CHRISTMAS IN SAN FRANCISCO.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5290, 9 March 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS IN SAN FRANCISCO.

Yesterday (says the San Francisco Post of December 27th) was a gala day among the “roughs,” and .all the hoodlum world borrowed or stole money, got drunk, raised his Satanic majesty, and carried out the usual routine of deviltry with the characteristic hoodlum thoroughness and more than the customary hoodlum vim. It bewail at the close of Christmas Eve, for when the bells were joyfully ushering in the festal day, the Folsom and Mainstreet gang assaulted and robbed a couple of men on the corner of those streets. Special Officer Paterson -was informed, and finding the gang on the corner shortly afterward, ordered them to scatter. They replied with a volley of stones, and he chased and caught one of them. The others ran to the rescue, and stones flew like hail around him. One grazed his cheek and struck his shoulder, and his prisoner got away. The officer then drew his pistol and tired, taking one of the gang on the wing as he was scaling a fence, and dropping him. He was picked up and taken home, turning out to be “Bull” Johnson, a well known disreputable character. His wound is in _ the abdomen, and the hoodlum now lies in a very critical position. Peterson delivered himself up, but was released on his own recognisance, his action being deemed justifiable. Yesterday afternoon a man went up to Regular Officer Ryan on Spear-street, and accused him of shooting Johnson. Ryan den : ed it, but the man, reinforced by the hoodlums, soon after bemin stoning Ryan, who had been reinforced by Officers Peterson, Love, and Hensley. They chased the gang down the street, and Ryan followed the man who had spoken to him into a saloon. He caught him in the rear of the place, and the man grabbed an iron bar. In the struggle that ensued Ryan was severely cut on the head with the bar, but he finally subdued him, and locked him up in the Harbor Police Station. He was recognised as John Davies, alias Peasey. In the Police Court this morning both Davies and William Brown, alias McSivey, who was arrested at the same time, were found guilty of battery. The Folsom-street gang, to the number of 75, congregated at the corner of Folsom and Third streets yesterday afternoon, and began an anti-Coolie crusade. All the washhouses in the vicinity wereinjured as to window glass, and the innocent Christmas amusement went on uninterrupted till Officer Seybold raided the gang, and captured John Heaney, a rockheaving youngster of ten. Martin Heaney, the boy’s father, interfered, and was quietly gathered in by Officers Niles and Boye, for his impolite conduct. The officers and prisoners were followed to the City Prison by an immense crowd, and Augustus Gunison and John Burns made themselves so obnoxious, that officers Niles and Bee collared them also. In the Police Court this morning the whole batch of cases was continued till Friday. The Hayes Yalley gang could not let the occasion pass without being heard from, so they engaged in a difficulty with three soldiers in Kennedy’s saloon, on Market-street, near Sixth, about 10 o’clock last night. The soldiers were put through an annoying course of vilification and insult until they got their blood up, ' when the shooting began. Five shots were fired and two men wounded. One of them was soon after found by officer W. B. Rogers, with a bullet in his thigh. He gave the name of James Brady, and said one of the soldiers shot him. He was taken to the City Prison along with Jack O’Connell, who was arrested for carrying a weapon concealed. The other wounded man was shot in the knee. This morning O’Connell had his case continued till Friday. <