The San Francisco call., 1898-10-27
JACKSONVILLE
 IS RIPE FOR
 A LYNCH|NG The Town Terrorized by Roughs. MANY VILLAINOUS CRIMES WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT PACKED ON THE STREETS Carnes Held for Trial Before the su- perior Court for the Abduc-
 tion of Edna
 Osborn.
MANY vILLAINoUS CRIMES
WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT PACKED ON THE STREETS
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WATSONVILLE, Oct. 26.-Something in the shape of a man at the end of a rope Is liable to drop in this unusually quiet and orderly city if the fathers of families can lay their hands on the man or men who are terrorizing their children. This state of mind has been brought about, not alone by the Osborn abduction case, but by the scandalous acts of several men who have thus far escaped apprehension.
 Watsonville has been unfortunate in her prosperity this year. The fact that comparatively good crops were raised here and that drought prevailed in the adjoining and southern counties at tracted a floating population that could well have been spared. This class of people is still here in large numbers, and is composed of Slavo- nians and half-caste Portuguese and Mexicans. They are in many cases degenerates, have little respect for law and do not comprehend the meaning of the word morality As a conse- quence, since the gathering of the har- vest began several scandalous acts nave been committed, the perpetrators of which the law officers have been un-
 
 Hugger" here, who walks up behind women on the side streets in the even ing and embraces them in a most amor ous manner. There have been five such cases in week, and in one in stance married woman was forcibIy embraced while her husband was a half block away, talking to friend on the sidewalk.
 Another case is reported where a man In broad daylight on a side street walked up behind a young woman and after taking shocking liberties with her ran away and has not been appre- hended.
 There is still another scoundreI in this city who shocks decency by his ac> TonS The latest announcement which adds to the anger of the men of Wat sonVlIle IS that the daughter of A. w. f eII' a photographer, was pursued by an unknown man for several blocks and fast running only saved her from the clutches of the miscreant She could not reach her home, but ran into the house of a neighbor, being followed to the gate by her pursuer. The young woman was too frightened to tell her experience promptly and the fellow es- caped, notwithstanding the man of the house went after him with a gun.
 mere IS an undercurrent of feeling nere In consequence of these outrages 1iAdl pOueS no SOOQ TOT the perpetrators II was publicly stated on the streets to- day by prominent citizens that if they succeed in catching the men who are committing these acts and are confident or their guilt there will be no expense to the county except that of a Coroner's inquest. This sentiment is not con hned to the younger men of the com mun1ty, but to those of mature years. who are the fathers of families
 The fact that Fred Carnes one of the men charged with the abduction of Edna Osborn, was held to answer to- day before the Superior Court on charge of felony may put a check to this kind of outlawry, and it will be well for somebody if it does The pre- liminary examination of Romero and Carnes in the abduction case was held to-day before Judge Yoacham. Public interest in the case was so great that the courtroom could not accommodate the people, the Mexican element being largely in the majority. The testimony presented was a repetition of what has appeared in The Call.
 The facts that landed Carnes in the tolls of the Superior Court were the finding of his weight tag from the sr1 gar company in the seat of the stolen buggy, a lock of the girls hair the tracing of the tracks of the vehicle to the front of the door of his lodging | house and his inability to prove that he was at home at the time the crime was committed. Aside from the evidence of