The San Francisco call., 1897-07-26
WEST OAKLAND
GANGS AGAIN
Their Fate Will Be Decided
by Those Now Under
Arrest.
Restaurant Men Are Innooently
Making Thieves Of
Boys.
One Nights Show at the Exposition
That Did Not Add to It's
Dignity.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL, |

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANCISCO CALI
90S Broadway, July %.
After two years of immunity from the
brutal work Of the West Oakland gangs"
some OF the members have concluded that
they have been quiet long enough, and
during the past few weeks have broken
out afresh. A few weeks ago they wrecked
a restaurant, and q few nights ago they
broke into house and assaulted woman.
Some years ago these miscreants. who
boasted OF manning police officer at
least once a month, relied on their myste-
rious pulp for getting clear in the Police
Court. This pull did not reach the bench,
but it left the Judge powerless. 1t was
exerted 10 induce witnesses to leave the
city when wanted, and thus cripple the
police for lack of prosecution. After
while this pull disappeared, and several of
the young criminals spent terms in Jail,
and the gangs were completely broken
up.
two things. They must either believe
that the pull is revived or that the Of
ficials are weakening. Probably neither
inference is true, but the members of the
gang who are not under arrest have
openly stated that they are carefully
watching the progress OF the cases now in
court and that their future actions will be
guided by the result. This is rather q
bold threat and its meaning cannot be
mistaken.
There is another view of this question to
be taken. Recently a territory one-third
of the sze of the old city was added to
the district over which Chief Lloyd is
sworn to preserve order, but he has not
been given a single extra man by the Com
missioners.
This leaves large territory totally un-
| protected, because the numerous deputy
sheriffs that formerly guarded the place
in the new territory have no longer any
jurisdiction. This condition of affairs
adds greatly to the responsibilitv of the
Police Court, for if these gangs" be not
punished as they deserve they will cer-
tainly increase, and outlawry Will prevail
TO an alarming extent in the unprotected
territory.
The men who owr the newspaper routes
in this city have discovered that they
have q common grievance. Unwittingly,
they believ-. the proprietors OF restau-
rants and saloons are encouraging young
boys to steal. In a city where there are
so many residence sections as in Oakland
the newspaper carriers would lose small
fortune in time if they were required 10
scrbers that are sometimes fifty feet from
the street. Knowing this, the subscribers
are quite willing to have their papers
! thrown on their lawns or on their door
steps. OF course this system offers great
| field for petty thievery, for boy who can
| steal dozen papers can make living by
| theft. 1t has recently been learned that
many restaurant-keepers will give stale
| pie or loaf for a daily paper, and such
| practice soon becomes known among the
! small boys of the city.
| This has grown TO such an extent that
| there are restaurants that take half a
| dozen papers a day from the boys, wing
them in return pastry that would other.
! wise be thrown away. 1t is hard mat
ter to rectify, for when a hungry-looking
! boy asks for u cake for paper the restau-
rant man feels that he is doing kindness
| by complying.
| There is another side to be considered,
however, and that is the subscri ber's view
OF il. After paying fo- pa per he expects
to receive il, yet many miss it daily be-
cause OF ,hef,s. There is now lad in the
City Prison charged with burglary who
! used to deliver newspap pers, and he stated
| that he was first led to crime because he
| found out that by selling some of the
newspapers he should have delivered he
could acd 10 his pocket money. Route
| agents declare that this evil has now
| reached point where puolic attention
| should be called TO it.
If there had been some arrests at the
Exposition last Friday night great m any
people would not have been surprised.
There we're children on the stage giving "a
public entertainment" in the strictest
Interpretation of the term-younger and
more ba by looking than many who have
caused BILE to theatrical managers. A
| eoody part Of the large audience enjoyed
| the performance, but many did not. To
| see dozens of short-skirted little tots,
averaging from 6 to II years, high-kicking
before an audience of 1000 people Is not
| calculated to make these little maidens
models OF propriety and modesty when
| they are ten years older. One little lady
| did rot appear TO be more tn an or 5years
old, and did not have enough strength to
| hold her hands overhead as long as the
Others, but continually allowed them to
| drop exhausted by her side. The exhibit
| ton might have been all right at a family
gathering, but at county industrial ex-
position it was certainly an undesirable
| innovation STUART w. BOOTH.