The San Francisco call., 1904-03-19


animals and severely censured their
official stupidity CT arrogance that led
70 their arrest on complaint Of Cap
tain ". 5. Overton Of the Coast Ar
tIlery. whose ST Bernard dog they
insisted upon seizing despite the fact
tIlt q license tag was attached 10 the
..-luaIs collar They viii be sentenced
l..Nt Wednesday,
captain Overton and his wife were
driving along Van Ness avenue one
Gay last week, their ST. Bernard tr0t-
ting behind the buggy. when Murphy
and Buckley tried 10 net the dog. fgnor-
ing its owners assurance that it was
duly licensed 20 run at large To save
The animal from threatened injury
captain Overton lifted il into the
buggy. but the pOunGmen continued
swinging their net. striking and MAIN
ing the dog and narrowly missing Mrs
Cverton. Then the tag on the dogs
collar was exhibited 10 them. and they
desisted. This statement q Captain
and Mrs. Overton was corroborated by
Mrs. Morgan, who Witnessed the occur
renee from the sidewalk
In defense Of their conduct Murphy
thorized 10 capture any dog and ex-
anime Il 20 ascertain II il is properly
tagged. but Judge Fritz contested that
plea stating that they should exercise
discretion in their overhaulfng CANNES
Milton Rice. stalwart of frame and
aggressive OF manner, was before Judge
Nogan on a charge Of -peddling with
out a license. and in defense OF his
rlisdemean0r he sirily pleaded inability
20 procure enough money 10 purchase
the requisite permit. He came from
The East about a month ago. he added,
and adopted peddling as an honest
means OF earning q livelihood
And an easy means as we'll said
the Judge. surveying with critical eye
The herculsan physical proportions Of
Er. Rice With your physique and
forwardness Of manner you should be
able 20 obtain employment al any kind
- unskIled labor, but evidently you
are not yearniug for hard work Ped
ding is q business better suited for
the aged and infrm than for such a
giant as you. Mr.. Rice, and I would
advise you % turn your muscular hand
70 some other vocation until you have
earned sufficient money TO peddle-if
peddle you muslin a legal manner.
III remand you for one week, and il
you are not accompanied by a ped
dler's license when next you appear
before me III fine you so for peddling
without one"
Mr. Rice's demesnor was less AFRO
CANT as ne went forth to hustle"
Police treatment Of hopeless victims
of the opium habit was then taken up
and logically discussed by Judge No
san. his remarks being addressed di-
recrIy 70 Officer Hicks, but apparently
aimed at the force as a whole.
Robert Lane. a most pitiable look
ing dope" fiend. had been arrested
while ne was lettering in the vicinity
II Kearny-street drug store that
makes a specially OF selling opium. He
was not doing anything particularly
haruful-jusr lOitering-when officer
Hicks took him IN and booked him
for vagrancy. A few days ago sim
lar charge against him was dismissed
by Judge Fritz. who then expressed the
opinion that Il was useless TO send such
q human wreck 10 jail. and II was
evident that Judge Mogan did not ad-
mire the police enterprise that resulted
Fra having the derelict placed before
him.
This manor remains Of a man
should have been sent back TO his
haunts in Chinatown instead Of being
brought here" said the Judge 10 the
policeman He is a hopeless slave 10
the opium habit. and opium is all he
cares for. Imprisonment cannot have
either punitive or refOrmatOry effect on
him. and 70 imprisOn him is absolutely
useless. So long as their only offense
is that q existing. he and his kind
should be kept within the confines OF
Chinatown. where their appearance
does not shock nor their presence con-
taminste. Take this creature back TO
Chinatown, and see 70 il that he is re-
turned there every time he crosses the
boundary. DO not bring him here again
until he commits some Ofense more Sc
rious than that OF living out his mis-
cradle life
The tottering. wild-eyed wretch was
led away.
A friend q Eugene Wanderer pur-
chased a lottery ticket and won wad
Of money. and when Eugene heard OF
the occurrence he allowed IL 10 mOnopo-
lize his mind, so on St Patrick's day
he did not realize that the heavens
were weeping until Policemen Doherty
and Jewell called his attention 10 that
fact and demanded TO know what he
meant by aimlessly wandering in the
vet. His answer being unsatisfactory,
the officers searched his sOdden cloth
ing and in one Of the pockets found two
tickets issued by q Mexican lottery.
Then they arrested him for having the
illegal coupons in his possession.
1t is true. Judge" pleaded Mr. Wan
derer. that / did not have sense
enough TO get out Of the rain. for my
mind was completely absorbed by the
good luck Of my friend. Nor do I re-
member buying the lottery tickets that
these officers have produced in evidence
against me- II / took any drinks-the
officers declare had been drinking
when they found me- have no recol-
lection Of having done So"
"A most extraordinary case Of mental
alteration" commented the Judge,