Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1879 — SAN FRANCISCO’S SENSATION. [ARTICLE]

SAN FRANCISCO’S SENSATION.

The city of San Francisco has just passed through a scene of turbulence and her people have been stirred to a degree of excitement that has not been witnessed on that coast since the days of vigilance committees and mobrule, when violence and bloodshed were of almost hourly occurrence, and law and order were unknown. The occasion of this wave of excitement was the shooting of Rev. Isaac 8. Kallocb,candidate of the Workingmen’s party for Mayor, bj Charles De Young, senior proprietor of the Chronicle newspaper. From the reports of the affair telegraphed to the- metropolitan press we glean the following particulars: After Kalloch was nominated by the workingmen of the city as their candidate for Mayor, Charles De Young, in a speech at the State Convention of the Honorable Bilks, announced that he would compel Kalloch’s withdrawal from the contest Subsequently he notified Kalloch that, unless he withdrew, he would rake up his record in the columns of the Chronicle. Kalloch sent back word for him to go ahead; that he could tell worse things about the De Yonngs than they could bring against him. On Wednesday last‘the' Chronicle came oat with a long article, reviewing Kalloch’s career in Bos on and Kansas, dwelling particularly on his reported amours, and also ventilating his political and business record. On Thursday and Friday the Chronicle contained similar and more elaborate articles, and dragged in Kalloch’s father, now dead, recounting sundry immoralities on his part Kalloch had advertised a mass-meeting at the Metropolitan Temple last night, at which it was given out he would read a copy of an article published some five years ago by B. F. Naphtaly in a little paper called the Sun. This article was an attack upon the personal and family record of the De Youngs of the most pronounced character, and led to an attempt on their part to kill Naphtaly, which failed. De Young sent Kalloch word that if he read that article he would shoot him on sight. Last night an immense audience gathered at the Metropolitan Temple, and the street outside was packed with a crowd numbering thousands. Kalloch addressed the in-door meeting, scoring the De Youngs mercilessly and reflecting on their personal records and family antecedents in the most direct manner. After adjourning the meeting in the hall he went outside, mounted a stand, and spoke briefly. After reviewing the attacks of the Chronicle mpon himself, he said: “In maligning the reputation of my father, who has filled an honorable grave for mauy years, these journalistic vipers have rendered the nmst vicious retaliation on my part necessary and justifiable. These disgraceful rooords make such an attack possible, and I am justified in pronouncing them the bastard progeny of a prostitute. ” Ho said he had the Sv n article in his pocket [Cries of “ Read it, read it]; ” but he did not wish to expend all his ammunition at once. It would be published immediately in full in the Workingmen’s paper, the Open Letter, and next Tuesday evening he would take it up and comment upon it. Charles De Young evidently considered the proceedings of the evening equal provocation to the actual reading of the article. He accordingly drove to the Metropolitan Temple in a coupe at a time when Kalloch was about stepping into a carriage with Carl Browne. De Young sent an American District messengerboy to him to say that a gentleman wished to speak with him.' As Kalloch approached the coupe De Young fired, hitting him in tho breast, just above the heart. Kailoch staggered and turned to escape. De Young fired again, hitting him in tho hip or thigh. It would appear that trouble had been anticipated, as quite a number of workingmen were in tho vicinity of tho Temple. They at once mads a rush for the coupe, seized the horses’ heads, and endeavored to get De Young out. He kept them at bay for a moment with his pistol. Meantime an officer arrived on the scene. The crowd seized the coupe and overturned it. As it went over De Young got out. He and the officer were at once attacked, the officer kuockeddown anddrampled on, and DeYoung beaten about the head and face, though not very seriously. The officer, De Young, and the drivor of the coupe struggled through the crowd amid cries, “Hang him!” “Kill him!” At the corner of Fifth »nd Market streets two more officers made their appearance, and with their assistance Do Young was taken to the Baldwin Hotel, and, escaping by the other entrance, got into a carriage and drove rapidly to the police station, the crowd following. De Young was at once taken to one of the tank halls, while a crowd, numbering thousands, surrounded the prison and evinced a desire to make an attack. Meantime the police rapidly assembled, ropes were stretched across the streets leading to the prison, and every preparation made to resist an attack. The Chief of Police at once called Gen. McComb in consultation. Gen. McComb ordered the military to assemble at their armories. News of the tragedy spread like wildfire through tho city, and the streets were soon crowded with excited throngs. Strong guards were placed over the Chronicle business and printing offices to prevent their being sacked. In the afternoon there was an immense gathering of workingmen, at which there was manifested a general desire to march on the jail, take De Young out and hang him. It was decided, however, to await the arrival of Dennis Kearney, who was a short distance out of the city, before proceeding to extremities. Kearney hastened back, arriving in the evening. He was met by a crowd of several thousand, who •received their leader with almost a frantic exhibition of joy. Three of the workingmen’s military companies, numbering 100 men, with rifles and fixed bayonets, were on hand as an escort. With Kearney at their head, the procession moved up Market street for the sand lots, filling the streets for several blocks, and making the air ring with cheers for Kearney and cries of “Hang De Youug.” Kearney addressed the excited multitude, advising the preservation of law an! order. His counsel was willingly accepted by the populace, and at the conclusion of the meeting the multitude quietly dispersed to their homes. Public sentiment seems mainly to run against De Young, partly on account of the manner of his attack, giving his victim no chance for defense or escape, and partly because the Chronicle in its assaults upon Kalloch has been abusive beyond all precedent in political campaigns. The Chronicle editorially contained the following defense of Charles De Young. “7o our political friends: For the information of the New Constitution party in the interior, where the affair between L 8. Kalloch and one of the proprietors of this paper may be altogether misunderstood, wo say that tho occurrence was entirely a personal matter, which in no sense whatever affects or concerns the political principles of the Chronicle ortho party which it supports. We put it to any brave and honorable man in this community, who has a mother or the memory of one, and who loves, respects and reveres her, if such language as that used by Kalloch in the hearing of thousands does not challenge and provoke personal chastisement to the death. It would be infinitely worse than death to boar such an insult put upon one’s mother, and no man has a right to give it without being prepared for the worst of consequences. The man who would not resent it is meaner than a dog, and tho mode of resentment in such cases is tho same throughout the civilized world. Let those who have made haste to condemn Charles De Young for shooting Kalloch calmly reflect upon all this—mentally put themselves in his place—and then say whether they desire that a slander-loving mob should be permitted to take this case out of the hands of the law.”