SFist: nugget o' history: Anniversary of a Flesh Wound

davey k

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 22:27:51 -0800

"Though the bizarre affair ended up with bullets in two men and one dead guy, nobody ever went to prison. Nobody, that is, except the witness at Kalloch's trial, who was eventually convicted for perjury." And that's different from todaaayy... how?

guest

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:30:06 -0800

In 1856, Charles De Young was all of 10 years old. He founded the Chronicle when he was 19 years old along with his 16 year old brother. The teenagers scoop the rest of the SF press when one of them was hanging out at the telegraph office on April 16th of 1865, and news of Abe Lincoln's assassination came over the wires. Right then and there, their little theater advert became a big deal.

guest

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:58:18 -0800

According to that Encyclopedia SF article, Charley came back to the City in 1860. They say he got into it with people who had moved on to his land while he was gone and was still shooting people and getting shot in 1873. I assume you can't Google those early editions of the Chron. Does anyone know if they're archived anywhere? - Jeremy_NotSFist

guest

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:47:04 -0800

fizzandpop

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:11:26 -0800

Is that an etching of an olde timey drive-by? The brigand bearing the sidearm appears to be rolling on 40s.

sfist_richard

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:22:34 -0800

That's a great question, Jeremy - Dutch Charley was one of the guys who got kicked out of town by the second committee of Vigilance in 1856; since the Chronicle was founded in 1865, if De Young tangled with him it was as a private citizen rather than an editor. Dutch Charley wrote a memoir called "Against the Vigilantes" which I'm dying to read...

guest

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:11:31 -0800

Yeah, cool story. That kind of feuding reminds me of the story about Dutch Charley Duane over at the Encyclopedia of San Francisco. Dutch Charley was the SF fire chief for awhile, as well as being a political bully, or "shoulder striker." That article has stories about gun fights over land disputes about Alamo Square and Golden Gate Park. Richard: Did Dutch Charley and De Young ever cross paths? - Jeremy_NotSFist

Leanne

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:06:28 -0800

"'CSI San Francisco' was unfortunately not yet on hand to examine the weapon." How about "Nash Bridges?" :)

baldguy

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:04:29 -0800

Attention childrens...history is fun!

OrangeDrink

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:01:40 -0800

Yay!

sfist_richard

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:45:42 -0800

Coming soonish to Sparkletack.com!

davey k

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:27:42 -0800

What a great story! MORE PLEASE!