The San Francisco call., 1910-07-09
MULDOWNEY'S EYE
HIT LONDON'S HEAD
Novelist in Court Declares OPP
ponent's Optic Raised Bump
on His Scalp
Both Dismissed and Arm in Arm
HE to Saloon to Drown ALI
Animosity

OAKLAND. July S.-Although Jack
Londoa's pugilistic ability was so in
adequate that he got a black eye in
his encounter the evening of June 21
with Tim Muldowney, keeper of the
Tavern. Seventh street resort, the
noted author proved himself even less
capable Of defense a lawyer in Po-
lice Judge Samue1s' court this morn
ing, where he was tried for battery.
The novelist was not found guilty, but
he escaped only because no witness
could tell story which jibed with an
others. Lacking the acumen of Solo
mon. Judge Samuels could not pick
truth out of the tangle of testimony,
so he cropped the case.
ENCOUNTER OF WITS
The trial started as an encounter of
wits, and several times the onlookers
Uttered. When the shackles of law
had been stricken from their limbs
the novelist and the tenderloin boni-
face hied them TO a nearby bar and
washed away their late unpleasant
ness. Each forgave the other for the
trouble they could not settle man to
man the evening of June 21.
London had two witnesses, DE-.
C. r. Nelson and Joe Keough, pro-
moter and friend of the author who
saw the fray. Muldowney's battery of
talk artists. was Frank Barth, bar
tender, and H. r. Rohr, his cook. Both
saw the fight.
Muldowney, in testimony and
through his two witnesses. showed
that London had bruised his eye. Lon
don disproved the assertion by show
ing how Tim had used his damaged
optic as a weapon of offense.
The novelist put DR.. Nelson on the
stand. He put his first leading ques-
ton:
What did say to you, and what did
you say to me, and what did your in
vestigation show. and, aw. tell what
you know
EYE HIT HEAD
When the physician had told what
he knew London proved by Doctor Nell
son that he had lump on his head.
That confusion, he argued, was caused
by Muldowney's eye. He explained that
the tavern keeper had started buttfng,
and London, an expert on fighting tao
tics, with the example of the Nelson
Wolgast battle in his minds eye, re-
taliated. Thus spake he:
When you put tive objects close to-
gether-take heads, for instance-and
one head ducks to avoid blow and the
other head doesn't duck, why it is a
pain ludttCi VI PtAS oASo tAiot NhO AiSS.N
that moves s@going to strike that sta
tionary head. That's what happened to
Muldowney's eye. 1t was in the head
that ducked, and it made a lump on my
head
In telling his own story London de-
clared that six men interferej.
Il didn't strike a blow" he crooned.
"I tell 1t with shame. l was afraid IL
did / would have been injured, prob
ably by these men, who, when tried
to get away from Muldowney, pushed
me back toward him."
TOOK TWO DRINKS
Attorney Clarence Crowell tried to
get London to admit he was drunk.
London confessed to having taken only
two Scotch and sodas with the whisky
just coloring the bottom OF the glass.
When Prosecuting Attorney Hennes-
sey asked Muldowney If London was
intoxicated the saloonman answered:
'1 couldn't say. He might have been
drunk or he might have been sober,
but think he was crazy"
London in turn told vivid story of
the struggle, and Judge Sanuels gave
up. He dismissed the case, and Hen
nessey asked the rivals to shake hands.
They did and Muldowney calculated:
Lets get nip on it,
Sure" answered London, and he am
bled to a bar with his arm linked in
Muljowney's.
Muldowney, whom London had ar
rested for battery. also was dismissed.