The San Francisco call., 1906-09-10
VERSIONS Of FIGHT
DIFFER WIDELY.
Stories Told by Men Who
Took Part in Eddy-Street
Saloon Shooting Vary
"GUN-MANo Al SAILOR

Saloon Shooting Vary
"GUN-MAN" A SAILOR
Widely different versions of the
shooting OF Frank vennekohl in his
saloon at Eddy and Devisadero streets
Saturday night by Charles Collignon,
one OF party of three strike breakers
who mad trouble with him, were given
yesterday by the different parties to
the analr. Vennekohl, who now lies in
a critical condition at the Central
emergency Hospital persists in his
statement that the shooting followed
gun play" which he believed por-
tended holdup. while the strike
breakers claim that the trouble was
started by Vennekohl himself and that
the shooting occurred only after he
nad assaulted them without cause.
According to their own accounts
Charles Collignon, Frank OConnor and
Charles Blake were members of the
first party of strike breakers to reach
the city and have made their head
quarters at the Sacramento-street
car barn ever since reaching the city
from Hoboken and the other two from
New York, the three becoming ac-
quainted on the train. They left the
car barn about o'clock Saturday
afternoon and finally reached Venne-
kohIs saloon shortly before IL o'clock
after a round of several saloons in
that vicinity. Blake was armed, and
Collignon stated that the revolver with
which he did the shooting belonged to
OConnor and was given to him about
10 o'clock when O'Connor was well
under the influence of liquor.
The three men were separated yes
terday and placed in different jails Col
in IA jaH
nor in the O'Farrell-street jail and
Blake in cell at the Park police sta
ton. Blake refused to discuss the
affair at all, but both the others gave
their versions of the trouble.
COLLIGNON A SAILOR.
Collignon, who is a sailor and who
shipped with the strike breakers mere
ly to get to San Francisco. where he
intended to find employment on ves
sci, said that after buying a round of
drinks O'Connor got into a discussion
with Vennekohl, and that after some
hot words between them they finally
shook hands
Then they got to talking again."
said Collignon, '.and suddenly the bar
tender came around the end of the bar
and hit OConnor with a club. 1t was
a wooden club like policemans billie.
about eighteen inches long. He
knocked OConnor down and then hit
me. didn't attempt to interfere in
the trouble between him and O'Connor
at all. and didn't have anything to do
with 1t until he hit me with the club.
Then 1 drew the revolver. and when
he came at me again shot him. Blake
| drew his weapon, too, but didn't use it.
I fired just as the policeman came into
the room, and then he collared me-"
STORIES NEARLY ALIKE.
In most respects O'Connor told a.
story similar to that of Collignon. but
with the difference that he claimed
Vennekohl first reached over the bar
and hit him with a bottle, and that as
he tottered against the BAR about to
fall. some one hit him on the mouth
with his fist. He said he was so
Intoxicated that he remembered but
little of what happened.
'I don't know what the trouble start
| ed over" he said yesterday. "I didn't
have any trouble with the bartender
that I remember Of All of sudden
he hollered "scab" or something like
that, and the next thing I knew he
reached over the bar and hit me on
the side of the head with a bottle. l
| didn't have any gun and I don't re-
low draw one. When he hit me stag
gered against the bar. and then I re-
member that somebody hit me on the
mouth with his fist. 1 fell on the
floor just outside the bar, and must
have been unconscious. The next
| thing I remember is seeing the bar
tender lying there on the floor very
white. I said. What is the matter
with the bartender" and the French
man, Collignon, said, Il shot him."
Vennekohl was conscious yesterday
| afternoon, and when asked how the
trouble started substantially repeated
| his statement Of the night before, with
4 L.
| claim that he was ordered by the men
| to hand over any money. He insists
| that the men, after buying one round
of drinks. hung around the saloon un-
| til every one had left, and that he then
had trouble with O'Connor and saw
two revolvers drawn before he made
any effort to eject the men.
ABUSED BY O'CoNNOR.
."OConnor was dEunk and called me
| a liar and a lot of vile names," he
stated. 'I turned around to the cash
register, and when I looked in the
| glass over the bar I saw two of the
men, Blake and Collignon, reach into
their hip pockets and get their guns.
knew 1T meant a holdup, for I have
been in the saloon business too long
to be fooled. turned suddenly and
looked for my revolver, but couldn't
see 1t. Then 1 ran around the end
of the bar. I didn't have any weapon
at all. I told the men to get out
The big fellow, O'Connor, said they
| wouldn't go, and called me a lot of
names. knocked him down. and then
I hit the other big fellow. I hit them
both with my fist. Then I started
toward the little fellow, the French
man. I asked him II he was looking
for trouble, too, and he said he was
and fired at me. Special Officer Hanni-
gan came in the door just then. He
asked me If was shot, and then
grabbed the Frenchman. I hit Blake
again, and then started after the one
who shot me, but fell down before
got to him.
AT first it was feared that Venne-
kohl would not survive his injuries,
but the hospital authorities stated yes