Wayback Machine
Here is a look at the past. Items have been culled from The Chronicle’s archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.
1992
June 10: A San Francisco man alleged by police to be an enforcer for a violent Chinese gang will be arraigned in federal court on narcotics charges sometime in the next two weeks. Raymond (Shrimp Boy) Chow, an alleged leader of the Wo Hop To crime syndicate in San Francisco, was one of five men arrested on drug charges by FBI agents in Boston, New York and Atlantic City, N.J., last week. A report on Chinese organized crime groups prepared by the U.S. Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says Chow “is a wellknown source of muscle in the Asian gang scene in San Francisco.” June 5: Irish Pat Lawlor’s brief reign as “killer of legends” ended last night at Civic Auditorium when he was trashed in every round by World Boxing Organization champion John David Jackson and was not permitted to come out for the 10th round because of a cut eye. Lawlor, the Pride of the Sunset, had earlier victories over such formidable names as Wilfred Benitez and Roberto Duran — but against Jackson he was predictably outgunned. ... In what was billed as a semifinal bout, another “folk” hero came up short. Former NFL star Mark Gastineau was floored twice and given a standing eight count en route to an ignominious loss by decision to underdog Tim Anderson, a result that gratified the assembled 1,500 fans and turned their boos into cheers.
— Jack Fiske
1967
June 7: The Bay Area Rapid Transit District, which from its inception planned a seat for every passenger, nevertheless will make provision for standees, BARTs director of development, David Hammond reported yesterday. He explained at a meeting of BART’s Engineering Committee that “We’re anticipating the necessity for people to ride standing at least for short distances,” and hence handholds to steady the standees were being added. June 9: The State Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Assemblyman Willie Brown (Dem. S.F.) cannot automatically invoke his legislative privilege to postpone a hearing in a paternity suit against his client, basketball star Nate Thurmond. When Mamie Polite, legal guardian for the baby, yet unborn to her unwed sister, had a hearing set in San Francisco Superior Court for temporary support of the pregnant girl, Brown asked for and received a continuance because the legislature is in session. Yesterday, the high court ruled that the special law for lawyer members of the legislature — adopted in 1880 — is not mandatory. In the Thurmond case, said the court, “neither the birth of the child nor its needs for care and support can be postponed.” In a suit filed last February, attorney James J. Reilly charged that Thurmond, the center for the San Francisco Warriors, had fathered an unborn baby by Mrs. Polite’s minor sister Theresa Jackson, 19.
1942
June 5: The Government is preparing to crack down on landlords and rent gouging in San Francisco and the Bay Area, it was revealed yesterday. John Bohn, regional Office of Price Administration rent control director, said his office had received hundreds of complaints from San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Albany and Richmond officials that there was a widespread practice of landlords evicting tenants in the hope of raising rents for newcomers in preparation for possible imposition of a rent ceiling here. “But,” he warned, “landlords will not profit one penny. If a ceiling is established here it will be retrospective to March 1. Therefore any rent raises since that time would be cancelled.
“Dozens of families, many of them defense workers, are being seriously inconvenienced by this rush to raise rents.” Although there have been a great many evictions to effect rent rises in San Francisco, Bohn said the worst offenders have been near the Richmond and Alameda shipyards and other war industries. Bohn said that fair rent committees reported that landlords were evicting tenants claiming that they were “undesirable,” although in many cases they had occupied rented property as long as 10 years.
1917
June 4: “If any one wants to make trouble, we’re ready for them,” said United States District Attorney John W. Preston last night in speaking of preparations for possible trouble at military registration booths tomorrow. “Any one trying to persuade a man of military age not to register will be arrested. This does not mean simply that there will be secret service men at the booths to arrest any one who tries to make a disturbance there. If one man stops another down on Market Street and advises him to avoid registration, he is liable to arrest.
“Up to 9 o’clock tomorrow night no one will be arrested for neglecting to register, though he may be warned and watched. But promptly at 9 o’clock arrests of men of military age who cannot show a blue registration ticket will be made.
“We are ready for any disturbance or any form of agitation. If necessary, every man in the Government secret service here will be on duty.”