Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-04-14
SAN FRANCISCO RIOT
SOCIALISTS GIVE BATTLE WITH
Tee CITY POLICEMEN.
For Fully an Hour There Was a Fierce
Fight in Principal Streets of the
city-socislists Had Held Meeting
as Expression of Sympathy for
Their Officers in Jail in Idaho Towns

San Francisco, April 9.-The fiercest
riot San Francisco has witnessed in a
generation was a sequel Sunday even
ing to a meeting of socialists held dur
ing the day at Woodward's pavilion as
an expression of sympathy for Presi-
dent Meyer and Secretary Haywood of
the Western Federation of Miners,
who are imprisoned in Idaho on the
accusation that they were implicated
in the assassination of Ex-Governor
Steunenberg. At the meeting some
typically violent socialistic speeches
were made, in which it was declared
that Meyer and Haywood were inno-
cent, and that if convicted they would
not be hanged unless the entire United
States army was brought in to assist
in their execution.
At the conclusion of the speech
making a procession was organized
and the participants in the assemblage
marched down Market street, headed
by band. At the corner of Kearney
and Market streets a halt was made,
and one of the paraders, who carried
a red banner, climbed Lotta's fountain
and affixed the emblem to the topmost
lamps. The banner bore the inscrip-
ton: The constitution be damned; so
say the corporations" 1t was decided
by the leaders to hold an outdoor meet
ing, and A. C. McGinty was selected
to address the crowd.
Police Come; Riot Starts
So great was the throng, however,
that he could not make himself heard,
and George S. Holmes, metal worker,
with a powerful voice, was substituted
as speaker. He was in the midst of
his talk, when Policemen Jack Stelz-
ner and w. J. Cavanagh and Detective
Thomas Ryan made their way through
the crowd. Ryan tore down the red
flag and passed it to Steiner. Ryan
then ordered Holmes to desist, but was
met with a refusal, and the detective
pulled Holmes down to the pavement
In a moment a riot was precipitated
Stelzner was seized knocked down
and kicked in vicious hand to hand
fight, the crowd seeking to recover
the flag. Ryan and Cavanagh came to
his assistance and began beating back
the crowd with clubs. The flag was
torn from Stelners grasp. and then
Ryan, who had held Holmes all of the
time, started to take his prisoner
through the crowd, beating path with
his club
An. oil xrn n
halted opportunely for the detective.
He boarded it and the other officers
tried to keep the crowd back. Near
the fountain a new building is being
erected and the street was full of build
ing debris. Almost instantly there
was a shower of scrap iron, bricks
and blocks of wood upon the car, and
the missiles crashed through the win
dows, injuring a number of passen-
gers. The motorman was made tar
get, but he slowly forced his car
through the human blockade and gain
ing speed, ultimately reached the hall
of justice
In the meantime alarm calls had
been sent to the neighboring police
stations and a squad of patrolmen
came hurrying to the scene. They
found themselves confronted with an
angry crowd, armed with sticks and
stones, and for half an hour lively
battle was in progress in which the
police were using their clubs with tell
ing effect and the crowd was retaliat-
ing viciously.
Policeman Stelzner was struck sew
eral times by flying bricks and was
cut in the neck and head. Policeman
Doran was also bruised and cut. Po-
liceman Harry Seguine was seriously
hurt. He was knocked down and
kicked again and again, one of the
blows striking him in a vital spot and
incapacitating him.
Seventeen of the rioters were arrest
ed, three being charged with assault
with a deadly weapon. The rest were
booked at the prison for misdemeanors.
Holmes, the orator, was charged with
disturbing the peace. 1t was fully an
hour from the time the trouble started
before quiet was restored in the neigh
borhood