took'em too long!
HOW LOOTING WAS HINDERED.
One thing to be strictly guarded against in those days of destruction was the outbreak of lawlessness. A city as large as San Francisco is sure to hold a large number of the brigands of civilization, a horde who need to be kept under strict discipline at all times, and especially when calamity lets down for the time being the bars of the law, at which time many of the usually law- abiding would join their ranks if any license were allowed. The authorities made haste to guard against this and certain other dangers, Mayor Schmitz issuing on Wednesday the following proclamation:
"The Federal troops, the members of the regular police force and special police officers have been authorized to kill any and all persons engaged in looting or in the commission of any other crime.
"I have directed all the gas and electric lighting companies not to turn on gas or electricity until I order them to do so. You may, therefore, expect the city to remain in darkness for an indefinite time.
"I request all citizens to remain at home from darkness until daylight every night until order is restored.
"I warn all citizens of the danger of fire from damaged or destroyed chimneys, broken or leaking gas pipes or fixtures or any like causes."
He also ordered that no lights should be used in the houses and no fires built in the houses until the chimneys had been inspected and repaired.
There was need of vigilance in this direction, for the vandals were quickly at work. Routed out from their dens along the wharves, the rats of the waterfront, the drifters on the back eddy of civilization, crawled out intent on plunder. Early in the day a policeman caught one of these men creeping through the window of a small bank on Montgomery Street and shot him dead. But the police were kept too busy at other necessary duties to devote much time to these wretches, and for a time many of them plundered at will, though some of them met with quick and sure retribution.
STORIES BY SIGHTSEERS.
One onlooker says: "Were it not for the fact that the soldiers in charge of the city do not hesitate in shooting down the ghouls the lawless element would predominate. Not alone do the soldiers execute the law. On Wednesday afternoon, in front of the Palace Hotel, a crowd of workers in the mines discovered a miscreant in the act of robbing a corpse of its jewels. Without delay he was seized, a rope obtained, and he was strung up to a beam that was left standing in the ruined entrance of the hotel. No sooner had he been hoisted up and a hitch taken in the rope than one of his fellow-criminals was captured. Stopping only to obtain a few yards of hemp, a knot was quickly tied, and the wretch was soon adorning the hotel entrance by the side of the other dastard.
"These are the only two instances I saw, but I heard of many that were seen by others. The soldiers do all they can, and while the unspeakable crime of robbing the dead is undoubtedly being practiced, it would be many times as prevalent were it not for the constant vigilance on all sides, as well as the summary justice."
Another observer tells of an instance of this summary justice that came under his eyes:
"At the corner of Market and Third Streets on Wednesday I saw a man attempting to cut the fingers from the hand of a dead woman in order to secure the rings which adorned the stiffened fingers. Three soldiers witnessed the deed at the same time and ordered the man to throw up his hands. Instead of obeying the command he drew a revolver from his pocket and began to fire at his pursuer without warning. The three soldiers, reinforced by half a dozen uniformed patrolmen, raised their rifles to their shoulders and fired. With the first shots the man fell, and when the soldiers went to the body to dump it into an alley nine bullets were found to have entered it." The warning this severity gave was accentuated in one instance in a most effective manner. On a pile of bricks, stones and rubbish was thrown the body of a man shot through the heart, and on his chest was pinned this placard:
"Take warning!"
http://www.fdungan.com/frisco.htm
"They" are just doing the looting the Mexicans won't do.
Should have been declared the night of the hurricane.
Martial Law in New O'Leans = Red Rover, Red Rover, here's the line, I DARE you to cross over ... OK, here's the next line. Sounds like a Clinton Policy.
It's about time!
The city is smashed to pieces and soaked in sewage and NOW he says so.
Good GRIEF, what a moron. Why can't he at least have the cojones to admit he can't handle the job and instead just resign?
Jeez, really? Its like he just ran outside and realized it had been raining.
What a maroon.
Until they're shot like rats, I'll believe it is a hack PR stunt for the TV crews to report.
It is high time......there were reports of guns & AK47s looted from stores & roving mobs of armed looters.
Pray for the poor people of New Orleans!
WTF was he waiting for? Such an a-hole. Whoa...the mayor speaks and the waters part. How freekin sickening!!!
NOW SHOTS ARE BEING FIRED AT HELOCOPTERS- SUSPENDING EVACUATION OF SUPERDOME.
SEE THIS OTHER POST FOR DETAILS.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1474728/posts