The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 14, 1900, Page 13

IR EEE RS Pages 1310 20 FTHE 4424242244225 4444 + + + + + + 4 + + + + + + + + + + 4 + » + + + 4TV Y The Tall Ld +* + + + + + + FIFFFEFAFFFFETFFFFFT+5 9> - Pages 1310 20 AR R R LR R R R R +* + + +* +* * VOLUME LX XVII—NO. 45. SAN FRANCISCO, SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 1900—TWENTY-EIGHT PAGE PRICE FIVE CENTS. MAYOR PHELAN DETERMINED TO HONOR HIS DISHONEST BOND He Announces at a Pub- lic Banquet That He Will Conduct Police ffairs to Suit Himself, Criticism Defied, and the People of the City Com- manded to Accept Without Protest the Absolute Dicta- tion of the Mayor in Affairs That Affect Them Most Deeply. AMES D. PHELAN, Mayor of this city, seized ight the first oppor- he considered pro- tempt a justification ral of San Francisco last nds of its criminals. t He s wine to palliate his offensc in he Police Department it which will advance his ambition. bterfuge, misrepresenta- d deliberate falsehood to in S a corrupt cam- He denied that he had the Police Commission te for any one for Chief of d he sneered at the au-| any newspaper to criti- ze or dictate his policy. that o1 He the to libel and he siding black- om their high 1ere he can get at them. hurt a he said, “except by to his personal furnishing the Mayor e meaning a proof remark. now Q aper =S re- into corrupt ct between an ambi- eker and corrup- The Call repeats, in- l nof F. L. Esola, , as Chief of Po- ges that Mayor cly placed the er, ple e city at the mercy of blackmailers and social pariahs t he might gain an influence that meant votes. These are serious allegations. If Mayor Phelan believes that they reflect any personal dis- credit upon him he knows the re- rse open to every citizen. He The Call defies him to t to seek it. If a news- have power only to libel he f the charges he knows vhere it can be brought forth. The Call charges that in obedi- 1ake of the Police Department an engine of vice and oppression blackmail, he did not dare 1e any but the men selected for him as Police Commission- ers. He had no choice after he had sealed his own dishonor and [ yed the people of this city le of outcasts that with ation and official pro- 11l take upon themselves 1 power to harm. This is use nor libel. It is the truth. The Cali charges that Mayor Phelan has already suffered whatever humiliation his nature represents for the in-| He pleaded | r his trail d igni his trail among designing | newspapers | ere he may obtain re-| penalty and if he seeks | e 900000\903000 B L R S R A e S S = ] * —o- B e e e o o o 3 may feel as the consequences of | his outrageous bargain. He has felt the sting of rebuke, but the contract was made and he was forced to submit. With his pri- vate character or ideals The Call is not concerned, but when he assumes as he did last night to v that in this community he shall be the sole and supreme ar- biter of right and wrong, that he, lin his wisdom, shall appoint | whom he pleases and force the people of this city to endure the consequences of his act until he changes his mind, then the time has come to voice a protest that must be heard. ‘\ What is there in the life of | Mayor Phelan that gives him the e power of this|right to dictate the morals, guide | saken to think for the Police Com- of men who|the homes or judge the protec-|mission and tell it what to do, as ught, valuable | tion that shall be given to the|zyell as to think for the Mayor and | private, per-|1’ami]ics of this city? Men of TCP-jdidatc his policy. In view of the The Call| utation, men of affairs, of busi-| fact that for the last two or three | rostituted his | ness and of family are protesting | zuecks they have spent the time fight- | laced | against the outrage that will| ing one another and saying all the s of this | make of the Police Del)aflmeflt‘;unplmsant things about their con- blacklegs,| a machine of immorality and a|temporaries they could think of— | sink of social filth. | They are fighting for the sanc- [ tity of their homes. | guarding the children who bear their names. Does Mayor Phe- lan understand their position? | Cannot he see that there is some- | | thing more sacred, more vital | than the giving of a political job | in the prostitution of an institu- tion that may become appalling |in its influence for evil? Ii he cannot, then' his Police Commissioners should-do so for him. They owe a solemn duty to the people of San Francisco not horde that Mayor Phelan by contract has commanded shall jinvade the City Hall. These Commissioners owe it to them- selves, to their families and to the peopie they represent to | break the dishonest bond which will give San Francisco over to its social scum. They have as much moral right to invite to their firesides a libertine, a thief and a defaulter as they have to give a libertine or a defaulter the official power to enter any cther home in this city. It is a serious issue and must have serious consequences. If They are| to place them at the mercy of the | Mayor Phelan be convinced still that a newspaper can hurt a2 man | badly by telling the truth, he | ought to feel the sting of injury | and the shame of unworthy con- | duct. | His remarkable address was | delivered last night at the ban- | quet given to the new officials of | the charter government, and was | | as follows: | “Gentlemen, the Police Depart- | ment seems to be exciting a good | | deal of interest of late in the | public mind, and for that reason I | | intend mow to call upon a membe { of the commission to give you a few | | facts, if he cares to express himself, | that you may like to hear. “The newspapers have under- not to mention the way they have of exposing their inside methods in these fights—they have furnished a good deal of amusement by this at- tempted dictation. “The power of the press is insig- nificant, so far-as anything politi- cal is concerned, and their impor- tance is high only in billingsgate. In that line they exceed all others. “There was a man actually placed in a position under the new charter the other day who was a newspaper man, and that is the only | good augury for the profession 1 | have seen. “The newspapers are more im- portant than we only in libel. I would like to have the blackguardly gentlemen who preside over the newspapers here where we could speak to them personally, but they skull away and sit in high towers, where we cannot get at them. “There is only one paper in the | city that has been the friend of the charter. It has furnished support | in every instance and has given us | the frecdom of its columns to make this fight, and while we have been | obliged to supplement the support | thus given by hiring public halls and delivering speeches—which is really the best way of getting at ihe people-—zwe canpof thank” that paper too much. “No newspaper can hurt a man badly except by telling something to his personal discredit and furnish- ing the proof. “Everybody knows, and especial- ly every man sitting at this table, that no man was conmitted to any- | thing when he was appointed. The | Fire Department and the Police | Commission were asked to give only a vigorous and an honest adminis- tration. - The Police Department | was asked to renovate the depart- ment thoroughly, because for the ast forty years it has been a place | where you and I could not get per- fect justice. The commission was asked to renovate it because for the last forty years it has been filled with certain well-known scandals. | That was all. “This is really a revolution and I merely asked all these men to stand up to their work and thereby subject themselves to abuse. For my part I am willing to take my share of it. “The Mayor enjoys this great privilege under the charter—that if anything goes wrong he can rem- edy it. He can remove a Chief of Police for cause, so I am afraid of nothing that can happen. “Now I call upon a gentleman who knows whereof he speaks to respond to ‘The Police,” but I don’t know that he has anything to say. I have the honor to introduce- Mr. George A. Newhall.”—(Mr. New- hall’s speech at the banquet will be found on Page-17.) The people of San Francisco are now thoroughly aroused to a sense of the danger that threatens them in the pro- posed reorganization of the Police De- partment with F. L. Esola, alias Har- rington, as Chief of Police, and J. J. Callundan, alias Worthington, as chief of detectives. The contemplated out- rage, planned and perfected by Mayor Phelan, was the topic yesterday of uni- versal comment and discussion. Men could not fairly realize that four citi- zens occupying the standing and enjoy- ing the reputations of the members of the Police Commission could be in- duced to barter away their honor, sink themselves to the level of fellowship with criminal elements and sacrifice the people of the city to a predatory popu- lation. Reputable citizens, who see in the proposed plot a tremendous scheme to harass thewn and irreparably injure the city, could not understand how any pledge to a politician could force the Commissioners into an act that they know perfectly would stamp them with shame. g | POLICE COMMISSIONERS AT THE PARTING OF THE WAYS. ‘The people of San Francisco have been patient with their police adminis- istration. They have endured its evils and submitted without protest to the daily illustration of its inadequacies. They hoped for a change that would be for the better—not for the worse. They expected that. with the operation of the charter government would come a reorganization of the Police Depart- ment upoh a plane of honesty and ef- ficiency. The people did not expect that instead of cleansing the city of its plague spots the new Commissioners would fasten upon San Francisco for years a horde of human parasites. The people of San Francisco hoped to see the new administration destroy the lawlessness of Chinatown and not make it a vehicle for blackmail profit and bribery. It was hoped that the blatant sounds, insulting signs, gross snares and revolting vice of dives would be removed from our public thor- oughfares and not be legalized for official gain. It was hoped that the petty criminals and social outcasts that infest the great streets, the gamblers, touts, thieves, bunko steerers and crim- inals would be driven into their holes or out of the city, and not given police protection to ply their trade. But the Commissioners are pledged to do otherwise. In the election of Esola, alias Harrington, as Chief of Po- lice, and the appointment of Callun- dan, alias Worthington, as chief of de- tectives, thé Police Commissioners have pledged themselves to betray the city and leave its citizens at the mercy of the lawless. The personality of Esola and of Callundan is a matter of small concern in an affair of this magnitude., It is not what they are or were; it is what they represent. It is certainly not a matter for con- gratulation that a Police Commission, asking the respect of the people of this city, should award the two greatest gifts in its power to two men with aliases. It would seem that men who have not found it convenient to change their names might be chosen. It certainly is not-pleasant to look forward to a chief of ‘detectives who has been a de- faulter and a fugitive, but whatever these men are they play only the part of tools in the outrageous scheme which involves their election. They represent all that is vicious in the community and all the dangerous elements ‘that may be imported to it. They represent the impurities of the so- cial body, the gamblers, thieves, dive- keepers and outcasts. In order to de- stroy the effect of the just arraignment which has been made of this proposed reorganization it is said that Esola will sacrifice Callundan and appoint some one else. The Police Commissioners know Callundan. Have they any as- surance or can they give any that Eso- la's second choice will not be.worse than the first? He has indicated his policy and shown his methods. Both are in the highest degree detrimental to the interests of San Francisco. The* Commissioners certainly cannot misunderstand their position. Their duty to themselves and to the public, which they represent in a vitally im- portant relation, is perfectly plain. They canrot, without inflicting the ‘most serious injury upon San Francis- co, carry out the policy to which they have pledged themselves. They can- not, without sacrificing the positions which they have won for themselves. appoint any but men absolutely above the shadow of suspicion to posts of trust. They dare not face the conse- quences of deliveting San Francisco over to the claws of its Burns and Gunst and all they represent. The Commissioners know the serious import of their actions. When Gunst was a Police Commissioner he wanted more power than he then possessed. He wanted a wide-open town, with its influx of preying human harpies. He wanted gambling dens in full blast, for it meantgmoney to him and the dread- ful harvest of shame, disgrace, miserv and death which the people of the city would inevitably reap was no concern of his. Will the Police Commissioners now place his protege at the head of the Police Department, clothe him with | the tremendous powers of his office | and give to his master that evil sway for which he has sought so persistently? The answer will be given in the vote of the commission on Tuesday night. Charges have been preferred against | the appointment of Frederick L. Esola to the position of Chief of Police and | will be read at that time. s MORSE WAS ROBBED BY JULES J. CALLUNDAN FORCED NOW TO COME TO HIS ASSISTANCE. In a Letter to the Police Commission the Detective Denies The Call’s Charges. The following communication was filed yesterday with the Police Commission: SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 13, 1900. To the Honorable Board of Police Commissioners—Gentlemen: I respect- fully call your attention to an article 4 pubYl!had in The Call of this date, det- rimental to thé good name of Jules J. Callundan, late in_ my employ and now a member of the.San’ Francisco Police Department, wherein Mr. Callundan is charged with being “'a thief, defaulter and once a fugitive from justice.” Mr. J. J. Callundan has never been in the employ of any person for the last eighteen years except mine. During all that time he has been an honest, faith- ful employe. He never at any time em- bezzied from me; on the contrary, he has honestly and faithfully cared for my interests. fr Mr. Callundan is as The Call des- ignates him “‘a thief, defaulter and one time fugitive from justice,” then Mr. Callundan is an unfit person to be in the position of policeman in the de- artment of the city and county of Ban Francisco, Therefore, as I was one of the signers of Mr. Callundan’s petition asking for his appointment on the police force, I most respectfully request your honorable body to cause an_investigation to be made of The Call's charges that the truth or falsity of said charges may ascertained. Yours respectfully. HARRY N. MORSE. As above set forth The Call did state vesterday that Jules J. Callundan, for- merly in the mgoy of Mr. Morse, now a mem of the San Francisco Police De- partment, was “a thief, a defaulter ana a fugutive from Jjustice. The Call takes advantage of to-day’'s issue to reiterate that charge and to add, for the benefit of Mr. Morse and the many others directly Interested, that the man whom Jules J. Callundan robbed was | Harry N. Morse. BIGGY QUITS FOR AWHILE. Injunctions Issued Ordering the Acting Chief to Desist. All was quiet so far as ralds were con- L R S S S R R S R e e R i S S S SN SRS | or to intimidate Crisis of Grave Impor- tance Arises as the First Result of Police Reorganization. PR B The Mdyor Arrogates the Right to Carry Out His Ante- Election Compact to Make Frederick L. Esola, Alias Harrington, Chief of Police of the City of San Fran- cisco. — district last evening. Throughout the alleys In Chinatown the dc of the gambling houses were wide ¢ wily lookout made himself by his absence. Extra polic zens' attire were scat d the district, but their work be otonous to them, so quiet h quarters become as a cent raids of Acting Chief Late yesterday afternoon Chief was served with 1 sued by Circuit Judg ing him from interfe 5 of Bacon place and ord draw the blockad The injunction w had adjourned and the hands of Chi vening of cou ficers were thoroughfare, peace. About 10 o’clock last night ) accompanied by Police Ca went to the Nymphi ) ing him to with- )¢ head of the to preserve the left at however, squad of police off warning people not to as a rald be m: As the acting chief a about to enter from Pistolesi served Mr. Jjunction similar to the Bacon place case and s Murasky. Immediately had Captain Wittman sen cers to be placed on the sk the hotel. Wittman's orders to his men were very plain and to the point, Instruc to preserve the peace of the publ! not to enter the private propert interfere with any one going ! any on remises, but to act only as he men were lined up near far enough aj sageway for t Acting Chief E against the su steerers, and leave the city rested for vagr: are living on B Mr. after se rvIcQ: rt to leave s being ar- who STATUS OF SCHOOL FUNDS. Auditor Advises Board of Education as to Its Powers. A communication Auditor Wells by ( of the Board of E tain information funds under the r The Auditor r jhH chief deputy, was recently sent to W. Mark, pr tor cer- e school ld board. ¥ of the [ clusively t tion held apy on has ynment sent to E unted to sments with the cording funds show: be of Education must as bility of all bills contrac board between Janua: 1900, as it is within year.” — e NEW STEAMSHIP LINE. Almajia & Patrizi, editors an tors of I'Italia, have be eral agents 3 n Fr: fan Steamship Compa agency of the kind this coast. The Itallan line is a subsidized line un- der the control and protection of the Itallan Government. t has a fleet of 106 fast steamers, with ports in Africa, ‘Asia, North and South America. A new line of six magnificent steamers has just been established by the company to Tun from New York to Genoa and Naples. In addition to the navigation line, the Italian editors ha also been appointed special agen! the Santa Fe road. —_—e————— SCOTT WILL FIGHT. Tax Collector J. Harry Scott is protest- ing vigorously against the enforcement of the civil service law in his office, and it is quite likely that when the time comes he will put the matter to a legal test. Mr Scott brands the recent order of the Civil Service Commission as a scheme on the part of the Democratic organization to control the patronage of his office and he does not propose to stahd for it. He says he has given employment to the most ca- pable staff of clerks ever employed in the Tax Office. ry one of them is an ac- countant of ability, and few of them would have accepted the positions if they had known that sixty days would be the limit. LILLIAN DALE FIGHTS. Late yesterday afternoon Lilllan Dale, proprietor of the Nymphia Hotel, which has been raided during the last few even- ings by the police and its inmates charged with_vagrancy, flled suit against acting Chief of Police Bigsy and officers who served under him to recover $5000 dam- ages and to restrain him from further in- terference with the conduct of the re sort. In her complaint Lillian Dale al- leges that Biggy's rald was without war- rant or authority of law and has resulted in her damage to the extent of the sum sued for. —_——— CRIMINALS AT THE BAR. Robert Louis Tanner, the murderer of James Brown, was sentenced to life im- prisonment in Folsom prison yesterday. At the time Tanner murdered Brown he also shot Mrs. Fannie Barnes, but he wiil escape trial on a charge of murdering her by reason of his convictian on the other charge. Tanner was granted ten days’ stay of execut] John and, who entered the house of Andrew Pettigfew on the night of Oc- tober 1, 1899, and suffered conviction on a charge of burglary, was sent to Folsom for a term of five years. The date of sentence for Thomas A Kelly was postponed by Judge Lawlor cerned in Chinatown and the tenderloin | yesterday until the 20th inst.