The San Francisco call., 1896-09-09
At Dark the Dwelling Was
There, and at Daylight 1t
Was Gone.
NOT a STICK LEFT STANDING.
Residents About the Corner of Larkin
and Greenwich Streets Hear
Strange Noises.

Residents of the section about the juno
ton of Greenwich and Larkin streets
whose windows look out on the southwest
corner of the thoroughfares mentioned
III bbed their eyes when they first took a
peep at the weather yesterday morning
and then looked again to see that they
were not dreaming.
A lot that at dark Monday night had
contained substantial story and a half
dwelling-house was empty. There was
nothing but broken foundations and few
piles of broken plaster to show where the
structure had stood.
While the matter was being talked of in
the neighborhood five teams of horses
drawing heavy lumber wagons containing
ropes, pulleys and a gang of workmen
drove up and the same look of astonish-
ment that had overspread the faces of the
neighbors was apparent on their counte-
nances.
They left after contemplating the place
while and assuring themselves that the
lot was the one they had been looking for.
An hour later an excited man drove up in a
buggy, looked at the barren place where the
building had stood, said few words more
torcible than elegant, made few inquiries
and then left in disgust.
During these visits the boys of the
neighborhood stood and looked wise and
innocent, and only exchanged grins when
the visitors were out of sight.
The key of the mysterious disappear
ance OF the dwelling was that 1t had been
stolen pieCemeal to the last timber during
the hours between 8 o'clock on Monday
evening and 3 o'clock yesterday morning,
and many family in the neighborhood
will revel IN free wood and kindlng for
months to come.
The building belonged to a wealthy
young woman named Miss Loveland, who
lives in Alameda. Some time ago she
was notified by the Board of Health. on
the report of the inspector, that she must
improve the sanitation of the place, the
plumbing not being OF the most modern
kind. Miss Loveland did not wait, as the
owners of Chinatown buildings did, until
the board took the matter in a serious
light but at once decided that it would be
cheaper to tear down the building. and
she accordingly notified her tenants, a
family named Duffy, to be out by the 1st
inst.
Then the agents were instructed to sell
the building to be removed. The firm of
contractors that secured the dwelling
began work on Monday, and by night had
taken away portion of the roof.
The lads about the neighborhood, ever
on the lookout for stray bits of lumber
suitable for hrewood, looked on with long
Ing eyes. The men left about O'Clock
taking with them in wagons the lumber
that had been removed, intending to finish
the demolition the next day, but they
never saw another stick of the timber that
had been used in the construction of that
house.
Shortly after dark boys with ropes in
their hands and under their coats began
to gather in the neighborhood, and by g
O'Clock q big crowd had gathered. Then,
as if by prearranged plan, an attack was
made on the place that only ceased when
the last lath ahd weather boarding had
been hidden away for the winters supply
OF kindling.
Many of the neigh hbors heard the racket
as the boards were torn noisily from the
rafters or when the heavy beams fell
with crash, but experience has taught
them that in that locality it is as well to
say nothing and look wIse unless your
own property be attacked, and they said
never a word, even when the loud voices
OF the boys as they fought over choice
bits of lumber kept them awake until
O'Clock. The gang that first began opera
tions on the house did not number over
twenty to twenty-five members, but the
news Of the raid spread until men and
boys from several blocks distant ioined in
the loot and the crack of breaking boards
became almost continuous
Thus 1t was that when the contractors
employees returned yesterday they found
their occupation gone and not even
lath in sight.
What the blue-coated guardian of the
peace whose beat covers that neighbor-
hood was doing while the house was be-
ing wrecked and carted away has not as
yet developed, but it is presumed that he
must have had an engagement in some
portion of his domain that destroyed his
sense of hearing.