The herald., 1898-05-11
IN WHICH A CLAIM OF MISTAKEN
IDENTITY Is INVOLVED Z,
LEGRE- REFUSED A LICENSE
Saloon License Desired Transferred
Although Canceled-Charges
Against Officers Dismissed

them. Take 1t at the session yesterday
morning-Mr. Gibbon and Mr.. Wyman
seemed astonishingIy Of one opinion, Mr..
Preuss and Mr.. McLain of distinctly an
other, while his honor, the mayor, sat at
the head Of the table and agreed or dis
agreed. but ,as becomes presiding officer,
listened attentively and bore a reflective
mien.
OF course, that little rumor Of charges to
be brought against Special Officer r. r.
Mcclellan did not materialize, which pro-
voked all but Mr.. Mcclellan and the men,
bers Of the board who apparently wished 1t
just that way. Aside from that, though,
there was plenty to talk about, and the
interest was keen after the dry routine had
been disposed OF, and there was considera-
Bile of 1t.
Eugene Bassett of 1245 Figueroa street has
little dog that he Is very fond of and
which his wife cherishes a warm feeling
for ALSO Like almost any owner of pet
canine, Mr. Bassett has always been of
the opinion that his doggie was too good
to bite, SO naturally 1t didn't occur to him
to muzzle it-despite the fact that the
statutes at one time demanded It, Now, ON
the afternoon Of April 18th dog catcher's
wagon CHANGED by Bassett's house looking
for dog game. According to Chief Dog
Catcher Walters, his men nabbed Bas-
sett's pet because 1t was in the street un-
muazled. They swung a net over the yelp.
Ing pup, threw him In their capacious
wagon and deposited him in the pound.
That afternoon Mr.. Bassett with 81 In
his pocket-but later that much out of
pocket-started for the pound to recover
his pet. There was no difficulty In do
Ing that-he had the money and the gas
had not yet been turned on. He took his
dog home with him. musing on the way
there on what he would DO to get even with
those dog catchers.
The matter first came up two weeks ago,
and was, In the usual order of things, re-
ferred to the chief of police for investiga-
tion and report The chief is not in the
behind him. He recommended in his re-
port that the complaint be referred back
to Mr.. Bassett and that Walters return
Bassett 81 of the fee collected--there is
maghanimity!
Mr.. Bassett Is short wiry gentleman,
and can make little explanatory speeches
entitled to all the money or none OF It,
u,
took a defenseless and harmless dog from
its home to strange place.
"Was your dog muzzled?" Mr.. Gibbon
inquired.
mo. sir" Bassett replied.
And then Mr.. Gibbon related story Of a
dog that he has which not long ago dis
played propensity to get out into the
street to tickle the legs of pedestrians and
to try to stop wagons by throwing itself
under the wheels. HE wasn't muzzled,"
Mr.. Gibbon continued, land one afternoon
some dog catchers came along and took
him to the dog receptacle. went there and
paid my little 81 like man, gentlemen. for
consider the dog catchers were doing
their duty"
Mr.. McLain knows a thing or two about
dogs and dog laws, so he volunteered some
information-for the benefit of Mr.. Gibbon
more especially.
He told the board that the city attorney
some time ago said that a dog catcher had
no right to go on a mans private premises
and take therefrom a dog, muzzled or un-
muzzled.
Here Mr.. Walters raised his voice. "The
dog in dispute wasn't on the premises,
he said. II am either guilty or not guilty,
gentleman"
Ibid you not claim to me-" Mr.. Bassett
asked of Walters, that you had right to
go on a mans premises?"
Walters evaded this direct question, and
Bassett continued: II can bring reputable
people to prove that what say is true.
and that Mr.. Walters said to me: Yes,
can go on any premises that are not dog
proof"
Here Mr.. McLain intimated that he would
see that Mr. Walters was soon lookin, for
another job, for he had heard of similar
work before; of a case where dog catcher
snatched dog from a womans side in her
own yard.
"well, I'm through with dog catching,
anyway" Walters said, with forced cheer
fulness.
The president of the board thought that
II the principals in the matter were given
a weeks time to collect their witnesses
and wits. and appear again next Tuesday,
the difficulty could be speedily settled.
The case of the son Of r. w. Smith, who
was arrested by Officer Fifield on March
11th for fast bicycle riding, came up again
and promised well until Mr.. Moore, son-in-
law of Mr.. Smith. made 1t known that his
father-in-law was absent from the city.
and then the faces of an expectanr crowd
fell. What Smith wants is satisfaction, in
the way of the discharge of Fidel1. ar his
rebuke, fine or anything that will make him
remember the hour, day. month ami year
that he had the audacity to arrss. the son
of r. w. Smith. who claims that his Off
spring was at home at the time Officer
Fifield asserts he found him scorchng.
To bring this revenge about Mr. Smitn will
leave Fresno, where he now is, Immediate
ly, II the board will promise to hear his
case. 1t was set for next Tuse lay. and Mr.
Moore promised to wire Mr.. Smith to tina
effect and have him here then.
The chief. In his report on tic matter,
recommended the dismissal of TIL. charges,
and claimed that he could not 60 fully into
the merits of the case, because Mr.. Smith
had refused to bring his witnesses before
him. To this Mr.. Moore replied that Mr.
Smith had made personal affidavit before
the chief of his side of the case and hal
also brought him the names of his wiz
nesses and told him what he could prove