The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, June 13, 1895, Page 9

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1895. 9 THE GRAND JURY FILES ITS FINAL REPORT, An Interesting Docu- ment Submitted to Judge Hebbard. MANY ABUSES CRITICIZED The Greater Number of Mu- nicipal Offices Roundly Scored. DIVES AND BSOCIAL EVILS. Engineer Holmes and the County Clerk Object—Juryman Mayer Talks. The Grand Jury made its final report to Judge J. C. B. Hebbard at 3 o’clock yester- day afternoon. The document is an ex- haustive review of municipal affairs, and embraces every office and department in the City, praising a few, but severely censuring the majority. Judge Hebbard thanked the jury for its faithful work, dwelling at length on the long session and consequent neglect of business and home associations. The jury was then dismissed, and at the same time d from jury duty of any kind for a period of twelve months. The report presented to Judge Hebbard was not unanimous, though it was practi- cally so. Juryman H. Mayer dia not like certain features in it, and at the last moment refused to affix his signature. The report, as filed with Judge Hebbard yester- day, is substantially as follows: SAN Fraxcisco, June 12, 1895. Honorable J. C. B. Hebbard, Acting Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of the City and County of San Francisco: Sie: The members of the Grand Jury, im- paneled by you December 14, 1894, respect- fully submit the following report* Election Frauds. The first two months of the life of this jury wera taken up in the consideration of the frauds at the election last fall. Primarily, the cause of all the trouble has been in the charac- ter of the officers chosen, and for that the Board of Election Commissioners are to blame. Instead of commencing the work early in the vear, and taking time to get honest and capa- le citizens, the work of selection had been de- layed until the two months prior to the elec- tion, and then the lists of the County Commit- tee and of a Registrar, who in the past had been appointed because his principal qualifi- cation had been to fuggle with the election re- turns, were taken as the official lists. The Mayor made an effort to have officers with proper qualifications appointed, but Reg- istrar Evans defied the power of the Election Commissioners and appointed the men on the list furnished by the political bosses, The returns were juggled with and kept back in a manner which was very suspicious, to say the least; but the boldest attempt was made when the Registrar refused to forward the certified returns of the Governor's vote to Sacramento; and he did not recede from his position until investigated by Mayor Ellert &nd a committee from the Grand Jury. Itisto be hoped that the Non-Partisan Election Com. mission which is to_be appointed by Mayor Sutro in July will deal with the question of election officers in a business-like manner, and appoint as members of the various election boards the substantial citizens and taxpayers instead of the r\olhouseflpollflclnns and primary election ballot-box stuffers. If the Judges of the Superior Court would co- operate with the Election Commissioners, and hold forth as an inducement for honest and capable men to serve on an election board ex- emption from jary duty for .the subsequent vear, competent boards could be got to serve, and the expenses of the City would be mate- ally decreased, because competent and relia- e men, who would remain sober, could do e work in about half the time, During the examination of this body into the frauds in the different precincts, the officers, in a majority of the cases, were found to be lamentably ignorant, and did not seem, in very many instances, to be alive to the duties of their positions. They worked in two shifts, and both were positive that the frauds were not perpetrated during the time they were on duty. With twelve men doing duty as election officers, each swearing _that he had no knowledge of the frauds, and unable even to surmise how it had been done, the difficulty under which this body labored must be apparent. However, in several {nstances, we succeeded in obtaining evidences of fraud, the most notable one being the Fourth Precinet of the Twenty-eighth Assembly District. There we hed the fact that the recount in the vote for County Clerk showed that eighty-seven votes had been stolen from one candidate and given to another; and, further, that persons directly interested ' in the successful candidate for County Clerk, and not members of the election bhoard, had hustled the regularly appointed election officers out of the booth and had taken their places and counted the votes. Indictments were returned, and the Grand Jury had performed its duty. The presiding Judge of the Superior Court as- signed the cases of the two most directly in- terested in the frauds, one of whom had been rewarded by & deputyship in the County Clerk's , to Judge Bahrs, who had just been elected to the bench, and who, being a party to the election, should not have tried clecl?‘un— fraud cases. A demurrer to the indictment was sustained, and the doctrine was judicially put forth that a person not a regulerly sworn officer of election could perpetrate almost any fraud and he could not be punished. Feeling that this was a most flagrant case of law-breaking, and that it violated one of the fundamental principles of onr Government, the jury returned another indictment, and it was assigned to an- other department. What the infinence was which caused Juage Belcher to dismiss it with- outhearing any of the evidence cannot be dis- covered, but it wonld certainly appear, by the continuances which are granied in election- fraud cases, that some great power is at work— & power which seems to be effective enough to almost paralyze the courts. Another brauch of election frauds in which this body took considerable interest was the cases of hotel stuffing, in which Bteinberger, a deputy registrar, took a prominent rt. He was indicted with his accomplice Cohen, and their cases were assigned to Judge Wallace's department. There political pull or outside interference did not seem to work, the indiet- ments were held to be good, aud the’persons charged were found guilty. 'Several aitempts were made to obtain a confession from Stein- berger, and two or three times, through the ef- forts of his friends, he was on the point of tell- ing how and atwhose instigation the frauds were perpetrated; but at the last moment, on & promise of reliefto come from the Supreme Court, and that he would be admitted to bail and the cases would be allowed to drag until they bad been forgotten, he refused to make the confession. Singular to relate, about two weeks ago certificates of probable cause were granted both men by the Supreme Court, and application for bail was made to Judge Wal- lace. A representative of the District Attor- ney’s office appeared willing :to allow Cohen, the -wnmglica of Slexnbemr, to be admitted 10 bail in the sum of $10, , and the applica- tion was taken under consideration by Judge Wallace. The matter was brought to’ the at- tention of the Grand Jury, and this body re- quested Mr. Barnes to resist the application to admit to bail. The knowledge of Steinberger as to what the Supreme Court’s action would be might be only a coincidence, but it is one which appears to be rather glngular. It is a fact which has come to the notice of thi!}nry that & person who had been convicted of & crime in 1888 was released on a writ of probable cause issued by the Supreme Court, and he is still under bonds. His case has neither been dismissed nor retried. With this case in mind it can be readily understood how the cases of Stein- berger and Cohen, once they were admitted to bail, might be allowed to run on for years. Of course, such people are only the tools of crafty masters, who manipulate elections and thwart the will of the Seuple, but they do their work so carefully and seemingly have such great influence in the courts that it is an im- possibility to catch them. Their tools know or #re evidently satisfied with the representations of such infiuence, for they would rather suffer the disgrace of an indictment than give away ln%of heir su) ,rgcrm"”y ‘e had muc! sa! us that the bosses visited various booths in different parts of the City after the polls had closed, but we were unable to obtain sufficient evidence on which, to base an indictment. It also seems a pity that the du of such men should suffer for their sins while their masters are at liberty, but it is only by making such work costly that it can be prevented. The report relating te the City and County Hospital 5 lished in th:%un.h“ Sty bom b Police Department. We have had several charges made agains: the police authorities and have cl.re!nfiy in‘: Yestigated sll accusations made by the minis- ters and by the press, and, while there appears to be much to condemn in the conduct of police affairs, we could not secure any evi- ence against anybody which would bs sufi. cient on which to base an indictment or to fasten the wrongdoing upon any partioular member of the department. For a while it appeared as if the Legislatare would take some action tending toward 8 pub- lic investigation, and while the agitation look- ing to that end was in progress this bedy took 1o action which would in any way interfere with the efforts of the Civic Federation to at- tain that object. When the possibility of leg- islative action fell through this again took up the work andinvited the Civie Eederw- tion, who managed the legislative fight, to pre- sent their facts to the Grand Jury. The presi- dent, Mr. L J. Truman, stated that they had nothinz which they could support by legal evi- dence, and would need a Lexow investigation which would permit of searching Anguiry. He expressed the greatest confidence in the honesty of Chief Crowley, butdeclared thathe had many men under him and in his confi- dence who could bear watching. The confi- dence expressed by the president of the Civic Federation in the Chief of Police appears to be entertained generally by citizens of the County. The recommendation is also made that cagtams and sergeants over 60 be retired and that the detective force be reorgan- ized. Police Courts. During the session of this body many com- plaints were made about the maladministra- tion of justice in the department of the Police Court presided over by Judge Campbell. Persons charged with crime who were also possessed of a Iittle political pull were able to get continuance after continuance, until the prosecution lost all patience and abandoned their cases, or in their desperation appealed for relief to the Grand Jury. Week after week complaints were made to the jury about the actions in this department, and finally a most flagrant case caused Judge Campbell to be summoned. It appeared that a woman known as Katie Cooper or Fletcher, a half-interest swindler, whose husband was released on a straw bond by Judge Bahrs, appeared with bondsmen before Judge Cnmpbelf. An old men named Twiggs, who owned a piece of property on Bernal Heights, qualified s one of the sureties in the sum of $1500; two others who are unknown to fame, or to the Po- lice Judge and attorney who got them on the bond, qualified in & like amount. Twiggs had been released from the Clt{lhl!on alsoon a bond by Campbell to go on the Fletcher bond, and after he had served his pirpose was sent back there, and a few days later to the County Jail for six months on & charge of battery. The Fletcher woman immediately left the City. Judge Campbell -had no explanation tooffer other than that he had been imposed upon. Haying no proof to the contrary the jury was { forced to_accept the explanation. Scarcely a week had passed when another notorious swindler was permitted to leave the State by Judge Campbell, under circumstances whi Were thonght to be suspicious. Some three months;ago a gentleman from Mexico came to this City in quest of medical attention. At the train he was met by one Frank Pierce, a notorious bunko-steerer and confidence man, who treated the sick man very kindlyand escorted him to his hotel. By the tricks which bunko-steerers employ Pierce got $1100 of the visitor's money s was arrested by the police and his case as- hi;l‘lcd to Judge Low’s department. On an effort being made to have Pierce released on straw bonds, Judge Low bad Detective Graham notify the other judges of the police courts of the attempt made to release Pierce on straw bonds, The detective also explained that Pierce ‘Was a notorious bunko-steerer, and detailed the facts in connection with his crime. With the others Judge Campbell was notified, and he agreed to refer all parties coming to him to Judge Low. Despite the warning and his promise, that same evening, in the saloon of his bailiff, Judge Campbell accepted worthless sureties on a bond, and Pierce made haste to leave the State. When Judge Campbell appeared before the jury to answer thischarge he again pleaded ignorance, and finally made the statement that he could not see why such a fuss was being made oversuch a_little matter; that, if an American went to Mexico, he would be bunkoed Worse. An accusation stating the facts, and asking that Judge Campbell be removed from office, was presented to Presiding Judge Sander son of the Superior Court. A trial was had, £nd, despite the facts as stated above, Judge Campbell was exonerated anf pubHely. com- mended for baving taken so much trouble as 10 go to his bailiff's saloon at night to accept a worthless bond. Such action on the vart of the sworn officers of the law will nullify the good work of any body of citizens banded to- gether to induce people of means to visit this City either for pleasure or investment. How such actions can ba commended is a mystery, and it is by such that Judges and courtsare brought into contempt by the people. We would recommend that the police author- ities detail officers to examine into the qualifi- cations of sureties on bonds, so that worthless characters cannot ply their trade any longer. Itis e pleasure to say that we found Judges Conlan, Low and Joachimsen attentive toduty, and that nots single appeal was taken from their courts to the Grand Jury. The Ferry Foundation. The investigation of the charges preferred regarding the work being performed by the contractors on the ferry foundations consumed & great deal of our time, and revealed the fact that the contractors have notlived up to the conditions and specifications under which the contracts were let; that the Board of Harbor Commissioners—Messrs. Bassett. Cole and Al- exander—did not use judgment in the prepa- ration of these plans, particularly in allowing too much power in the hands of the chief en- gineer, nor have the officials whose duty it was 1o inspect this work atiended properly to their duties. Undoubtedly, through the lack of obsery- ance of the specifications, the people of this State have been put to a greatand unneces- sary expense. While a scientific test shows that the foundations were strong enough to support the buildings as contemplated, there is no reason for doubting what has been clearly proven, viz.: that the rock as used (gray rocl from Telegraph Hill), the manner of its de- livery ‘not washed or cleaned), and_the way it ‘was mixed, have not beea in accordance with the specifications. The fact that rock not coming up to the speci- fications and accepted by the chief engineer was obtained from & quarry owned by him is certainly worthy of comment. The investigation disclosed that when the contractors, Harbor Commissioners, architect or engineer were asked as to who should be Tesponsible for the work as performed, it in- variably was placed upon the engineer. We think the Board of Harbor Commissioners should pass upon or reject any part of this work, and their official authority certainly gives them this right. We found that about the only work per- formed by the architect, A.Page Brown, after he turned the plans and specifications over to the Board of Harbor Commissioners was to put in a bill, which was paid by the board. Accord- ing to his sworn testimony he rarely visite@® the work, and, like all the others, shifted all the responsibility on to the chief engineer. The fact that the material and mixing, to- rether with the balance of the work as now be- ng performed, has greatly improved since this Grand Jury commenced to look into it has shown the advantage of our investigations. That such an investigation was needed, and that it was distasteful to some of the parties in- terested, is shown by the bitter attacks throngh the news})lpers on some of the People who were girectly interested in getting iacts for this in- vestigation. Perhaps the most bitter of these attacks was directed against C. J. Stilwell, who faithfully performed his duties under instruc- tions from this body, and who was in no way connected with the investigation except asa peid officer. We desire to thank the chief executive, Gov- ernor J. H. Budd, for his kind interest and as- sistance in this investigation, and will close this report suggesting that particularattention be given the ferry foundations and contem- plated buildings by the officials in charge. Fire Department. It is & pleasure tor this body to be able to state that, during the many meetings held to investigate election frauds, not a single men- tion of the members of the Fire Department meddling in politics has been heard. This state of affairs is highly creditable to Chief Sullivan and his staff, and one which should be very satisfactory to the citizens of this City. Under the efficient management of Chief Sul- livan the department has steadily improved until n&w i: wé‘l,l c%m are favorably with that of any city in the Union. n.l losa’el have been reduced !temfll{ dur- ing the past three years, each year show. 35 8 decrease from the preceding one: $1,098,- 156 97 in 1892, $967,339 in 1893, and §849,373 94 in 1894, ‘We believe that it is owing in part to the efli- ciency of the deparimentand the consequent lessening of risks and losses that the people of this City have been able to get such reduced insurance rates during the past few months. Among the many reforms inaugurated by the present management that of standpipes on all large buildings isone that should bestrictly enforced and the Board of Supervisors shou! be very to thoroughly investigate be- fore they grant permission to leave them off a bnilding. By them a connection can be made immediately on the arrival of the department instead of wasting fiftecn or twenty minutes in hauling 150 feet of hose to the top of a build- ing. value of the standpipe was demon- strated at the fire in the Baldwin Hotel a few days ago and no big building should be with- ou it. Dives and Social Evils. In dea“n%"“h the social evil it has been the aim of this body to impress upon the police suthorities the necessity of compelling the women of the town who occupy the cribs along Morton and Dupont streets and the alleys ad- jacent thereto to remove to other and more secluded neighborhoods. The district com- plained of is surrounded by churches and schools and is in the heart of the retail district, where the mothers of the city are forced to go to do their shopping. When accompanied by their children the sights they witness and the sounds they are compelled to hear are both shocking and embarrassing. In this connec- tion we have suggested to the police that there are many abandoned residence districts where the women of the half world might be com- pelled to take up their abode and where their presence would not be demoralizing to the youth of both sexes. When we commenced our lnvemgnion we found next the Commercial High School, on the corner of Bush and Stockton streets, two houses—one an assignation-house of the lowest character, whose proprietress boasted of the opportunities offered her by being so close to0 & scbool which had for its pupils girls from 15 t0 18 years of age; the other a house of the ordinary character, which had been there for twenty-five years. ‘The proprietors of both places boasted of their pull, but after a shuq- gle which lasted some six weeks Sergeant Gi len secured the necessary evidence and ar- rested the proprietor of the Little Casino, and the house was abandouned. Chief Crowley notified the proprietress of the other house to vacate, and she did so. Censure is due the po- lice for hAvln%'pen_nlltefl these places. We believe that similar action on the part of the police would have a beneficial effect. The greatest obstacle in the way of regulating these women_ comes from the property-owner who rents his house to these people. The rents they have to pay is simply enormous, one piece on_Morton street 20x60 bringing 'its owner $270 per month. These people, many of them of standing in the community, bring all the pressure and influence at thleir command to ar on the police authorities to exempt their places. It was for the purpose of bringing this matter to the attention of the people that this and the actual supplies furnished to the de- partment for the various schools, it became a) parent that the contract list did not contain more than 25 per cent of actual supplies used in and about the School Department. ‘We found that many articles contracted for were not used, and we suggest that a complete, accurate and full list of all articles and sup- lies needed for the department be complied rom the stock ledger, which is kept in the de- partment storerooms, from which the qualities and actual quantities of all supplies can be readily and easily ascertained,and submitted to the bidding of six Or more contractors. We are decidedly opposed to the idea and practice of having & permanent architect in the employ of the Board of Education. It would be far better to have the designs and draughts of various architects submitted to the board, thus insuring a greater variety of ideas and architectural beauty to select from, and far better designed public schools. Most of the present buildings are monstrosities and illy construeted, not adapted to the pres- ent wants of the department, and, being old and worn out, are exceedingly expensive to Keep in repair. No foes, commissions or percentage should be allowed or paid to the architect for his services in the matter of painéln , 88 me cl;snrmnn oé Buildings and Grounds Committee is su; to nt!ergxd to such matters; nor .houfl the architect be allowed any percentage on ma- terials used in frepnin. 'his has been the usual custom heretofore. In investigating the telephone billy we learned that various chairmen were supplied with telephones, not only in their places of business, but also in their dwellings, the City paying the bills. 3 Vo telephone should be placed at the City's expense in the office or dwelling of any mem- ber or clerk connected with the Board of Edu- cation. Telephones are & Decessity in the sec- retary’s office and at the storeroom, and_all others used elsewhere are mere luxuries. This Would do away with heavy and excessive bills for local and territorial switching. The rapia safety filters are too costly and that company should make a rebate on the twenty filiers during the vacations, when they are not in use. We found that many small jobs that snould have been done by the department employes had been executed by outside firms, and, in- & WILLIAM H. GAGAN, FOREMAN OF THE GRAND JURY. | body filed presentments against the owners of much of this property. They at once secured able attorneys and took the cases to the Su- reme Court to test the right of the Grand ury to take such action. We also found, through the efforts of the Civic Federation, that disgusting exhibitions were being nightly iven by abandoned women which made San Francisco natorious wherever tourists, met. Presentments were slso filed against these women, and they also appealed to the Supreme Court for relief. We cannot too forcibly condemn the side- entrance saloons. They are a menace to the rosperity of the city. Young women are in- Guced to visic them, and Jaany & girl who would have been an ornament to society has been ruined through them. Respectable mer- chants and_saloon-keepers should co-operate with good citizens generally for the purpose of suppressing these dens of iniguity. Gambling, Oplum-Dens and Lotteries. Strict attention has been paid to all reports that have reached the Grand Jury regarding gembling, lotteries and opium dens. The hearty co-operation of the heads of the Police Department has peen had; still this body be- lioves that gambling is going on under the eyes of some of the police officials. Many laces have been closed, and other places &nt are suspected but of which no evidence could be goiten that would have secured con- viction have been listed for the benefit of the next Grand Jury. There are many forms of gambling that do not seem to be a crime, and it is these games of chance that cause the public to think gam- bling is unrestricted. The action of Wells, Fargo & Co. in co-operating with the Postoffice Department in refusing to carry lottery tickets or transact business with lotteries i$ highly commendable. This has, to some extent, ham- pered the lottery companies, but the evil still exists and perhaps always will. If the banks and collection exchanges would join with the Government in this matter the results would be of great public benefit. The tact that newspapers continue to pub- lish notices of lotteries is a crying shame, but we are advised that it is not within the rovince of thé Grand Jury to indict, as the aw is not made to cover more than a misde- meanor in these cases. This jury desires to express to the reop\e of the City the commendable course of such of the dailies as have now retused to advertise the drawings of the various lottery companies. It is to be hoped thet other proprietors will, in justice to themselves and to the public, follow this good example, which will go well in the line of progress this State is now making. The recommendation of the Grand Jury is that the Legisiature make the sale of lottery tickets and advertising and aiding the lottery business & felony, instead of a misdemeanor, and the verdict of the majority of a trial jury sufficient for conviction. Meanwhile the faith- ful administration of the law, the lre?‘ucncg of prosccution and the severity of punishment by fmprisonment as well as fines in every case of conviction under the present statutes, would have & healthier effect in restricting the spread, if not entirely suppressing this great evil. Street Department. This Grand Jury recommends that the Board of Supervisors lease_or acquire suitable pieces of property for public toilet uses, and the Su- rintendent of Streets agrees to see to it that uring his term of office all such places ara properly kept without any additional expense to the City. We have no doubt that Mr. Ash- worth is desirous of giving the City good and honest servige; but nevertheless we find that, in spite of s good intentions, some of his as- sistants an§f deputies are not so carefully se- lected as ey mlfim be, and unless Mr, Ashworth oversees them more closely, and the work on which they report, crooked and dis- honest work in the Street Department is bound to creep in. For samples of such work, and in proof of our statements, we refer to & block that is being concreted on Army street, crossing Mission. This concrete is a mere shell, and does not come up to the speci- fications, It can be dug up with a stick with- out effort. The cesspool openings should be five feet and six inches deep, and they are only five feet and three inches deep. And yet this piece of work was reported by the deputy as coming up to the specifications in every detail. This work should not be accepted. On Elwood street, off O’Farrell, one short block of bituminous pavement was accepted on Febiuary 25 by James A. Dobbie. The in- yestigation showed that in one place, in the middle of the street, the bituminous rock was one inch thick, in the second Plu:s one and a half inches thick. The investigation made in the gutter showed that the bituminous rock was two and a quarter inches thick. The ecifications called tor two and a half inches all over. The bituminous rock was laid by A. J. Raisch, The price was 22 cents per foot. In this case it is evident that Deputy James A. Dobbie cannot and should not be relied on by the Superintendent of Streets. Other g visited by your committee, though they do noteome up to the contract and cations, yet are fairly well done, hence we omit details. The property-owners are to biame in most cases where such jobs are rushed through, as they do not seem to take any interest in what is going on, and allow these frauds to be carried out without protest T oflicials. ‘We would also suggest to the Park Commis- sioners that additional places for toilet pur- poses be sent apart in Golden Gate Park, and more drinking fountains be erected. School Department. Having made & close scrutiny of contracts ¢ ’ stead of furnishing materials at the lowest possible market rates, the charges were all excessive. !W}:: believe the rental of gas regulators is too n our investigation of school repairs we found that a majority of repair bills were under the $200 limit, and_also that two or more bills were rendered for the same work, each describing & section of such work. his we were informed was purposely done to avoid the cost ot advertising for bids, as the rules of the board require, but possibly the Buildings and Grounds Committee could be{'er explain this method of breaking the rules. A very important item of cost, and one that sermln %0 be unfathomable, has been the coal supply. .\Po one can positively state how much coa] has been received at any particular time on account of its not being weighed at its recep- tion by either the principal or janitor, they merely receiving a duplicate tag upon whic! the weight is written. We suggest that some onel be assigned to the duty of weighing the coal. Board of Supervisors. We have not had much time to devote to the Board of Supervisors, but have carefully inves- tigated all charges made against that body. The same charges of corruption and malfess- ance in office which have been numerous for ears were made, but we could get no definite information, nor'were we able o get corrobor- ative witnesses. We heard through Super- visors Demond and Spreckels that transactions having a gcculiu appearance had gone through the board, and also that Behrend Joost, who ‘was seeking a franchise for an extension of the San Francisco and San Mateo Railroad, had been referred, through Sufiervilor Morgen- stern, to his attorney, John H. Dickinson, who was also the attorney for other members of the board. Mr. Joost repeated the statement to this body. Joost further stated that he had all of that kind of experience he wanted and refused to see Dickinson. Supervisor Morgenstern cor- roborated Mr, Joost’s statement, but said that he and Joost had been iriends for twenty years and when he found him in trouble he recom- mended him to go to Dickinson, as the latter had done valuable services for him in showing him how to file his bond and other things which are necessary tor a Supervisor to_know. He fra.nklg told the Jury about the solid eight 2s it was first organized on party lines by Mr. Spreckels and afterward for the spoils of office, such as patronage, by a combination of Repub- licans and Democrats. He vehemently declared that the solid eight, as at present constituted, was & combination solely for the proper am equitable disposition of the patronage’ co: nected with the office of Supervisor. We had chufiel from Mayor Sutro against the Lake Merced property of the Spring Valley Water Company. He charged that the water- shed leading to the lake was in a filthy condi- tion, and that it was dangerous to life’to have the citizens drinking that water, and he asked that the lake be condemned. A majority of this body visited the locality, accompmle({by the expert of the Mnror and Engineer Schus- sler of the Spring Valley Water Company. We found that the surrounding territory con- tained a number of ranches which drained into the lake and polluted the water. Mr. Schussler said he had a remedy for that,and that was to build & bulkhead across the natural drain st the head of the lake, and then by means of a tunnel to the ocean carry off all the drainage of the watershed, ~He said that enough water couid be obtained from springs in the lake and by artesian wells to furnish a water supply to the City for three months in caseall other luspnen were shut off. Realiziug that such & body of fresh water 80 close to the City was of inestimable value, this body was loath to condemn it, and the resident of the company was summoned be- ore the jury to make & definite statement about the intention of the company, He stated that no water had been pumped from the lake since January, and agreed not to use any until the improvements spoken of were made, and also to give & written guarantee that the work would be done. The following guarantee was given, and we are pleased to say that the work isat present being pushed night and day: taregular meeting of the tiusteesof the B}xring Valley Water Works, held at the office of the company on the 25th day of April, 1895, on motion of ‘Mr. Bigelow, seconded by Mr. P Resoised, That the plans of olved, That the plans of our engineer for 'WOrkS to protect Lake Merced from = l?:lhm, embracing a tunnel from the southerly lake to the ocean, and a masonry conduit from Colma Creek to said tunnel, be accepted, and that the company smceed at once to acquire the right of way and build the same. W. H. Gagan ., Foreman of the Grand Jury, San’ Francisco, Cak.— DEAR STE: According £ moml.ln I have had an analysis made of the water the upper lake and the lower lake in Golden Gate Park. The result as given by Thomas Price & Son you will find tn their inclosed repart, which 1 shouid like to have returned to me after’ inspec- tion by the Grand Jury. It :rpem therefrom that the water 15 not absolutely bad, but, as he says, may become s0. Respectfuily yours, ApoLrx SuTO. County Clerk, ‘We find the number of deputies and clerks employed in the office of the County Clerk to be sixty-seven, a number which we believe can and should be reduced without detriment to the efficiency of the office. The expense of carrying on the office of the incumbent for the first five months of his term $8937 37 has been $44,686 85, or an average of \ ~ per month, as against $32,876 50 for the same time, or $6575 30 per month, of his predeces- sor. The County Clerk’s attention was called to. great excess oi expense as compared with that of his predecessor. His reply was that the work in the office when he took charge Was at least six months in arrears, and it was absolutely necessary to increase the force of clerks to catch up with the work, which his predecessor denies. We are informed that it has been the custom of County Clerks to commence some six months ‘before the expiration of their terms of office to electioneor and losron for renomination, and numbers of the deputies are permitted to absent themselves from their duties during office hours to assist the chief in his ambition. Who can wonder at the large amount of work left unfinished at the end of each term? Relating to the great increase of expense in this office, it is well known that theg tform issued and adopted by the convention that nominated the incumbent demanded that the County Clerk should conduct his office on 6000 per month. The County Clerk de- nies having indorsed the platform, or made any pledge to the convention to conduct his of an l&eclfied amount, but did hlmsel{ conduct the office as economically as he could. Several men have been rewarded with posi- tions in this office who acted as clerks or in- spectors at the last election in the precincts ‘where the grossest frauds were committed, and in the interest of the County Clerk. Comment is unnecessary. Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff is still complaining of the oper- ation of the fee bill, and refuses to act under it. This bill was designed to bring to the public treasury fees that had been the illegitimate and cormpflnfi spoils of office. It is some- what distasteful to those inconvenienced by it or who think they suffer pecuniary loss through its enactment. Like all new laws, no doubt, with the light of experience, it could be amended ; but the officers affected thereby, instead of seeking to have the law amended, lent all their energies in the last Legislature to have it repealed, with the sole view of having the old system of spoils restored. This body has instructed the City and County Attorney to take immediate action to test the legality of this law, and the matter is now be- fore the Supreme Court. The Sheriff also mourns the loss oceasioned his office by the, action of the Legislature in teking away the handling of cases in bank- Tuptey, where the fees 80 often absorbed all of the assets of the insolvent, leaving nothing for the unfortunate creditors. Still we think this izfl.\cer will finish his term without personal loss. The County Jails in the care of the Sheriff are in as good condition as could be expected. Number 1, the jail on Broadway, was found very clean and neat, and the commis- sary department appeared to be conducted ina businesslike manner. Number 2, or the former House of Corree- tion, needs more care as weil as more paintand whitewash to give ita neat appearance. The grounds are well cared for and are a credit to those in charge. Number 3, or what was the Industrial School for Boys, is now used for women only. Plumbing repairs are needed immediately. The roof of this building has been on fire twice, and_but for the assistangce lent the of- ficers by the inmates it would probably have been a total loss. The roof should be covered with tin as a_protection aganst fire. The in- closed grounds ere well arranged and present & very creditable appearance. District Attorney. We have made a thorough exemination of the District Attorney’s office,and take pleasure in stating that we have always found the Dis- trict Attorney and his assistants diligently at work, \e commend them for the able manner in which they perform their official duties, and we find the business of the office generally well conducted. However, we believe that old sys- tems are too strictly adhered to, and that the bookkeeping could be improved upon, in order 10 obtain a better classification of outstanding cases and make researches easier. We have the romise that such changes will be made. We ind also that there are more than 300 cases (mostly legacies from previous regimes) filed prior to June 30, 1894. still pending. Your committéc believes this number to be excessive. Upon examination it is convinced thata great many of these cases could and should be closed, and would recommend that the Distriot Attorney take immediate steps to clear his books of all cases filed prior to June 30, 1894, that can be finally aisposed of, to be- gin proceedings to have all such cases termin- ated by regular process of law, and that all cases having no standing in court be legally and lawfully closed, aud so indicated in the records of tiie office. We also find thatin cases of “fugitives from justice” by reason of “bail-jumping” the oflice as 1o jurisdiction on the forfeiting and collec- tion of the bail, a special counsel having been appointed to enforce such forfeitures and col- lections. In many criminal cases the amount of bail is very high, and it would be absolutely necessary that said counsel report to the Dis- trict Attorney the result of his work, and that a record of such be kept in the office. City and County Attorney. ‘We found this office in a good condition, and that the records of many suits were being thor- oughly investigated and the testimony of wit- nesses carefully segregated and compiled. Superior Courts. Complaint was made that disbarred attorneys were making a specialty of divorce proceed- ings, and that they seemed to have a monopoly of the business of one court. We found that Judge Trouit heard 271 divorce cases during last year, which was an average of about one & day.” Many of them were cases in which the defendant was not represented, and were heard in_the privacy of the Judge's chambers, the only persons present being the Judge, the per- son” interested in obtaining the divorce, and the attorney, so called, who was to profit finan- cially by the divorce beingdgmnte . The law requires all cases to be heard in open court and in the presence of the clerk and bailiff. Judge Troutt informed thejury that he no doubt had been & little too lenient, but that he would do Detter hereafter. We would suggest that the Probate Depart- ment follow the example of Judge Coffey and require all guardiens of estates to deposit all moneys coming into their possession in a re- sponsible bank, only to be withdrawn by order of court. If that had been the rule in Depart- ment 10 it would have been impossible for ex- District Attorney J. D. Page to have looted the estate of his insane ward, Louis Lichtnecker. The Auditor. We believe the Auditor, William Broderick, a capable and painstaking officer. To him is due the credit of KBKH‘AF the City out of the dimculti it had with the contractors recently, and, if the Finance Committee of the Board of Supérvisors would pay more attention to his recommendations in arrauging for the tax levy such difficulties could be easily avoided in the future. License Collector. We have examined minntely the affairs of the License Collector’s office and find every- thing kept in an orderly and careful manner. Our expert has examined the books of the office and reports favorably on them. ‘We recommend that the License Collector be aliowed & suitable vault for the safe keeping of license blanks and books under his care. Tax Collector. The Tax Collector’s office we find in the hands of James N. Block. a competent and effi- clent officer, who conducts the business of this important department of the City government in & manner which reflects great credit on him- self and the clerical force in his charge. ‘The !{!tem of collecting taxes has been greatly improved during Lis administration and shows & careful study of the City’s inter- ests. Registrar of Volers. ‘The office of Registrar of Voters is now in an honest man’s care, and the Grana Jury hopes the system to be inaugurated undgr the new law, which comes into {orce this yedr, will real- 1ze the expectations of its friends. Magdalen Asylum. We find this institution in an excellent con- dition. The Morgue. The present Morgue is deficient and a dis- grace to the City. Indictments. Perjury 8, embezzlement 8, having stolen goods in their possession 10, obtaining prop- erty under false pretenses 1, arson 1; falsifying election returns 26, grand larceny 2, procuring false registration 1, assault to commit robbery 8, assault to commit murder 4, rape 2, assault with deadly weapon 1, burglary 1, robbery 2, infamous crime against nature 1, obtaining 0ods under false pretenses 1, forgery 1, falsi- fying accounts 3; total 76. Presentments. Violating CltL“otdlmnm 31, indecent ex- posure 5, comlp 'y t0 blackmail 2, impeach- ment 1; total 39. Presentments 39, indict- ments 76; total 115. Grand Jury Rooms. The grand jurors desire to call the attention of the City Hall Commissioners to the comfort- less, cool rooms set apart for jmduuea, and, owing to the smoky chimneys, at times be- came unbearable. It is to be hoped that the rooms will be made more desirable hereafter and that the appro- riation set aside for jury expenses be rger. Respectfully submitted, L 'W. H. Gacax, Foreman. C. W. IREDALE, Secretary. H. MAYER. HENRY L. TATUM. DANFORTH. OSEPH BRITTAN. Ma WILLIAM SINON. R. H. PEASE. S. J. HENDY. Rt CHARLES HOLBROOK. 8, C. BIGELOW. . T KER. E. W. WAINWRIGHT. MANDEL. . J. NEWMAN. HENRY L. Davis. JOHN MCCARTHY. The _publication of the Grand Jury’s conclusions created a stir among City officials. They are all more or less severely censured, and consequently are not in the best of humor with the body that has just made its report. Speaking of the document Howard C. Holmes, engineer for the Harbor Commis- sioners, said: “I notice in this evening’s Report, in an extract from the report of thadGmnd Jury, the following words are used : The fact that the material and manner of mixing, together with the balance of the work 88 now being performed, has greatly improved since the Grand Jury commenced to look into it, has shown the advantage of our investi- gations. “I wantto say right here that it is sus- ceptible of proof that the material and manner of mixing has not been changed one iota since the investigation stal or since the work commenced, Consequently there is not a shadow of truth in the as- sertion made by the Grand Jury. Further- more, that the rock, while it may not literally be according to the specifications, itis identical with the sample submitte at the time the work was let and was ac- cepted by the board, and is the rock used in all large classes of work of concrete, both by the Government and the municipal au- thorities. It stands the test both of Gov- ernment experts and the expert appointed by the Governor. With regard to myself, the chief engineer owning the quarry, this is a fact; but the rock taken from the quarry does not belong to me, and if the foundation were never built I would still receive my monthly rental, whether one pound of rock were taken off or the whole were taken off in one month. In fact, it is rather to my advantage to_have the rock remain than otherwise. This opinion was given to the board by F. S. Stratton, at- torney for them, at the time when the con- tract was first let, and the fact that the rock was sold to Gray Brothers, sub-con- tractors, about a year before the plans and specifications for the ferry foundations were made would show that there was no contemnplated collusion on the part of the Earnes owning the rock. Governor Budd as also given it as his opinion publicly to the various newspaper reporters that the fact that I owned the lot from which the Tock is taken for the foundations does not in the slightest degree_have any pearing upon the case. “With regard to C. J. Stilwell, we chal- lenge the Grand Jury, or any member thereof, to show where one of Mr. Stil- well’s statements, kindly given to the pub- lic by a prominent member of the Grand Jury, has been proven to be true. Conse- uently we see no reason why he should be whitewashed. I notice also in the report that he speaks of the rock mot being washed nor clean. The jury had ample evidence that the dirt was a benefit rather than a detri- ment, and for this reason it was not washed. All authorities show that the finer particles of rock not only add to the strength of the concrete, but tend . to fill the interstices. This was plainly shown in the sample submitted, and which for density was far above the average.” Curry Indignant, Speaking of the last paragraph of the re- port relating to his office, County Clerk Curry expressed strong indignation, The paragraph reads: Several men have been rewarded with posi- tions in his office who acted as clerks or in- spectors at the last election in the precinets where the grossest frauds were committed, and in the interest of the County Clerk. Com- ment is unnecessary. “There is not a single man in my office coming under the head indicated,” said Mr. Curry. *‘George Lee was in the office and when he was under suspicion of hav- ing perpetrated fraud during the elections, I suspended him. When he had been tried and exonerated of all blame in the matter, I reinstated him. ““The Grand Jury had every opportunity to discover the facts for themselves, but thev refused to look at my books as I offered. They have attempted to throw a slur on an office where the service is more efficient and more accommodating to the public than ever before. Ican only say of the Grand Jury as they have said of my office, ‘Comment is unnecessary.’ " Henry Mayer Talks. “My name has been attached to the Grand Jury report,” said Henry Mayer. “I objected to this report and I consider it in some instances a political scheme. The ferry foundation evidence has been heard in the Grand Jury room and it has never been shown that the work has been im- properly done. The experts have ex- pressed perfect satisfaction and it has been built strong enough to carry the Alpine mountains. The report was signed with- out my knowledge. In regard to the County Hospital, if the committee would examine it properly they would find its management the ve ry best, and it looks as if the whole complaint is a polit ical scheme. The Police Department in gen- eral is the very best of any large city on the continent. I nave been treated by ;hli’s man Gagan shamefully and disrespect- ally. “I also state regarding the concrete block presented to the Grand Jury for in- vestigation that it was pronounced by Mr. 8inon, a witness before the Grand Jury, as the very best he ever saw. The plan on the Grand Jury seemed to be to cast dis- credit on the Republicans. This was evi- dent when the ferry foundation charges were brought up. It was then said that spikes could be driven into the concrete. Of course with fresh concrete this is pos- sible. Regarding the cement delivered by Spreckels very hard work was done to cause Spreckels to deliver inferior cement, but the experts have denounced these stories as false. It is a fact that a block of cement submitted to the Grand Jury stood a test of 112 tons to the square foot, or 52 tons above the average for concrete of that age. It seems they wanted to oust Mr. Holmes to make room for a Democrat.” Found Another Indiotment. The first and last work done by the Grand Jury which passed out of legal existence at 3 o’clock yesterday was to find an indict- ment. Some weeks ago the jury found an indictment against A. J. Witeman, the forger, who was then under arrest in New York. Witeman was brought back to San Francisco, and his attorneys have been making a desperate _effort to secure his re- lease. The former indictment was faulty and so District Attorney Barnes deter- mined to secure another, but on_different grounds. With this object in view he ap- peared before the jury yesterday afternoon and in less than twenty minutes the re- quired paper was granted, and Witeman has another charge to answer. IT CANNOT BE ASSIGNED. That Is What a Justice Holds About a Lien for a Hotel Bill. Mary T. Wahn appeared as plaintiff yes- terday in an action brought against Mrs. J. D. Cronise to recover a trunk held by her at the Brunswick. The case came up before Justice Groezinger, and, during the trial, the defendant declared that she held the trunk by virtue of a lien for an unpaid bill. (‘Are you the proprietor of the Bruns- wick ?””"asked the Judge. “Noj; I am the agentof the proprietress,” was the answer. “Then who is the proprietress?” “Mrs. Dunlap.” ““Oh, yes, I remember,” said the Judge; “that rdthe lady against whom I have 0 found ements in various sums aggre- gating $1500, but in every instance it was un‘Ponsible to obtain satisfaction. How did yon, madam, obtain this lien?”’ It was assigned to me by Mrs. Dunlap.” “Well,” sai the}m;lge ‘*‘as a lien of this kind cannot be assigned, I make an order that the trunk be returned to the plaintiff; and now, Mre. Cronise, tell Mrs. Dunlap that the court would be pleased to see her.” Under the Belgian law unmarried *men over 25 have one vote, married men and widowers with families have two votes, and priests and other persons of position and education have three votes. ‘Severe penalties are imposed on those who fail to vote. | T0 AVERT A STOCK PANIC, Shareholders of the Bodie Mine Make Charges of Fraud. THEY IMPLICATE DIRECTORS. An Old Time Scheme to Get Richat the Expense of Those Who Hold Shares. Several dissatisfied stockholders of the Boaie Consolidated Mining Company met yesterday in the office of C. L. Patton, 319 Pine street. They were singularly enthu- siastic and not at all backward in their condemnation of the directors, whom they charged with serious offenses in connection with the management of the mine. The burden of their complaint was that the men known as the ‘‘inside”—that is, the directors and othersin control—have made false returns of the Bodie’s yield, with the apparent purpose of creating a panic among stockholders and then buying in really valuable stock at greatly reduced prices. This, of course, would enrich the men who are in a position to carry the scheme to a successful end. George Travis, a stockholder, made a long statement, in which he had many dates and figures. He said that the object of the meeting was to discuss the action of the present board of directors, who, it was held, are not conducting the mine in the interest of the stockholders. In substan- tiation of these charges he gave the follow- ing statement: “In June, 1894, 368 tons of ore were crushed, and it ran from $152 42 to $34 38 a ton, while the tailings brought §9 38 to $5 74 a ton. The total yield for the month was $26,174 62. “In September, 1894, 452 tons of ore were crushed, varying in value from $101 36 to $42 34 a ton, the tailings of wnich ran from §5 47 to $469a ton. The total value was $73,173 31. “In May, 1895, 525 tons were crushed, varying from $52 11 to §$28 41, and the tail- ings from $10 50 to $568 a.ton.” It is charged that these tailings indicate that the value of tiie ore was nearly three times that shown in the pulp assay, as ex- perienced millmen claim that these tail- ings would prove such to be a fact. The meeting thereupon adopted a reso- lution as follows: WHEREAS, It has been the gmcuce (with some honorable exceptions) for brokers to lend the shares of their customers to the “inside” to vote against them at the various annual elec- tions, thus enabling the ‘“inside,” against the interests of the patrons of the brokers, to per- petuate themselves in power; be it Resolved, That we most unqualifiedly con« demn such practice as not only treacherous, but eminently dishonest, and one for which ‘we are advised the law gmvides an ample and efficient remed{l. of which, however, we, if fairly treated, have no desire to avail our- selves, and which remedy, we are advised, will cover transactions between brokers and their customers extending over a period of two years last past and possibly longer. This resolution was a good deal in the nature of a warning to stockbrokers not to articipate in any wrongful manner in the odie troubles. It reflects the feelings of the stockholders, as do the resolutions fol- lowing, which were purposely designed for a fling at the directors: ‘WHEREAS, It is the sense of this meeting that one of two propositions is true, viz.: that the Bodie Consolidated is a rich ore-producin, mine, or that the “inside” has (A].se?y colore all their reports save and except the last for the purpose of unloading their stock ; ana whereas, elieve the first proposition to be true, from information received from correct and reliable sources; and whereas, in the face of this fact, the “inside” have contributed all in their pore by shutting down the mill and report- ng & small yield of the same to the harmful influences of a stale and meritless lawsuit, thereby lending their influence to create & panic and cause a stampede among stockholders, for the purpose, as we believe, of repurchasing stock sold at a high figure at a greatly reduced figure; and wherees, in opposition to all rules and the uni- versal experience of miners, they have made the pulp assays and tailings run_largely in ex- cess of value that ought to be the yield on the finaliclean-up;and whereas, as from the same character of ore taken from the same drifts and stopes the management of said mine charged ' up on the first run $73,173 from 452 tons, while from the last run on the same character of ore taken from the same places they had charged up from 525 tons but $23,- Resolved, That this meeting do hereby con- demn the management of said mine, and frankly appeal to all stockholders who desire fair play to join with us in changing the same and establ ing an honest administration at :xl;eLflnnunl election to be held on the 17th s There is more trouble in the Bodie Com- Eany. Between 1884 and 1889 it is claimed y the Standard Company, an adjoining concern in Bodie, Mono County, that the Bodie drifts were run into Standard terri- tory and ore valued at $300,000 taken out. Now the Standard is preparing to enter suit for this sum. The Bodie stockholders think it very strange that suit was not be- gun long ago and they claim that there is collusion in the suit to injure their in- terests. H. P. Walker, an English cfi)italht. is president of the Bodie mine. M. E. Willis 1s secretary and George Ives, a stockbroker on Pine street, one of the chief owners and managers. They largely constitute the inside. —_— Joy’s for the Jaded ana Good Health for all Mankind. JOY’S VEGETARLE S$ARSAPARILLA. ismade from ties through herbs, and nature’sown contains no pro - mineral nels. Joy's drugs or Vegetable deadly pois- Sarsaparilla on. oy’s cures Dys- Vegetable Bspate; Barsaparilla hronic robs the Constipa- blood of all tion, Liver its impuris Com plaints ties, and and Kidney courses all Affections, g3avr IHLH0L 5. A0 3 W x| X e [ P& S )