The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-25
AID editor SHOT
BY A FOOTPAD,
WALTER P. BLAKE OF THE STOcK-
TON INDEPENDENT STOPS
A BULLET.
IS DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED.
THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED AT
MIDNIGHT NEAR THE PAL
ACE HOTEL.
IS DANGEROUSLY WOUNDED

ously wounded, but will probably recover.
The wounded man has been acting as
the Stockton correspondent of the Ex-
amlner. He came to this city yesterday
morning with his wife to spend the day.
lie intended to return to Stockton yester-
DAY afternoon, but at the last moment
decided to remain here day longer
| Wishing to see some of his old friends
and to consult the telegraph editor on the
Examiner on business, he left his wife at
the Grand Hotel, where they had rooms,
and went to the editorial rooms of that
paper on Mission street. About II 40
o'clock he started to return to his hotel.
He crossed Mission street and entered
the alley leading from Mission to Market
and running along the west side of the
Palace Hotel.
The alley was dark and apparently de-
serted, and he struck up brisk walk. He
had just passed little byway known as
Lick alley when a man, who had been
crouching in the shadow of the fence.
leaped out with a pistol in his hand, cry
ing:
| Throw up your hands,"
Blake obeyed. Both hands went up i'm
mediately, and in the second that they did
SO he observed that the footpad was a
short, thick-set man with long coat.
Blake had no time to see more. When
his hands went up heavy walking-stick
that he carried in his right hand went up
In the air too. Then it came down with a
swish and thud on the surprised foot
pads head, knocking off his hat.
The journalist did not stop to see the
effect of his blow. Quick as a flash he
turned and ran toward Market street, call
| ing for help.
He only ran a few feet. The footpad
called once for him to stop and then fred
one shot. 1t was enough. The bullet
struck the fleeing man just above the hip
and he fell in heap on the sidewalk.
1t was then the footpad's turn to run.
He started down the alley TO Mission street.
| leaving his hat where it had fallen AS he
turned toward Second street he was seen
by Peter Dalton of II Elizabeth street.
who, hearing the shot, had just come out
of restaurant
Dalton says that he tried to stop the
footpad, but the man eluded him and ran
down Second street toward Howard. He
describes the man as being about five feet.
six inches tall, heavy set, with a sandy
|
30 years of age. He could tell nothing
about his clothes.
number of people heard the shot. But
most of them expected to hear a second
report and thought it would be safer to
wait till the trouble was over before ap-
| pearing on the scene. AT last they ven
tured out and Blake was discovered lying
CT the sidewalk groaning.
| He was carried to the hotel and I'M
dressed. 1t was then found that the bullet
had entered the back on the left side
little above the hip. AS he was running.
the ball glanced upward making hole in
the skin about three inches above and to
| the left of the navel. Although the skin
was punctured the bullet remained i'm
bedded in the body.
! A DIR. Brooks, who was stopping at the
hotel, did what he could. He had no in
struments for probing, and search was at
once made for surgeon. A dozen tel
ephone messages failed to gain a single
response.
Finally DIR. J. e. Noble was reached. He
! made hurried examination and found
the bullet lodged just beneath the skin.
1t was easily removed and showed that
| the pistol used was of 3S-caliber. No at
tempt was made by either of the surgeons
| to probe or wash the interior of the wound.
1t is not definitely known, therefore.
whether the abdominal cavity was pene-
trated or not.
Ii it has penetrated the wound is a
dangerous one and might prove fatal.
The doctors think that owing to the pc
cullar position in which Blake was running
the bullet passed only along and through
the muscular wall of the side without pen
etrating. Such wound will be painful for
some time.
Walter P. Blake is well-known as
newspaper man throughout the entire
Pacific Coast He has worked at San
Diego, Fresno and other southern cities.
In the Northwest country and in this CITY
he has also been employed, and has won
many friends by his talents and genial dis
position.
For the past six months he has been liy-
ing in Stockton with his wife and three
children.
Blake bore the suffering caused BY his
wound with great fortitude. He was un-
able to give description of his assailant
other that he was short thick-set man
and had pistol.
lie had no idea he would be shot. His
idea in striking the man, he explained,
was to confuse him. He thought the fell
low would be afraid to follow or do any
thing desperate while within only few
hundred feet of Market street and the
largest hotel in the city
Dalton, the man who says he saw the
robber run away, was sent to the Southern
police station. There he told his story
again. The description given of the foot
pad will be of little value, as it will fit
thousands of men.
William Zeigler and Harry Mullen
were arrested about 2:3O o'clock this
morning by Policemen Ryan and Tuite
on suspicion of being the footpads who
shot Blake. Mullen answers the descrip-
ton of the man seen by Dalton.
| Accused of Burglary.
| David Nelson is charged with having stolen
an overcoat from Joseph Roseleafs room on