The San Francisco call., 1896-08-08

dinary bail of $100 on each charge.
Some grapevine telegraph line soon con-
veyed the information of what had been
done to the yellow "knockery," and at a
little after P. NJ. Mr.. Neagle appeared at
the Central Police Station, accompanied
by an assistant claims attorney of the
Southern Pacific Company, formally sur
was released. The case will probably be
set for trial to-day.
This will be an unusually interesting
Police Court case. 1t is chuck full OF
human characters and human life and the
ways of this queer world.
Mr.. Collins it will be remembered by
most people, is the man who was for years
Southern Pacific machinist in Arizona,
who after his discharge suffered long
series of troubles, sicknesses and indigni-
ties because, Justly or unjustly, he asked
consideration at the hands of the railroad.
Mr.. Collins tried vainly to get an audience
with II. e. Huntington, the railroad mag
nate and the confidential nephew of a
greater magnate. He failed, and while
selling razor-paste on the sidewalk in front
of the big railroad building Mr.. Hunting
ton came along and nodded, perhaps fear
fully, perhaps good-naturedly, to Collins.
The emboIdened Collins accosted Hunting
ton peaceably and with arms folded,
stating what he believed to be his claims
and his wrongs.
1t is the way of the world and of the law
that one man, though stranger, may at
least accost another man. The man ac-
costed may, if he choose, not listen and
walk peaceably and carelessly and even
contemptuously on, having no grievance
unless the accosting stranger follows and
becomes annoying or aggressive.
1t is not yet in evidence that Collins,
the razor-paste man, was aggressive or
threatening. Perhaps Mr.. Huntington
really was slightly annoyed.
But then this case is wholly different
from otherwise similar ones that occur be-
tween ordinary citizens every day in the
street. Mr.. Huntington is his uncle
nephew and big man himself with q
neat rosewood desk in a big corner
room, and Mr.. Collins. who may or may
not be a somewhat foolish man, sells razor
| paste now for living.
Then Mr.. Huntington happened to be
accompanied by David Neagle, the man
who numbers the late Judge Terry among
his slain. 1t is not every man who can
have Dave at his side when he is annoyed
by some fellow accostlng him on the street
| But Mr.. Neagle was there, and, according
| to all the stories yet told, he just grabbed
the fool Collins by the collar and by an
other firmly displaced part of his clothing
and threw him around vigorously and
! hurled him In the direction OF down street.
Then, it is said by Collins and all the
witnesses who have yet told their stories.
the shotgun messenger and mining
camp Deputy Sheriff seized Col
| Inns by the throat with one hand. while
with the other he bumped the Collins
head vigorously against the granite silis
| of the big knockery close at hand. Then
Collins was physically spurned with the
| threat that he would get killed if he came
around there again bothering railroad
people.
Now all this might not have made Mr..
Collins famous if Editor Barry of the Star
had not roasted" Neagle somewhat as be
roasted Neagle when Terry was killed,
and if Neagle had not met the intrepid
Barry on Montgomery street and with his
hand very meaningly on his gun warned
Mr.. Barry not to do it again. Neagle
practically threatened Barry's life if
further criticism was INDUCED in.
This last exploit of the bad gunfghter
from Arizona has proved too much for
some people who believe that David
Neagle is not wholly entitled to immunity
from criticism for his deeds as bodyguard
to railroad magnates, and Neagle's prose-
cution for his assault on Collins is the
peaceable form in which their indignation
has finally found vent.