The San Francisco call., 1905-02-05

Short but Decisive
Battle Is Fought
and Quickly Won
OCCURS
ON THE STREET
Statesman Pugilist
Is Outclassed by
Man He InsuIted

Z The warlike propensities of Frank
French. one of the State Senators
accused Of accepting bribes, were
punched out of him yesterday in front
of the Merchants Exchange building
by the hard fist of Detective George
N Tichenor of the Continental Build
detective more than avenged the as
sault made upon him Thursday night
by the burly Senator at Sacramento.
Three blows were struck, all by
Tichenor, and each landed upon the
countenance of the pugnacious states
man. French 1apsed into that state
technically termed "groggy' and Of
fered only weak, protests when by
ISLANDERS separated him from the
doughty detective.
1t happened almost before a crowd
could assemble. Tichenor had left
the Office of the Continental Building
and Loan Association and was walk
ing up California street Suddenly he
was approached by the Senator, who
had proclaimed far and wide that he
would slap Tichenor's face every
time he met him. The belligerent So
Ions demeanor was pacific, but Tiche-
nor was taking no chances. French
had caught him once unawares and
the detective did not mean to be
caught mapping again.
The big, Senator caught the little
detective by the shoulder. It want
to talk to you,'' he said.
I Hardly had the words been spoken
when Tichenor's fist landed between
French's eyes, sending him reeling
backward Like an angry bull the big
Senator erouched and rushed his
smaller adversary. Tichenor stopped
him with another straight right" and
the fighting statesman looked dis
tressed. But French was rash enough
to rush again within range of Tich-
enor's right arm. According to spec
tators the so-called bad man. from
the Legislature was all but out.
He turned to run when the crowd
stepped in and ended the fight. The
only injury sustained by Tichenor was
a cut on the hand, caused by the vio-
lent contact of that member with
French's Uranium. French disap-
peared as quickly as possible. He will
wear the marks of his beating for
many days to come.
Tichenor carries his honors mod
estly. 1t was in self-defense purely
that he struck. French had declared
that he would slap the detectives face
on sight and Tichenor determined
that he would not be slapped. The
doughty detective claims that the
to defend himself. He did it very
well. as French's ruffled countenance
will still show.
The witnesses of the short and
snappy battle were expecting at any
minute to hear the ..petulant pop" of
the pistol and the zing of the bullet.
But the affair was straight Marquis of
Queensberry.
It was a far different French that
assailed Tichenor yesterday from the
pugnacious French who struck him
unawares at Sacramento. Then French
had large backing and Tichenor was
practically alone. Yesterday they met
on equal terms and, according to
bystander, French took second
money, and very little of that"
Senator French's motive In accosting
him, Tichenor thinks, was to try to in
duce him to '1et up" on the bribery
charge. Tichenor declares that friends
of his have been approached by the
Senator with this object. The. detective
declines to give the names of the per-
SONS, but says that he is certain that
the accused Senator has made over
lures Of this sort.
Tichenor looks more like a clerk than
a fighting man. His appearance is ex-
actly the opposite of the traditional
bad man" or bully. When interviewed
last night he said:
IT am very sorry that this thing oc-
Cured. am sorry for French I am
not a fighting man by any means, but
sometimes we have to fight. never
strike a blow until such an occasion
arises.
II was told by the Senate committee
after1that affair at Sacramento that I
should have to. protect myself against
French. He said he would slap my face
every time he saw me. Some friends of
mine saw him just before he came up
and asked me IL needed any help 1
told them that was not afraid of the
fellow. I suppose that he wanted to
talk to me about letting up on him,
but didn't want to talk to him. AS
soon as he came near me punched
him. No, he did not attempt to reach
for any weapon. The only reaching he
did was to get away.
II do not expect any further trouble
from him. He is only blusterer. /
think can protect myself at all times
from him and any others like him. I
skinned my knuckles little when hit
his teeth, but that's the only damage
sustained"