The San Francisco call., 1899-08-01
MIDNIGHT DUEL
IN AN ELLIS
STREET SALOON
ffJaCk" Wilson Got
His Man.
WALTER CAVANAUGH KILLED
HE WAS NOT QUICK ENOUGH
WITH HIS GUN.
Quarrel Over the Disreputable Sister
of the Dead Man, Who Was
the Mistress of His
Slayer.

Walter Cavanaugh. a young man we'll
known in the tenderloin, was shot and
killed by Jack Wilson shortly after MD
night this morning in the saloon OF g. u.
Borgfedt on the northwest corner OF
Mason and Ellis streets. Three bullets en-
tered his body and he died almost III
stantly Wilson was arrested few
minutes later by Officer Harrigan while
standing on the corner with the smoking
revolver still in his hand.
The quarrel which resulted IN the kill
ing was by all accounts the second the
parties had during the day. Wilson mas
been living with sister of Cavanaugh ar
5 Latham place, a small cul de sac OF
Mason street in the rear of Borgtetdt s
saloon.
AS nearly as can be ascertained, Cava-
naugh had been living off the profits or
his sisters degradation. The relation
ship Of Wilson with Miss Cavanaugh, it
is said, interfering as it did with the
money supply of Cavanaugh, gave rise
to the quarrel.
Cavanaugh in a drunken condition
called yesterday afternoon about o clock
at the residence of his sister and Wilson
He had been there but a short time when
the neighbors heard two pistol shots and
saw the woman run out on the porch,
calling upon her brother to come out and
go away.
Mrs NJ. A Carson and her son, Thomas,
who reside at Latham place. heard two
shots. Half an hour later they saw
Cavanaugh reel down the alley to the
street alone. Miss Laura Graham Of l
Latham place also saw Cavanaugh take
his departure.
About 1880 o'clock this morning, while
Borgfeldt was closing the door of his
grocery, he heard mems voices as If
raised in quarrel coming from the side
walk He next heard the saloon doors
open and the men come in.
Have you a gum" Borgfeldt heard
some one exclaim. The next instant
shots rang out The saloon man thinks
there were four.
Instead of entering the saloon, he ran
out to the sidewalk through the door of
the grocery. where he saw Wilson stand
ing, with a revolver in hand. Officer Har-
rigan. who was on Ellis street and heard
the shots. came up in moment and
placed Wilson under arrest. The pris-
oner told the policeman that he shot in
seIf-defense.
Inside the saloon door, lying in a pool
of gore, with fragments of glass all about
him, lay the dead man. His features were
indistinguishable.
A revolver belonging to the dead man
was lying beside him, having fallen from
his grasp as the bullets struck him. Three
chambers were empty, another contained
an exploded cartridge shell and the fourth
an unexploded bullet, bearing out the the
ory chat Cavanaugh had fired one IL not
the first shot in the quarrel.
The pistol Wilson had when arrested
contained three exploded cartridges.
StonewaIl Bailey. a bartender, was with
Wilson when he killed Cavanaugh.
I'VE were standing at the corner of
Ellis and Mason Streets" he remarked.
engaged in conversation. ! saw Cava-
naugh approaching us and knowing the
bitter feeling that existed between the
men, 1 advised Wilson to watch him
closely.
Just then Cavanaugh, who was accom-
panied by another man, named Wallace, 1
think. accosted Wilson, and. drawing a
revolver. asked him If he was heeled.
Wilson replied that he did not want to
have any trouble and advised Cavanaugh
to put up his gun.
"Cavanaugh raised his revolver as If to
shoot, when his friend grabbed him and
attempted to take the weapon away from
him.
''Wison at this juncture started to enter
the saloon on the corner and was quickly
followed by Cavanaugh. The latter still
held his gun in his hand and again level
ing it at Wilson fired.
"Wilson Immediately drew his revolver
and fired three shots at Cavanaugh, in
stantly killing him.
Wilson was arrested Immediately after
the killing and taken to the City Prison.
He gave his age as 35 years and his oc-
cupation as that of a bartender. He was
pale and excited and begged to be given
a drink of whisky.
Jack Wallace, who was with Cavanaugh
at the time of the shooting, disappeared
Immediately after.
When questioned about the killing Will
son declared that he did not want to dis
cuss the crime until he had consulted an
attorney.
when the proper time comes" he re-
marked, II will show that l acted in self
defense If l had not shot Cavanaugh he
would have sent me to the Morgue. 1t is
true that 1 have been living with his sis
ter, but she had nothing to do with the
shooting