The San Francisco call., 1904-06-26
A. 0. Gallagher Shot
Through Head
by Negro.
An Effort to Intimidate
NOn-UliOn Employees
Ends in Death.
Fatal Shooting Follows a RiOtOuS At
tack Upon the Employees Of
Excelsior Stables.

In a row over labor troubles An
thony Owen Gallagher. a striking sta
bleman, was fatally shot last evening
by James Smith. a non-union negro
hostler in the employ of the Excelsior
Stables. The trouble occurred shortly
after Z o'clock on Polk street, between
Post and Geary.
Smith and Arthur Williams. another
negro, also employed at the stables.
were returning from a restaurant. AS
they passed Walnut avenue. five men
who had been crouching behind a.
building leaped suddenly out upon the
two negroes.
Throw up your hands, was the or
der shouted. The negroes quickly
obeyed. They were so badly frightened
that it seemed to them that every one
of their assailants fiourished a revolver
They will swear that several pistols
were displayed.
Williams received a blow on the head
from the butt Of a pistol and fell to
the pavement stunned. At the same
time several shots were fired by the at
tacking party, presumably into the air,
for they were so close to the negroes
that had they shot to kill they could
not have missed
Smith, frenzied by terror. as he said
last night, drew a revolver, which he
always carried. At sight Of It his as
sailants drew back. The negro fred a
shot and the men began to scatter.
Again Smiths pistol rang out, this time
with deadly effect. Anthony Gallagher
threw his arms wildly upward, stag
gered against wall and collapsed, an
inert mass, on the pavement.
Gallagher's companions did not wait
to learn the fate Of their comrade. They
fled IN different directions, and as yet
the police have no clew to their iden-
tity. The negroes Immediately after
the shooting ran into the Excelsior sta
bles, where they were found and taken
into custody by Policeman Dan Owen
Gallagher was hurriedly placed IN an
ambulance but died on the way to the
Central Emergency Hospital. 1t was
found that the bullet had entered his
head on the right side near the back OF
the skull. This would show that he
was attempting to escape when Smith
fired.
Mrs. Gallagher, wife Of the dead
man, soon heard Of the tragedy. She
arrived at the hospital. carrying her
young by, shortly after her hus-
bands body was removed and her pitt-
full cries caused an excited crowd to
gather.
Gallagher was a member OF the Sta
blemen's Union IN good standing. as a
card found in his pocket showed He
has been out on strike and the police
believe that his companions were also
striking stablemen.
Many people saw a number OF men
lurking In the vicinity before the
trouble took place. but all the descrip-
tions are extremely vague. Immedi-
ateIy after the last shot was fred John
| O'Connen saw two negroes running up
Geary street from Polk One Of them.
whose description fits Smith, was put
| ting a revolver into his pocket as he
ran.
Policeman Owen found an empty re-
volver lying on the sidewalk near
where Gallagher fell. This leads to the
theory that the many revolvers al
legged to have been seen by the fright
ened negroes were empty or loaded
with blank cartridges. 1t is believed
that the purpose of the strikers was to
intimidate the non-union men into
quitting the stables. Several witnesses.
however, declare that more than two
! shots were fired, thus tending to show
| that the negroes were first fired upon
At the City Prison Smith was, or pre-
tended to be, still very much fright
! ened.
It hardly know how It happened he
1 said "A crowd OF men jumped US.
They knocked Williams down and fred
at US. I~think there weie five Of them.
1 thought they would kill me. so de-
Tended myself"
The other negro. Williams, who is
/ about % years old, was Enthusiastically
( scared. There were crowds and
crowds of men," h, declared.
Il saw several revOlvers. then some
! thing hit me on the head and / did not
see or hear anything for about five
minutes"
The negroes were placed in the tanks
and their names registered on the de-
tention book. Williamson is a Jamaica
! negro and Smith a native of South
/ Carolina Both came here to ill the
nIaces of strikers. Williams was under
arrest a few weeks ago for carrying q
concealed weapon.