The San Francisco call., 1897-02-20
ROUTED THE FOE
Z WITH A CROSS-CU7.
49,"
An Armed Band Surprises
Three Dupont Street
e. Watchmen.
The Attacking Force Quickly
Removes an Alleged En-.
croachment.
Ii Was All About Three Feet of
Frontage in Dispute-IDjunc-
90. tions Issued.

. A dispute over three feet of frontage
yesterday suggested revival OF early day
scenes in San Francisco, when land claims
were settled by the shotgun ana bludgeon.
:. Just. around the northern corner OF
MONTGOMERY avenue and Dupont street l.
Merle is the owner of II: feet frontage,
with depth of 60 IS feet. Adjoining this
lot on the north is a piece Of property
owned by Y. Bocca, with frontage of 40
feet. with an equal depth to that OF
T. Merles:
. The odd three feet of land on Merles
lot have been d bone OF contention be-
Eeeen those two neighbors for years, but
s. iaasmuch as both had houses built on
AIas lots nothing was done to settle this
dispute in a court of equity until yester-
day, when per force the machinery of the
law was set in motion.
This action, however, had been precipi-
tated by q scene enacted at an early hour
IN the morning by two armed bodies of
fgnung men coming together.
This scene was brought about by Merle
tearing down the old shanty which stood
on the lot preparatory 10 putting up a
better building. AS soon as the walls of
this building had been removed Bocca
conceived the idea of taking possession of
what he claimed were his three feet of
property. In order to do so he bored sew
eral holes in the dividing wall and ran
heavy tim bers through from his side out
into the vacant lot of Merle. Upon those
tim bers he placed studding, fastening the
same to the side of his house at a higher
elevation. Having done this during the
night time he placed three trusty watch
men in charge with instructions to hold
The fort at all hazards.
90 This coup etat was communicated to
Merle, who at once sought the advice of
his lawyer a. Ruef who instructed him
TO remove anv and ali distractions from
his side OF the Bocca wall. This was ad-
vice easier to give than 10 execute, as both
the owner and the lawyer found out when
they brought their workmen to tie scene.
The presence OF three determined men was
anything but inviting to a man who had
no interest in real estate disputes.
q Thus Bocca succ eded for the present in
holding his antagonist at bay, but his vic.
tory was of brief duration for Yesterday
morning at 4 O'Clock, in q pelting rain
storm, about twenty men whose names or
residences were not given to the public ap-
peared on the scene with crosscut saws
sledge-hammers and something else under
their coats similar to what the police find
in their raids in Chinatown when the
highbinders are out on one OF their festi-
val trips.
+ The appearance of this brigade was too
much for Bocca's watchmen, and as q
wise precaution they went in out OF the
rain while the studding and tim bers were
being removed. In the meantime Attor-
ney Ruef had papers prepared, and al 10
o'clock Judge Seawen issued iniunctions
against all parties until such time as the
dispute over the property is settled in
court:
The Sheriff lost no time in serving the
papers on Bocca, after which Merle with.
drew his force and quiet has been tenn.
porarily restored.