MAD FROM DRINK.

West Coast Times, Issue 135, 22 February 1866, Page 3

MAD FROM DRINK.

A terrible scene was witnessed at San Francisco on Bth July. A desperado named Mulligan had been drinking hard, and the result apparently was an attack of delirium tromens. He wag staying at the St. Francis Hotel, and on the morning of tho 7th ho fired from his room into a house opposite, but without injuring anyone. Tho polioe attempted to enter his room, out it was locked and barricaded, and the madman warned thorn not to force their way in, threatening to shoot tho first man who should enter. A good deal of time was spent in parleying with him, and at leugth, upon an officer attempting to get in from a balcony through the window, he was fired upon and forced to beat a retreat. Mulligan now came upon the balcony and no one for a time would venture near him. At length one M'Nabb, who recently committed a murder, but was pardoned, ascended the stairs. He was fired at by Mulligan and killed. The remainder of the story is thus told by a local paper: — James Keatinge went upon the roof with a well known Catholic clergyman, and attempted to descend through the skylight, but Mulligan ran into the third story, and fired at Keatinge, barely missing him, and they were compelled to retreat also. Special Officer Dennison at this time got to the head of the stairs with a glass of brandy, when he asked Mulligan to drink, but the latter covered him with his pistol, and shouting, •• Go down there, go down, quick ! for God's sake go down, quick !" &c, &c, compelled him to retreat, leaving the glass standing on the floor at the head of the stairs. Officers Ellis and' M'MiUan also attempted to ascend the stairs soon after, but were driven back in the same manner, and soon after they started diagonally across the sticet toward the north-east corner of Dupon and Clay, when Mulligan, running to a front window, opened it and fired, it is supposed, at them. The ball took effect in the besom of John Hart, who stood in the crowd, killing him on the spot. Meantime, Captain Lees had been consulting with District Attorney Porter as to shooting Mulligan, representing him truly as a wild beast, whose every minute's existence endangered the "life of peaceful men. Mr Porter advised the use of every effort to capture him alive, and a delay in resorting to extreme mcasm*cs was made accordingly. This delay cost Hart his life. Mulligan had now drank off the contents of the tumbler of brandy whioh had been left on the stairs by Denison, and Captain Lees resorted to tho measure of mixing a cocktail with a liquor which would have overpowered and stupified the drinker in a few minutes, and got to the door at the foot of the stairs with it, urging Mulligan to let him come up. Mulligan, however, was more furious than ever, and a long parley ensued, Mulligan holding the pistol pointed down the stairway, and calling out, " Go ! go quick, leave there !" &c, assuring Lees that he did not wish to kill him, but would do so if he did not get away. Other officers made attempts to get in to the building to capture him, but Mulligan was thoroughly on his guard, and would not be caught unawares. At length, while Lees and others were parleying with him at the bottom of the street, Mulligan stepoed quickly to the Clay- street front, through a narrow passage-way leading between two rooms to the balcony, and opening the window, was stepping out with his pistol raised, with the evident intention of firing into the crowd again, when Officer Hopkins, who stood in the window of the building opposito, seeing that no time was to be lost, raised his musket and fired. The bullet struck Mulligan in the left temple, and ho was dead in an instant. The coroner's jury returned a verdict of " Justifiable homicide."