The San Francisco call., 1897-08-28
NATIONAL
CLUB MEN
CRILLED
Ticket-HoIders Forced to
Stand and Wait for
Weary Hours.
-: MANY FiIYTED In THE CRUSH.
:
@
Awful Scenes Witnessed at the
Fight Between Green and
Walcott.
GIBBS AID GROOM TRY EVASION.
=. Blundering Bxpedients of the Police.
0'Rourke and Green's Father
2. Blamed by the Club,
GIBBS AID GROOM TRY EVASION.
Blundering Expedients of the Police
0'Rourke and Green's Father
Blamed by the Club,

So far as the admittance of ticket-hold-
ers to Woodward's Pavilion Thursday
evening was concerned, there might have
been affairs of the kind more mlsman-
aged, and for that matter there may be In
the future, but veterans of the physical
culture arena-men that would rather
go without a good, square meal than TO
miss a tight-say it is hard to realize it.
Except those who were the first at The
bcx-otfice, not man can be found who
does not lit up his voice in naughty
words both loud and deep at The treatment
. be received.
. Early in the evening, long before the
box office was opened for business, Valen-
cia street, in front of the pavilion, was
crowded with surging, jostling mass OF
humanity. AS time wore on, the crowd
increased in volume until it became dan
gerous for the streetcars to pass through
it. In order to give due warning, grip
men would begin TO clang their bells
block away, and kept up the changing un-
til they were on the other side of the
struggling mass. Each time the crowd
stepped back some one would get jammed
into a tight place and curse so loud that
trance to the pavilion would shut down
the windows and draw back either in
alright or in shame at the language they
had Eeard.
Immediately around the doors the jam
was something fearful. Those who got in
there could neither get forward nor back
ward and were forced to take their medi-
cine, no matter how bitter the dose. Sew
me-
those who were with them saved them
from doing so only by letting them get
near the wall and interpoSlng their bodies
a a sort of shield. There were one or
TWO cases where men actually tainted and
had to be borne from the crowd by those
near and to get out with the sufferers
they had to use their fists and strike every
one that was in the way.
An artist on ore of the morning papers
was handled so roughly that he grew
deathly sick and tried to back out the way
he mad gone into the crowd. He failed to
do it, and would have iallen to the ground
ii the bodies OF those around him had not
held him on mis- feet. In some way or
other-he cannot explain how-he found
himself in q place where he could get
enough air into his lungs to give him d
little strength, and from that moment
fought like a madman to extricate him
sell from the crowd. He succeeded, and
recover from the effects of the treatment
he had received, remarkng as he did it
that all the gold in the Klondike could
not tempt him 10 go through that ordeal
again.
The police showed themselves almost as
helpless as babes at the ODDS against
which they struggled. In the first place
there were not one-fourth as many men
detailed on the doors as there should
have been. CORPORAL Shanahan had been
place in immediate charge OF the three
e or tour men there, but fouLd that he was
powerless. When they got tired out aud
wanted u respite from the struggle to hold
the mob back they adopted the simple
and effective eXpedient-so far as saving
themselves was concerned of closing
the doors of the pavilion and waiting until
they we're rested before they opened them
again.
This only made matters ten times worse.
for the mob was constantly augmenting,
and there was then absolutely nothing to
relieve the strain at the door by letting
the worst sufferers tTickle in and others
take their places. AS il was, those who
happened 10 be nearest to the doors when
they were closed had TO stand the i'm
mense pressure OF those who were behind
them until the doors were reopened and
they could get in.
Even Chief Lees had his coat nearly
torn to pieces in effecting an entrance.
Why he did no: send for a large enough
detail to clear the entrance when he
got in is a mystery. Chief Lees has the
reputation OF never divulging anything
be can help, anyhow.
If a Gordon of police had been on hand
early In the evening and as the ticket
holders came made taem form in file and
take their turn all The crush would have
been avoided. This was done with signal
D.
nights of the Fitzsimmons-Sharkey and
the Dixon Hawkins fights.
Another blundering expedient tried was
TO send Tor patrol wagon and run it
through the crowd to the tune of bell
The wagon could not get on the sidewalk
and the only effect its appearance on the
scene had was 20 make many who were
standing at the edge OF the curb try tc get
on the Sidewalk.
They did so In many cases, and thus
increased the jam at the door. Many who
found themselves unable to do this on ac-
count OF the compact mass turned and
fed across the street. The wagon was by
that time directly upon them, and in one
case a man was knocked down by the
horses attached to the patrol wagon. He
would have been tramp!ed to death and
his body mangled beneath the wheels Of
the wagon if it had not been for the fore
thought of q man near, who grabbed him
by the heels and dragged him to one side.
The man sustained severe bruise on his
head, and his hand was badly cut by the
horses sharp-toed shos. He refused to
give his name.
Many of those who had bought seats
costing the Severe forced to stand
outside and wait almost until the minute
thet men entered the ring before they
could effect an entrance. Manager Glbos
stated yesterday that slips for seats to the
number of nine were missing and this can
be pretty safely taken TO mean that nine
men, eager though they were to see the
fights, grew disgusted at the treatment
they we're receiving and went home before
the event of the evening occurred.
Messrs. Gibbs and Groom are both
pretty sore at the remarks made about