If you're worried about the current state of crime in San Francisco, a peek back in time might be just the ticket. We've rounded up SoMa crimes from the late 1800s and early 1900s, all collected from the San Francisco Call and ranging from minor burglaries to a customer-cheating plot by neighborhood milkmen.
Certain Only of a Broken Jaw, 9th July 1890
J. J. Beggs, a Los Gatos rancher, had his broken jaw-bone set yesterday at the Receiving Hospital. When he called for surgical aid he was dazed and appeared terribly frightened. He said he had been assaulted by a gang of hoodlums either on Kearny Street, near Pacific or south of Market, but he was so terrified that he could not be more positive. (source)
Celebrated His Honeymoon, 23rd August 1896
John Roundtree, 245 Minna Street, got married Friday night and celebrated the event by drinking too much liquor. While in a lodging house south of Market Street early yesterday morning, he fell down the elevator shaft, a distance of about thirty feet, and escaped with contusions on his shoulder, left arm and right ankle. He was taken to the Receiving Hospital and later went home to his bride. (source)
Burglary South of Market, 14th July 1900
A stationery store kept by Mary Koehloderfer at 743 Brannan St. was entered by burglars Saturday night. The cash register was broken open and the contents, amounting to $4.00, taken. An entrance was effected by prying open a rear window with a jimmy. (source)
Quality of Milk Differs, 12th July 1901
Chief Food Inspector Brown claims to have discovered that the milk dairies are supplying two qualities of milk to the Inhabitants of this city. Brown says that the people living south of Market Street and in the poorer sections are supplied with inferior milk, while their more fortunate brethren in the aristocratic neighborhoods receive a better grade of the lacteal fluid for the same money. When a driver was pressed for a reason for this apparent discrimination, he informed Brown that the people south of Market Street did not know the difference. Brown says the practice is an outrage and he will deal summarily with the milkmen who put water in their milk. (source)
Death From Cocaine Poisoning, 12th July 1901
Frank Forbes, a morphine fiend, died yesterday in the Emergency Hospital from the effects of an overdose of cocaine taken with suicidal Intent. Forbes was taken from a South of Market lodging-house on Wednesday night and treated by Dr. Morrison for poisoning. (source)
Boy Thief Arrested, 19th July 1904
Joseph Lefwich, 15 years old, was arrested yesterday by Detective Silvey and Officer Hutton of the Juvenile Court. He is wanted for a number of petty thefts committed of merchants in the section of the city south of Market Street. His name was entered on the detinue book and he was transferred to the juvenile ward at the Emergency Hospital. Lefwich is one of a gang of small boys who have been responsible for many larcenies committed of late In stores south of Market Street. (source)
Robbed Twice, Arrested, Then Loses Wife, 13th October 1913
Thomas Wlchand of Winnipeg lost $2,370 and a wife yesterday. He was arrested for raising a disturbance in Mission Street and told the police he had been robbed of $170 and later had $2,000 more taken in a fracas south of Market Street. He said that he was staying at the Argonaut with his wife, but when the police called up the hotel, she, like the money, was missing. (source)
