the Re-
ceiving Hospital, and was then locked up
for drunkenness.
B'nai Birth Election.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 22-Oakland
Lodge B mai B rith held the regular annual
election this afternoon. The following
WSIc tleCteu. IIeSlueut, hdDDl fTleu-
lander; vice president, Julius Cohn; treas
urer, Marcus Jonas; secretary, G. Bern
STEM inside warden, Abe Jonas outside
warden, Jacob Isaacs. The following dele
gates were elected to represent the Oak
land Lodge at the District Grand Lodge,
which meets in San Francisco in January:
George Mosbacher, George Samuels, Max
Marcuse; ]. Kirschner: J. M. Cohen.
Programme for Next Week
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 22.-The ladies'
committee of the exposition met to-day
and completed the musical programmes
for next week. The music will be almost
entirely instrumental. On Christmas day
there will be a Christmas tree, and every
child under six years of age will be given a
present.
Supposed Burglars Arrested.
OAKLAND, CAL, Dec. 22.-The police
arrested two men tonight who are sup
posed to be the burglars who robbed Polk
Gray's cigar-store two weeks ago. They
have been followed for the whole time,
and it is thought that they can also explain
the holding up of the Lorin branch electric
car week ago.
rArr raAD nRE1RKn-r-