The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-27
A PRISONERS
DESPERATE DASH
FOR FREEDOM
Frank Smith Fights
With Officers.
S ARRESTED FOR ROBBERY
A WILD RACE THROUGH THE
ALAMEDA CITY HALL.
The Alleged Highwayman Is dubbed
Nearly Into Insensibility Be-
fore He Is Finally Subdued
and Eandcuffed.
Alameda Office San Francisco Call,
Do cfroa+ l7aI

AldHeUa OIlce San francisco Call,
1923 Park street, Feb. 26.
A young Portuguese giving the name Of
Frank Smith was lodged in the City
Prison about o'clock this morning on q
charge of highway robbery. Deputy
Sheriff Quinlan, the arresting officer, had
desperate struggle with his prisoner
before he succeeded in subduing him.
Shortly before noon to-day, while prep
arations were being made to remove
Smith to the County Jail, he made bold
dash for liberty, and gave the officers a
lively chase through the corridors of the
CITY Hall before he was cornered, and
then he had to be dubbed into insensi-
bility before he could be handcuffed.
Soren Paulsen, a Fruitvale dairyman,
was the victim of the alleged footpad.
While driving along Park avenue toward
Alameda about l o'clock this morning, he
was stopped at point about 100 yards
south of the broad-gauge railroad cross
ing by couple of men, who commanded
him to climb down off the seat of his
wagon. Paulsen lost no time in obeying,
and his movements were somewhat
FASTENED by the appearance of a couple
Of pistols. The highwaymen relieved
They then ordered him to head for Oak
land.
The dairyman was able in the bright
moonlight to get a good look at his as
sailants. He informed Deputy Sheriff
Quinlan of the hold-up and gave the
officer description of the two men,
tine i led ed to II arrest OF Smith short
Quin1an ran across his man just as he
was leaving saloon near the tidal canal
bridge. When ordered to throw up his
for the officer. The movement was so
sudden that Quinlan was taken off his
self the two We're rolling on the ground
engaged in a rough and tumble fight.
Qu1nlan succeeded in subduing Smith and
brought him to the Alameda jail When
az pa1lSara'G Uni "a
and part OF the stolen coin was found on
him.
Justice Larue of East Oakland this morn
ing, charging Smith with highway rob-
berry. When Quinlan went to the Alamo
da prison to remove Smith to the County
Jail he neglected to profit by the expe-
rience of the night and upon his prisoner 5
promise to be good he did not handcuft
him.
AS soon as he passed the doorway lead
ing out of Chief Conrad'S office Smith at
tempted to trip Quinlan, and failing made
a dash down the corridor and ran up the
inside stairway leading to the upper sto-
res of the City Hall. Being Sunday, the
doors to the main entrance were closed
and the desperate prisoner found himself
Sheriff Rogers and Police Officer Gum
guarded the exits to the hall, While Quln-
ian and Sergeant Schumacher went up
after Smith. He was found crouching near
the first landing, intending to make run
by the officers as they came up the stairs.
They surmised what the man was up to
and ordered him to surrender. Instead OF
obeying he ran toward the front doors and
attempted to break through the glass.
Seeing Sheriff Rogers and officer Gum on
the outside he turned and led the officers
in a race to the upper story of the build
ing and down the corridor to the CITY
Clerks office. This was the end of his
run, and approaching that he was, cor,
nered he backed up against the wall and
squared away to do battle with his pur-
suerS.
Ouinlan and Schumacher attempted to
close in on him, but his handy props Kept
them at a safe distance. Finally 1t was
fonnd necessary to use a club on the man
before he could be subdued, and he was
practically insensible when the officers
succeeded in Handwriting him.
It is believed that the prisoner is a des-
perate crook He is a hard looking Gus
TONER. and no one in this vicinity appears
to know him His partner in the hold-up
is still at large.