The San Francisco call., 1906-10-18
OAKLAND To HAVE
A CHAIN GANG.
Able-Bodied Prisoners Will
Be Put at Work Break
ing Rock for the Streets
FOOD TO BE REDUCED

OAKLAND, Oct. 1T.-Drastic meas
urcs were taken today by the Hoard
of Police Commissioners to put an end
TO the reign of crime which is terror
king this community, and as soon as
arrangements can be completed for
proper guard. every able-bodied prison
er In the Oakland city Prison will he
put to work in chain gang, break
ing rock for the repairing of streets.
In a resolution adopted this morning
by the Police Commission, the Chief
of Police was instructed to form
chain gang, and to put all vaGrants
and persons convicted of petty crimes
TO work.
The commission also adopted rese-
luton, ordering that supplies of food
and bedding for the City Prison be re-
duced TO the minimum, that prisoners
may quickly learn that the Jail Is net
Intended as place of entertainment
ar leisure.
Following are the resolutions adopt
ed by the Board at the meeting today;
Resolved, That the Chief of Police
be instructed to form a chain gang of
work breaking rock all vagrants and
lewd or dissolute persons without Vlsi-
Die means or support ana ali HStSols
Resolved. That provision of foed and
bedding for prisoners conhned IN the
city prison be reduced to a minimum
and that prisoners be made to feel
that the Oakland City Prison is not
HiAce of entertainment or luxury.
A resolution was also adopted in
structing the Chief of Police to direct
all patfolmen TO vigorously enforce the
ordinance prohibiting sleeping out, and
10 arrest for vagraney all persons
found violating it,
The board, after considering the or
dinance introduced last Monday night
in the City Council by Councilman
George Fitzgerald providing for the
appointment of twenty additional pa
trolmen for the Oakland Police De-
partment returned the proposed ordi-
nance to the Council, with a recon-
mendation that it be passed. AS soon
as the ordinance passes the Council
Oakland will have force of more than
100 police officers.
Mayor Frank K. Mott, in discussing
the action of the Board of Police Com
missioners. said:
The Oakland Police Department is
fully able to cope with the situation,
and the alarm OF our citizens over the
epidemic of crime Is TO a large extent
viii spare neither effort nor expense to
drive out the criminal element, and
this city viii he made safe at any cost.
The Oakland Police Department Is
in communication with Detective Harry
Reynolds, a veteran of San Francisco.
and the latter may come to this city
to aid the Oakland officers.
E. s. Petersen, conductor in the
employ of the Oakland Traction Con-
solidated, who. with Motorman ]. Nell
son. was in charge of car No. 251 of
the San Pahlo-ayeHue limo last night
narrowly escaped being struck by a
bullet fred by some unknown man.
which crashed into the car as il was
passing Sixty ghth street. the leaden
missile buried itself in the woodwork
of the car and Petersen was struck by
it come to him.
P. J. McManus, residing in lodging
house at Broadway and Sixth street
reported to the police this morning that
thieves entered his room last night
and stole s2S and q watchcharm.
]. d. Bledsoe. employed at saloon
at AT Thirteenth street, reported the
theft of. s8S, which he had left in one
of the oardroons of the saloon. When
he went to look for the money ii was
gone.
Six men are being held at the City
Prison en- suspicion of having some
knowledge of the murder of Moterman
Tenny and Watehman TFubedy, al
though the police have not yet been
able to connect them with the crime
Andy Johnson, convicted of viola
tion of the sleeping-out ordinance, was
sentenced to fifty days in the City
Prison this morning.