Brutal Waterfront Robbery Leaves Swedish Laborer Penniless

At about 1:00 o'clock yesterday morning, J. A. Johnson, a Swede employed as a laborer on the cable line, was garrotted and robbed in the alley near the Commercial Hotel, located near Southern and Commercial streets, by Frank Point and William Fair, both of whom have criminal records. Johnson had been spending the evening in the Schooner saloon on Washington street, and had thrown his money about very freely. He was quite intoxicated when he left the saloon and, when he reached Jackson street, instead of going toward the boarding house near which he lives, he turned down toward the harbor. As he passed Commercial street, Point and Fair, who had followed him from the Schooner saloon, came up and took hold of him, and despite his protests, dragged him into the alley beside the Commercial hotel. Point then grasped him by the throat and choked him until he was unconscious, and the blood gushed from his mouth, while Fair rifled his pockets of all the money he had. They also took his watch, breaking the ring by which it was attached to the chain before tearing it from him. They then carried him down to the foot of Main street, where they hid under the wharf. Johnson, as soon as he recovered from the attack, started up Jackson street for home as hard as he could run, and at the corner of South Third street was stopped by Officer Phillips, to whom he told his story. Capt. Bigelow was notified, and although Johnson could not give a very accurate description of the men, Point and Fair, who had in the meantime returned to Commercial street, were arrested on suspicion. They were positively identified by Johnson as his assailants, and the watchman at the Commercial street railroad crossing recognized them as the two men he had seen hiding under the wharf a few minutes after the robbery occurred. They had $10.75 between them when arrested, which was in itself a link of evidence against them, as they had both been without money earlier in the evening.