The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-02-06
WAR WAGED ON WHEELS,
Bicycles and Bicyclists in the
Tight Clutches of the
Law.
TWENTY-0NE LADS ARRESTED.
Initial Effort by the Police to En-.
force the New Bicycle Ordi.
nance.
TWENTY-oNE LADS ARRESTED

state or boiling indignation. Last night
no less than twenty-one of them were cut
short in the midst of their whizzing career
and cast into prison by the hard hearted
mlnlons of the law. Twenty-one free
American citizens they were, and they pro-
tested loudly as they gave in their names
f. P. Molloy, G. w. Hicks. H. Mailman,
William Neal, w. H. mack, Alfred Coutre
Alfred Ehmenn, Emil Languetin, ]. S.
Brown, Albert Arens. Louis Adler, T. W.
Boyd, Archibald Reid, ]. T. Whelan, E. E.
BURNER, S. Bergstein, ]. Utschig, G. W.
Thomas, Richard l.. Radke and Z. Loudeck
were the unfortunates. They were ar
rested at various times during the after
uoon and e1ening, the majority being
taken in after nightfall.
Captain Gillin Of the Seventeenth-street
police station was kept busy entering the
names OF his unwilling guests on the regis
ter, while little by little the station COM
menced to take on the appearance of a
bicycle warehouse. Twenty-one wheels"
of various makes and differing degrees of
excellence, each machine tagged with a
card bearing its riders name, were dis
tributed over the floor of the station
house In each case the wheeler was
caught on the run and the wheel
was invariably taken into custody as we'll,
to be held as evidence. the officers said.
The wheels, in fact, Jared worse than the
wheelers, seeing that the latter, for the
most part, succeeded in obtaining their
release on the payment of $50 cash ball.
while the machines were in every instance
held tight in the unrelenting clutch OF the
law. in which clutch they still remain.
"Did you get that $50 YETI" asked boy
ish voice, and beardless face appeared at
the tiny wicket in one of the cells. Young
Loudeck had caught sight of a friend
whom he had sent to his home for the
cash requisite to secure his liberation.
"rhe folks were out spending the even
ing" answered the friend, whereat Lou
decks countenance fell; "but l guess
they'll be back soon. / left note for
them"
ITS a shame, anyhow" excla lined
Loudeck. READY to cry with vexation. ~
was creeping along as slow as could be,
and the cop was hiding behind tree and
Jump me as / passed him."
From another cell came wailing duet,
also in bovish cadence, from the sweater
muffied Threats of Masters Arens and
Phelan.
Are we going to stay here all night, 1
should like to know?" inquired Phelan,
with groan.
"I'm sure 1 don't know" responded
Arens in a tone no less lugubrious.
Never mind, boys" ehimed in Arens
Dr., VINO SlOOu OUTSIDE Ine WlCheI duLllDlS-
tering what consolation he could to his son
in bonds.
eff Judge Campbell doesn't release you
soon L II bail you out, never fear
This ray of hope seemed to comfort the
boys, who resigned themselves TO the cir
cumstances as gracefully as they could.
The officers state that they are able to
prove a manifest violation of the bicycle
ordinance in each case. Either the boys
were riding too fast or neglected to ring
their bells when crossing points at the in
tersection OF streets, so the officers claim,
and an interesting scene in court is an
ticipated when the offenders come up for
trial.
singled out by the police as easy game,
since a man can be arrested on bicycle
with the greatest facility by merely upset
ting his equilibrium, and, as one boy in
boomers remarked pithily, 1.-The more
men they pulls in the better their
chances is.
Others claimed that the California
Wheelmen's Club is the special object of
the policemen's prosecuting zeal. At all
events the devotees of the wheel are in
volved in a test case. which will serve as a
precedent for the future.
One young man, who was arrested, COM
plains of his treatment at the Seventeenth
street police station. He says that al
cell by an officer who cursed him in q rude
way. He said: II asked for permission
to telephone to my employer so that l
might explain the cause of my delay, but
this favor was refused; my request being
greeted with derisiye taunts. They also
refused to let me send messenger to my
friends so that | could get BAIL"