The San Francisco call., 1897-03-09
CLEVER CAPTURE
: OF A BURGLAR
Used a Rope to Gain an
Entrance Through the
Skylight.
Opportune Arrival of the Shin
Santa Clara From
Newcastle.
Very Hard Luck of the British Ship
SilbarhOrn While en- Her Way
to Victoria.

Peter Wilson, negro burglar whom the
water front police have been searching for,
is at last in custody. He has been in the
habit OF letting himself down through the
skylght of James Murray's place on
Washington street by rope and taking
everything his hands could lay on.
Sunday last Murray had occasion to
visit his office, and ne found Wilson at
work and at once gave the alarm. Officers
Mahoney and Hall were soon on the scene
and placed the negro under arrest. He
made his entrance by rope fastened to
the s&yIight)and being a sailor had no diff
kculty in getting out of the window again.
Among the few arrivals yesterday was
the American ship Santa Clara. She
made the run from Newcastle, n. S. W.,
IN seventy-hve days, but the captain is not
at all elated over the performance. She
brings cargo OF coal for the Alaska
Packers' Association, and that concern is
very anxious to get it landed and the ship
ready for trip 10, Alaskan waters with
cannery supplies. The santa Clara left
Newcastle on Decem ber "a and had moth
ing but light and battling winds from
Australia 10 port
J. h. Wilson, who stabbed Oscar Mel
drum IN saloon on San Bruno road, was
arrested on the water front yesterday
afternoon. Meldrum was stabbed seven
times, but none of the wounds were con-
sidered dangerous. except one in the ab-
domen. he is doing well at the City and
County Hospital, and the physicians
think he will be all right in few days.
Yesterday afternoon Detective Cody and
Stenogr pher Heyne man went to the hos
pital and took Meldrum's statement,
which is as follows:
Nv paroa - n-oor
% years OF age, born in the county of Dur
ham, England. l have been here six years
and am master mariner.
We closed up the saloon Golden City House.
san Bruno road-Mrs. Wilson and l. l am a
barkeeper there, and old man wilson COM
menced to growl about my making mischief
with his wife. He called me out in the yard
and we had words and we came in the ki tchen
again, had more words, and we came to blows.
The first thing l knew 1 wa cut. Captain
wilson did the cutting. l went out on the
porch TO put out The light This was ABOUT 10
o'clock. While l was doing this Wilson went
10 the till, and Mrs. Wilson's son told me he
(Wilson) took 30 cents, and told Mrs. Wilson.
She then told her husband TO ''get OUT and
he Went out locked the door and we went
back to the kitchen and sat down with the
daughter Florence eating supper.
Wilson then came to the side window and
knocked, and Mrs. Wilson told him to go
away and go home. Instead OF doing SO he
came to side gate and raised up my window
and came through 10 the kitcnen-door and
broke the screen off the door, inserted his
< hand 21ad- pulled back the bolt, and then we
had the trouble as stated.
The Merchants Exchange reporter at
Meiggs wharf reported yesterday that a
raft of creosoted tim Der as picked up this
morning near Point Bonita by the Fort
Point life-saving crew, and while endeav-
oring to tow it back into the harbor a
heavy sea struck it and sent it on the
rocks near Fort Point, where the life
saving crew are now taking care of it. 1t
11 Nd Ixrth ha SoT1 Eran ri IFlr1 1har
preserving Company.
The British ship Silberhorn, previously
reported, had rough experience She
was on her way from Liverpool to Victo-
ria, B. c., and in a gale lost suit of sails,
had her compasses deranged, her steering
gear damaged and the high and low
bridges carried away. Three of the crew
were washed overheard and drowned. and
finally the vessel had to put into Barry
1or repairs