The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 6, 1899, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXV—_NO. 127. HUNTINGTON PLOTS AGAINST HERRIN claims he recently arrived from the inte- SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY, APRIL . 6,. 1899. PRICE FIVE CENTS. W IMPORTMT | STORIES TOLD BY STATE ISSUE o "o -~ EoCUE LOR have the school building enlarged by the 2ddition of at least six more classes and also raised to the degree of a grammar is one of the objects in view by the mem- rior. The money was contained in a sack and was to be devoted to the paying off of several claims. aptain Bohen detailed Detectives Gib- Last Campaign Railroad Magnate Seeks to Escape Responsibility for in v, parti- to espouse fi United ed the \bey railroad on the. to the rp com- eye the repre: »d, in rebellion, a matter notori- that Dan ndidate of ny. Hunt- ublicly announced his pre Burns, and Huntington's became valuable through his employes. m of affairs would have o discussion s been, political ate that his interrer- campaign comment if at of the completely Hunt- ate his own and place shoulders of 1bility st cause ds f the blic to be- t the money emploved influence the grasp rful cor- s any s for He is Herrin a scap Her ipporting could the c in had a favorite of ted States Senator, but bt the choice of Hunting- matter of necessity ed at Huntington’s would have thrown to ‘oung whatever influence he head of the law depart- Southern Pacific Company, gton nominated Burns. Her- - exercised every energy to ican. It is a gross in- , for the railroad mag- pt to throw the odium of t upon his employe. Her- al »thods have been e Call as occasion de- head of the law depart- Southern Pacific Company censured o© ranted, but whatever he is the people of the State m to be, he is not guilty of the ) Dan Burns before ntington is re- ent exposure. idents of the Senatorial fight nstrate this fact to It will be remembered > Young believed that he port of the Southern Pa- cific Cc y in his candidacy for United § s Senator. Pract 1 poli- ticians affairs knew that the railr > intended to dictate the choice 1e Legislature if it were ble to do so. Mr. de Young be- 1 that he had Huntington's in- dorsement since he already had the support of William F Herrin. The head of the law department had in- formed Mr. de Young that everything he could do would be in the service of the proprietor of the Chronicle. Re- lying upon this assurance Mr. de Young was buoyed up by a false hope. He goon learned that Herrin's personal preferences played, however, but a emall part In the affair. C. P. Hunting- ton arrogated to himself the right to name United States Senators for Cali- tornia. He declared in New York that for | had | com- | praised as his | D. M. Burns deserved to be a Senator | and would be. That was before the egislative deadlock had become a seri- ffair and Huntington believed that | a wish of of the Southern Pacific Com- pany was a command to State legisla- | tors. Huntington felt so sure of his ground that he forgot his customary reserve and made this declaration. That set-| d the case of De Young and gave Herrin his instractions. When the leg- knowingly and said that “the Legisla- ture of California will elect a Senator and D. M. Burns will be the winner of the prize.” De Young had judgment enough not to enter the contest. Her- rin had received his orders and pro- ceeded with due diligence to execute them. The head of the law department is a political campaigner of experience. He ows that it is not a pleasant task to explain a failure and he left -undone nothing which might contribute to suc- ces He arranged to be in direct com- munication with J. B. Wright, the Southern Pacific division superintend- ent at Sacramento. rect telegraphic communication with Wright whenever he wished it, and D. M. Burns held daily conferences with Herrin through the medium of Wright during the Senatorial campaign. Hunt- ington's orders were being obeyed. As a matter of course the Southern Pacific Company had other interests at Sacramento as well as the Senatorial figh The railroad has always main+ tained at the capital during sessions of the Legislature a powerful lobby Money is spent, votes are bartered and only trusted men are employed in such delicate work. This year the Southern ! Pacific Company paoled i interests. The men who were chosen to watch railroad legislation were commissioned also to make the Mexican's cause that of the railroad. The followers of D. M. Burns were in the service of the | Southern Pacific Company. The ex- | penses of these men, incurred in ad- vancing the cause of Burns, were paid by *he Southern Pacific Company. The distributor of railroad passes was one of the trusted supporters of Burns. The campaign of the Mexican was the cam- paign of the Southern Pacific Company. In fulfillment of his duty William F. Herrin conducted this campaign. He interviewed legislators, used every | sweapon of the railroad, indorsed expen- | ditures of money that belonged to his employers and fought with such energy that when failure came the Southern Pacific Company and not William F. Herrin stood discredited with a dis- graceful defeat. And now Huntington seeks to throw upon his faithful s the odium of his own commands. crafty railroad magnate has awo in- volved General Hubbard in his scaeme of evasion, but the imposition, it is believed, is not serious. General Hub- k 1 is credited with being wiser than he talks. At all events the people of the State do not always believe all they hear. Particularly is this the fact when the people of lifornia hear C. P. Hunt- ington v that William F. Herrin. on his responsibilit used railroad money, issued railroad passes, paid road lobbyists and exerted all the strength of railroad influence to elect D. M. Burns a United States Senator. In the .presence of witnesses William F. Herrin declared that his personal | choi for United States Senator was M. H. de Young, but his personal choice counted for nothing as the in- structions of his superiors were to labor ow for D. M. Burns. Herrin is reported to have said that he wanted De Young but the Iroad wanted Burns and there all discussion must end. Even Huntington can see the absurdity of the assertion that Herrin used all the power of the great corporation to ad- vance a cause in which that corpora- tion was not interested. Herrin obevs the command af those who employ him. and he is employed by C. P. Hunting- ton. ROBBED HIS EMPLOYER OF A SACK OF GOLD ;BOLD SAFE ROBBERY IN A BAKERY. Andrew Gail Cleverly Relieved of Three Hundred Dollars by a Daring Thief. The police are puzzled over a mysteri- ous safe robbery which occurred Tuesday evening in the bakery at 127 Fifth street. Early in the evening the proprietor, An- drew Gail, went to the safe and was as- tounded to find it open and the contents, amounting to $300, gone. As one of his employes whom he knew as Jack was in the shop only a short time before, Gall, suspecting that he had tampered with the safe, went in search of him. Failing to find him, he notified the policeman on the beat. Last night Gail visited police headquar- ters and reported the robbery to Captain Bohen. He is strongly convinced that the mysterious *“Jack” opened the safe and got away with the funds. “Jack” is described as being about 40 years old, plainly dressed and wears a slouch ket Ho bas . dark mustaghe aad | 5, Herrin had di- | { “and I am inclined ative deadlock seemed likely to be | permanent Huntington shook his head | son and Wrenn on the case, with instruc: tions to watch the outgoing trains, as it is believed that *“Jack” will attempt to leave the city. ———— e — WILL OWN STREET RAILWAYS. President Plack Talks of Detroit’s Latest Municipal Scheme. President Albert Plack of the Detroit Electric Railway Company is a guest at the Palace Hotel. Naturally Mr. Plack is deeply Interested in the action of the commission to negotiate the purchase of the street railway lines of that city. Plack is Inclined to believe that the ac- tion of the Common Council will hold, notwithstanding Mayor Maybury's.veo of the ordinance. “The ordinance was passed by a vote of 21 to 11, two members of the Council be- ing absent,” said Mr. Plack last night, o think that the Com- ss the ordinance over funicipal ownership lines is a pet scheme of , who is named as one s, and it was largely influence that the enabling d by the Legislature at its mon Council will the Mayor's of street railw: Pir Governor Detroit Common Council in appointing & | Mr. | Immunity to Wells, Fargo & Co. ATTORNEY GENERAL WILL ACT | | | o | STEPS TO FORCE PAYMENT OF THE WAR TAX. | The Case Against the Corporation Has Been Neglected in the TUnited States Circuit Court. Attorney General Tirey L. Ford intends to press without delay the charge against | Wells, Fargo & Co. in an effort to force bers of the improvement club. The officers of the newly formed club are:. President, Charles Milly; vice pres- ident, Charles Nonnemann Jr.; secretary, Mangels; treasurer, A. F. Fitschen; sergeant-at-arms, Charles Johnson. These, with quite a number of prominent residents of the South Side representing the heads of families and property own- ers, are in the van for improvements, It is claimed by them that during the past five years the increase in the popu- | lation of the district has been the means | of adding so many children of school age to the inhabitants that a larger school buflding, as also one of a higher grade, is a necessity in COnSe(kl‘len(‘e of the distance from South San Francisco | to a grammar school. The school at the | Potrero being also a primary one, there is no relief nearer than the city high rade schools. As taxpayers and resi- ents_of this commonwealth the South San Francisco people will urge their claims for recognition. e Century Club Exhibit. The Century Club of California threw | open its rooms at 1215 Sutter street last evening for a private view of its spring exhibition of-pictures. A large number | of visitors discussed a unique and inter- | L e e e S e at S S ) \ : 3 ) & . ’ S - %7 N | TK\hig :E 5 | 74 / r ! L O S B R e o SR SRS SRS SSPAIR U DA D D U0 P S HUNTINGTON—LET HIM GO FOR A SCAPEGOAT INTO THE WILDERNESS. L R S e s recent session. The original bill provided that the city of Detroit should be au- thorized to build and operate its own lines and to raise the necessary funds by the of municipal bonds. But as Detroit ¢ equipped In that respect Governor and other sensible men realized that If this plan was carried out the re- sult would mean loss to both_ the city and the existing companies. . As a result an- other bill was substituted and passed au- thorizing the city to appoint a commis- sion to purchase the existing lines. we do not desire to sell we are not fight- ing the plan and will insist only upon re- celving a falr price for our property. All the street car lines in Detroit are owned or controlled by the Detroit Citizens’ Street Railway Company, the Detroit lectric Railway and the Detroit, Fort Wayne and Belle Isle Rallway Company. They have 200 miles of track in first-class condition_and splendidly equipped. The total capitalization of these companies $11,000,000 and their bonded indebtedne $5,200,000. Under the provisions of the e | abling act the city may issue bonds with only the street railway property as secur- ity. It cannot pledge the city’s credit be- vond that. The purchase price, if the lines are acquired by the city, probably will be in the neighborhood of $16,000,000 or $18,000,000.”" Mr. Plack says Detroit owns its water works and lighting plant, both of which have proved of great benefit to the city. ——————— RELATIONS WITH MEXICO. George Benham Thinks They Will Become Very Close. George A. Benham of Washington, a lawyer and writer on economic questions, is spending a few days in the city and is registered at the Palace. During the past year he has been traveling through political and economic conditions in all parts of the republic. In speaking of the results of his investigations he says: “The time is coming when Mexico will be annexed to the United States. This will be the logical outcome of the course of events of the past year. The tendency of the Spanish-American people is to- ward a closer union with the United States. “I do not mean to say that Mexico will be formally annexed.to this country, in the ordinary sense of the term, but will come into such relations with us that we shall acquire a protectorate over the country—much similar to that which England enjoys over Egypt. Such an al- liance would be of immense benefit to Mexico, and would give her the advan- tage which a small railway acquires from an alliance with a larger one. Mexico is very friendly to this courftry, and has watched the course of events during the recent war with the keenest interest. Our acquisition of Cuba and Porto Rico means a great deal to Mexico, and will tend to strengthen her relations with the United States.” Land Dispute Settled. Yesterday morning Judge Seawell handed down a decision in favor of the claim of Elodie C. Macdopald and Jovita B. McKinnon ainst Geronimo R. de Bernal to the title of gl'og_:rty including e.afonlun of the Rancho Rincon de Las Balinas y Potrero Viejo, situated on Ale- many avenue and Creek, in this 7 s i ‘While | Mexico, and has made a careful study of | that corporation to obey the Federal law | In reference to war stamps. This com- pany has refused to place war stamps upon the parcels which it handles. Ex- | Attorney General W. F. Fitzgerald, on | behalf of the State, instituted proceedings | to force Wells, Fargo & Co. to obey the |law. The case was brought before the | Supreme Court, but that tribunal denied jurisdiction under the circumstances and referred the matter for consideration to | | the Superior Court. Proccedings were therefore commenced | in the Superior Court, but again juris- | diction was lost. On this occasion Wells, | Fargo & Co, interfered on their own be- half. They insisted that Federal ques- tions were involved in the controversy and that the issue should be determined by a Federal court. The matter was therefore transferred by agreement to the United States Circuit Court. Wells, Fargo & Co. gave a bond ostensibly to protect the Government in the event that the case should be decided against the company. In this condition the matter has since rested. Absolutely nothing has been done and Wells, Fargo & Co. have enjoyed an immunity from a tax to which other cor- porations and individuals must submit. When ex-Attorney General Fitzgerald was superseded in office by Attorney Gen- eral Ford the case was apparently for- gotten. It is a matter of general inter- est to the people of the State, as it ex- hibits an apparently gross discrimination of the Government in favor of one cor- poration and against all others. Attorney General Ford says that he will take up the case as soon as possible. He understands its importance, but the | manifold duties of his office and the con- fusion incident to the change in State ad- ministration have prevented him from giving the case the attention it deserves. The Attorney General has not yet con- sidered the legal aspect of the case and is not in a position to express an opinion upon the contention that Federal ques- tions are involved. A singular suit was instituted” by the Attorney General of Michigan, who won his point that the State had sole jurisdic- tion in the matter. It is naturally con- tended that California has the same right. The point has not been judicially deter- mined in this State, however, and the Attorney General declares that no fur- ther delay will be tolerated in a case of such general importance. AN INCREASED POPULATION. A Demand for Greater School Facili- ties in South San Francisco. The increased population of South San Francisco during the past five years has caused the school accommodation in that portion of the city to become over- crowded. To have the School Directors make amends for this is the cause of the organization of an improvement club in the southern portion of this municipality. The present school bullding known as the Bumgit Primaty-Pas fwelva clasa l | Beaver, Mrs. Caroline Jackson and Miss esting collection of ofl colors and’ miniatures Nearl! two hundred subjects were dis- played, and they all excited the admir- ation of the beholders. The ladies who acted as.the reception committee in receiving the guests were Mrs., E. C. Wright (chairman), Mrs. Har- | ry Gibbons, Mrs. Horace Davis, Mrs. B. B. Cornwall, Miss Beaver, Mrs. J. M. Burnett, Mrs. John F. Merrill, Miss Ethel aintings, water y local artists. Monteagle. The exhibit will be opened to-day and | to-morrow trom 11 a. m. until 5 p. m., and on Saturday from 11 a. m. 15 p. and from 8 till 11 in the evening. Admis sion will be by card, which can be pro- | cured from the members in unlimited | quantities. R e e Wife Deserted Him. George Knecht was granted a divorce from Annie S. Knecht yesterday by Judge Hebbard on the ground of deser- tion. Chilkat Went Quickly Down Survivors Tell of the Terri- ble Catastrophe of the Humboldt Bar. ' orth Fork | vesterday | HE steam schooner arrived from Eurek: afternoon with six survivors | from the wrecked Chilkat aboard. The consensus of opin- | fon was that “the rollers were too heavy for the little Chilkat and she went (u‘ pieces before them.” | The Chilkat sailed from Eureka for | San Francisco on the 4th inst. with | six passengers and fourteen of a crew | aboard. The bar was rough, but the rollers were not as heavy as on many an occasion when the steamer 1| crossed out in safet At a. m. the Chilkat was in distress Cap- tain Anderson blew four long blasts on the whistle to notify the North Fork, about a quarter of a mile ahead, that his vessel was in danger. Captain Bash of the North Fork at once responded, and bringing his vessel as close to the wreck as possible lowered two boats. In the meantime a wave had struck | the Chilkat on the starboard bow and | turned her broadside on. Another roller broke over her and put her on her beam ends. Sea after sea struck the | ill-fated craft and in eight minutes | from the time the .danger signal was blown there was nothing left of the Chilkat but “slivers and shingles,” as Captain Bash puts if. | “We sailed from Eureka about 10 a. | m. last Monday,” said Captain Bash of the North Fork yesterday. “We were | about a quarter of a mile ahead of the Chilkat and as we were making easy weather of it I never thought the Chil- kat was in any danger. She was fol- lowing us out and seemed to be all right when I looked back after the | danger signal sounded. I at once slowed | the North Fork down and got her around, heading for the Chilkat, at the fame time getting my boats ready for jowering. While doing this T saw the Chilkat broach to, then her deckhouse started and she went over on her beam ends. “When I got the North Fork as near as safety would allow I lowered two | boats. First Mate McLennan was in command of one and Second Mate Lar- sen of the other. McLennan went as close to the wreck as he dared, but | saw no trace of life. He then rowed to the only boat that had got away | from the Chilkat and took two men 10 and { from it and came back to the ship. The Chilkat's boat followed our boat back and we took the men aboard. A | second boat got away from the wreck, but a wave struck it and the last I saw of it it was going end over end in the | roller. Three of the men in it, I be- | lieve, got ashore at the life saving | station. “Two minutes after the Chilkat broached to her deckhouse went. Then | as the North Fork rose on the crest of a wave I saw a wave strike the un- fortunate vessel, and when the wave | passed all there was to be seen was} slivers and shingles. Had the boat that | turned end over end been fifty ieetl further away it would have rode out‘ the danger and our crew would have | saved them. But what was to be| happened and the boat was lost. | “By this time the lifeboat with the | life saving crew and the tug Printer | were on the scene so I got ready to | start on my voyage again. The life- boat came alongside and I gave the | captain a list of the men we had saved and then I stood on my course. The men I brought down from the wreck are: Chief Engineer Willlam Pack- wood, Assistant Engineer Clyde Light- ner, Fireman William Griep, Steward T. C. Bohall and Howard Smith, a pas. enger. Not one of them is anything the worse for his terrible experience.” Chief Engineer Packwood s in the engine-room when the Chilkat went over on her beam ends. “My escape was a marvelous one,” said he. “I was attending to the engines with my hand on the lever when I heard the four whistles blow. I had not the faintest dea what was the matter and got no signal from the pilot-house, so the en- gines were still turning over at full speed when I was washed out of the engine-room. “When the Chilkat went over on her beam ends I caught like a rat in a trap. Bundles of shingles were washed into the room and one of these I grasped hold ‘When the third roller struck the steamer the deckhouse opened up from the hull and I floated W out into the ocean on my bundle of shingles. 1 was barely clear of the ssel when the opening closed up again like a trap, but thank God, 1 was clear. The boys in the ship’s boat saw me-come out of the hull and picked me up more dead than alive.” “When the Chilkat went over on her beam ends if anybody had offered me 10 cents for my life T would have said ‘pass over the 10 cents,’ ” was the way Fireman William Griep spoke of his narrow escape. ‘“The steamer was thrown over to port and I went over with her. I thought my last hour had come and can remember nothing more until I was sitting in the ship’s boat with the other boys.” . C. Bohall, the steward, was on the bridge with Captain Anderson when the Chilkat broached to. He says the wheel was not disabled, but refuses to state what caused the disaster save that “the waves were too heavy for the Chilkat and shée went down before them.” “Captain Anderson was not trying to take a short cut across the end of the south jetty,” said Bohall. “We were very nearly in the wake of the North Fork, but making much heavier weather of it than that vessel. A big roller broke aboard and it ° passed through my mind that it was the be- ginning of the end. I knew that How- ard Smith, one of the passengers, was in his stateroom and the door fastened, so I hurried aft to let him out. When I reached his room he had got a life- belt on and was crawling out through the window. By this time the Chilkat was heeled right over and her upper deck was within three feet of the water, while the port boat was floating. Wil- liam Black, one of the sailors, was standing and he and Smith and T got into the boat. Clyde Lightner, the as- sistant engineer came along a moment later and he got in also. Then we cut the falls and pushed away from the sinking ship. Griep, the fireman, came up alongside of us and a few seconds later the deckhouse lifted up from the hull and Chief Engineer Packwood floated out on a bundle shingles. Just as he floated clear the hole closed up again, just for all the world as though a door had been opened to let a man out and closed to after him. It was the most wonderful escape I have r heard of. “Once clear of the wreck we stood out over the bar. One of the North Fork's boats came along and as ours was overloaded Griep and Smith got into it. Both boats then made their way out over the bar to the North Fork and mighty glad we were to get aboard her. The last I saw of Captain Ander- son he was standing on the top of the % e e e e e e o e e 1 ! WRECK OF THE CHILKAT AS SEEN FROM THE DECK OF THE NORTH FORK.