The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17
ON THE HILL SLOPE.
Chances at the Pictures que Com
munity Which Gave the New
Horror,

The broad, shelly ing western slope ol
Telegraph Hill is the scene. of this new
horror. The devil seems to have taken il
for a playground. Yesterday it basked
under soft Italian sky.
From the top of this hill one might for
get what spreads around his feet, look
across the CLASSY bay, see the green hills
rise in soft beauty through the haze, ca tch
the charm of the glittering waters outside
the Golden Gate, let his eyes sweep west
ward and southwark to other hills that
displayed charming palaces and gardens,
and then imagine this boldly obtrusive
eminence changed into one OF the most
famous and delightful regions of the City
clothed in the beauty of parks, gardens,
boulevards and charming homes. Years
may bring about such a tran sformation,
but that is not the picture now.
This section of the City is peculiar and
picturesque, and SO is society there. There
is something in the social and moral con-
ditions of that community, out OF which
this wickedness has developed. Perhaps
it is money that in the last analysis
largely makes Pacific avenue cleaner in all
ways than Telegraph Hill. Poverty
claims the mound from peak to base.
A CALL man strolled among the cOsmo-
politan people and dirty populous streets
and alleys yesterday, talking with people
here and there. He found both intense
indignation at the crimes brought to tight
and stupid indifference among the people.
Nowhere in the City are Lane and the
others arrested with him denounced more
neighboring streets where decent business
men and sturdy, honest labOrers of foreign
extraction discuss the affair. There is no
serious talk OF lynching, of course, but a
thousand times day over there around
Telegraph Hill and the neighborhood of
North Beach men declare that lyhching
would be too good.
II tell you I like to be father of one such
little girl" said young fruit-dealer as he
banged the bar in corner grocery saloon
with his fist. II take him in pieces, no
matter where he be. No trouble, no jury.
This town need such excitement"
That mans talk was typical of what can
be heard at any hour along Dupont street,
north of Broadway.
Nothing seems to be heard from any OF
the parents. They are all poor, it is said,
les about the parents of this and that little
girl to the effect that they are drunk ALT
time and don't care anyhow. That, of
course, is the case with but few of them.
One hears that some of them were glad to
have their little girls bring home two-bit
pieces and nice little things now and then.
Officer Flannelly came strolling down
Dupont street, and stopped to answer a
few questions. "No, haven't heard a
word from any of the parents" he said,
t'nor much from anybody, because people
up here won't talk to apolice officer. You
see we are often going after little girls and
all sorts of people, and there is a general
hostility and suspicion among the people
so far as policemen are concerned. Did YOU
I've ohN,rf 1~oSc
getting the little Christensen girl? Rourke
went up there to her house on Union street,
above Dupont, and the mother didn I
make any objection to his taking the little
girl away. l understand that she is little
'nutty, but the girls big brother, who is a