The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-29
PLUGGED THE KEYHOLE.
Novel Way in Which a Tenant
Was Turned Out of a
Hotel.
Almost Tried to Commit Suicide
Under the Treatment-Saved
by Friends.

Mrs. Jane Breuner told Justice of the
yesterday about being put out of the Fair
mount Hotel. The story fairly bristled
with all sorts of charges, innuendoes and
hairbreadth escapes. 1t began with the
landlord plugging the keyhole to her door
in the hotel to keep her out, and ended
with her failure to commit suicide. Incl
dentally she charged Collector Jake"
Rauer with being ''rabid Jesuit" and the
cause of most all her trouble.
Mrs. Breuner is the editor of the Free
Lance, Drawn in the Defense of HUI
mainly" 1t is supported by a society that
claims membership of 20O0 souls, accord
ing to Mrs. Breuner. About score of
them were in the courtroom yesterday TO
acquiesce in all she said and did.
Leon e. Jones, ]. V. knight and 81. G..
Jones, proprietors of the hotel, were the
defendants IN the suit for 1898 damages,
and as Attorney Laura de Force Gordon
was looking after the interests OF Mrs.
Breuner they had very lively time of it,
especially as they also had to stand the
fire of the blazing giances and sharp COM
ments of the twenty ladies assembled to
defend the cause OF the Free Lance.
Mrs. Breuner told touching story on
the stand. When she reached the point of
the plugged keyhole and her enforced tax
ing to the street in search of lodging she
broke down and wept. And many of the
ladies present wept In sympathy with her.
81 never paid my room rent in advance, J"
she began. ut was not expected of me.
Frequently went away to the county for
short periods and they saved my room for
me. The last time | went to Santa Rosa
Tin March) they did that. In the latter
part of that month they handed me bill
for $21 %. I paid $40 on account and re-
manned till they shut me out.
April 6 they handed me another bill.
A few days later when / came home
found the keyhole of my door plugged up.
The eallboy could not explain the matter
so | sent for Mr.. Jones. He said the door
was ordered closed till l paid my bill.
They were stubborn and insisted, and
would not return me even my toilet arti-
cles or allow me TO enter the room.
81 was in dreadful state of mind. At
first wanted to Jump in the bay and end
it all. ] went out on the street not know
ing what to do, for / did not have enough
money TO pay for room. Finally. Mrs.
knight offered to share her bed with me.
If she hadn't / don't know to what desper-
ate straits should have been driven, and
tlc WltueSS. ONeTCOIuc ny ueI cLllOltOuS,
began to cry softly.
On cross-examination Mrs Breuner testi-
fed that the man who had charge of her
money ran away some time ago, and that
she intended having him arrested as soon
as she could get track of him. She esti-
mated that her effects in the room outside
of her clothes were worth at least $500.
When her room was locked on April 10 she
owed the hotel people So, SO she figured
out. When, why or how Jake" Rauer
became a stanch Jesuit and started to
prosecute her she was not permitted to say,
as it had nothing to do with the case from
a legal point of view. Rauer stood by
with broad grin on his face while she
was making her roundabout charges. He
has had number of bills to collect against
her, and every time they meet some sort
of trouble ensues.
Mrs. Virginia Holmes, tenant in the
Oriel Hotel, told of meeting Mrs. Breuner
on Mission street the evening the keyhole
in the door was plugged. Mrs. Breuner
wanted to go home with her, but Mrs.
Holmes demurred because her bed was too
small.
A lot of the other ladies will express their
views on the case this morning. Then
Messrs. Jones and Knight will have a
chance to explain why they plugged the
keyhole in the door.