The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 11, 1900, Page 1

~ @all, VOLUME L\\\\III \O 41. SAN FRANCISCO 11, 1900. EDNESDAY, JULY PRICE FIVE CENTS. , in co in the court, the under arrest. They and for that reason which seem to be a the entire story. John M of the estate criminally as he, stigation reaches its ate, e negro thoroughly after his arrest. ther documents in the case. @444 44544 4404440404400 ~ -+ s [ S R R R A AR A S LLOYD FOUND TRACES OF A PLAIN FRAUD mere looker-on yes- n this court and see- proceedings that rom the there ustice, luty as a > m’|L| a sug- r to protect the heirs and the nterested in this estate by dflrru it seems f into trouble by me to rep- : a e Ot myse Honor resent the c exam » carefully the court other mem- awyers should their time to is properly admin- therefore I do wyer will object g his seryices to assist n in this Reuben court. to T the court so fnr as he Attorn H D R s e e e e e S e e s . | @— fead man -con- rge deliberate and long a systematic, was m the con- al in or- schemes ded an in- ense of ]u n led (he re 90 @0 69 90 00 O 00 & 00906060 0 .‘0‘.‘6—0‘0 © 009009000000 ¢600 000 &0 9 .\H measures ediate y made ever close inquiry into, conspirators were con in h him whose unity ctice, to probe this on the court to appoint men the many attorneys in the court- e momentous character of the hoice. He took care that rep- f He asked attorn cept the sa: e three men, admittec nvestigatir e published this ‘morning in The ir is of prim it does matte therefore absolutely it is_his affair, 1 to discuss. This paper their tools was and rom t conspiracy was | 1 estate was awarded | v were | | and perju val allegations of Chretien was on the wit- His colored employe the name of torney, / 1 finished I\.\( s John F. Seymour and lored man and of Chretien, District tatives of the Grand Jury, Chief of De- prominent members of the legal rtling declarations made in court. Reuben H. Lioyd, Garret W. ngton and Chief of Detectives The ed that at the instigation of John Fred Hansted, who is known to he signed the name of John Sullivan the startling revelations which ials decided to place John M. ation that he intended to flee from “'rlorl his house. These startling de- g climax to a disgraceful affair, do tien is not the only scoundrel con- ate dead. Others are involved pability will be established ion. ;T_HERE was never a more sensa- | tional trial in the Superior courts of this city than that before Judge | tt yesterday. There have been ‘H‘H‘PPH‘FH~+H~H‘H~H+++++++4~H—!—H—HH-H+H~H~PH4~$ § | e i, Mt hb T started upon a single charge day wore on developed e of such a cold-blooded and infa- plot. The witnesses examined were not many, but the t that searching ques- tions wrung from them made up for any | lack of number in a iavish store of facts. ihe heirs advanced to claim the miser- able hundreds of Joseph Sullivan were ranged before the public as a procession of myths, and then from that they devel- oped into frauds. John Chretien was on the stand all the morning and much of the afternoon, and the story he told would make reading for a school of crime. His testimony amount- ed to this—that he took the man Sullivan, the heir to a dead man’s estate, without knowing more about him than that he bore a bit of paper which Chretien said he had written to him, and then when Chretien was asked to produce the letter that served to identify this willing helr, he could not or would not produce it. In the afternoon he changed his afdavit of services untl it fitied testimony given in an ill guarded moment in the morning. He !nvit names and dates until he saw others knew them, and then they sprang into hie mind with'a nimblencss that was q.fl-y-risinfi He explained and then | changed his explanations; he made asser- | tions ard counter-assertions, and he piied | E CHRETIEN'S TOOL CONFESSES i bl k3 * e 9 6 90 00 93 0 0000 0 0 0 00990059 0 60 08 006 o COLTHORP CONFESSES THE FRAUD. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., July 10, 1900 Y name is Robert Colthorp. | reside at 455 Jessie street. | am going on 51 years of age. | am married. | came to San Francisco on October 3, 1875. | know John M. Chretien. | have known him for the past twenty years. For the past two years | have been working for John M. Chretien by cleaning up his office. | know him very well. | wrote the name “John Sullivan” on the paper which you now show to me. (Mr. Lloyd shows Mr. Colthorp a paper indorsed substantially: “Deed. John Suilivan to 1. J. Rauer. Re- corded in Book of Deeds, Vol. 1868, page 198, May 5, 1900, 2:02 p. m., at the request of J. J. Rauer,” and bearing the signature “John Sullivan.”) | wrote the name “John Suliivan” on that paper at Mr. Chretien’s request. 1 wrote it in Mr. Chretien’s office, in room 20 of the building 230 Montgomery street, in the city and county of San Francisco. | do not remember what Chretien said to me at the time. He only asked me to write the name “John Sullivan” on the paper. At the time | signed the name “John Sullivan” on the paper there was no one present but Chretien and 1. | know Lee D. Craig, the Notary Public, but | have never been before him to acknowl- edge any paper. | never acknowledged any deed before Lee D. Craig. | never made a deed in my life. | do not remember the hour at which ! signed the name “John Sullivan” to the paper, but it was during busi- ness hours. | signed the name “John Sullivan” on a check. | did this at Mr. Chretien’s request. | did this in a little office off the saloon in the basement of the building at the southeast corner of Pine and Montgom- ery streets. | was in the sa- loon having a glass of whisky. It was about 5 o’clock, and | was about ready to close up. Chretien knew that he would be likely to find me in the sa- loon. Chretien and Professor Dutchy came into the saloon, and Chretien asked me to come into the little office. Chretien, Professor Dutchy and | went into the little of- fice, and Chretien showed me the check and asked me to sign the name “John Sullivan” on the check. At Chretien’s request, | signed the name “John Sullivan” on the check. When | signed, the check was lying on the counter in the little office. Chretien did not fur- nish me the pen and ink with which to sign. The pen and ink were already on the counter. | signed the name “Jehn Sullivan” on the check in the presence of Mr. Chretien and Profes- sor Dutchy. | do not know that Chretien asked me to take a drink. He just laid down the check and asked me to sign the name of “John Sullivan” en it. Chretien did not say any- thing to me about writing two L’s in the name “Sullivan.” After | had signed the name ““John Sullivan” on the check, Mr. Chretien took the check. | have signed names to other papers for Mr. Chretien, but | don’t remember now what the papers were. When | signed the name “John Sullivan” on the paper you showed to me (the deed) | did not know what kind of a paper it was. It was folded up, and I did not see anything but the place where | signed the name “John Sullivan.” JOHN M. CHRETIEN. —........H.H...—.—.—0....—.—...—0..—0—“ & & b PROMINENT ATTORNEYS ACCEPT A SERIOUS DUTY. HE startling expose made by The Call of the crime committed in the Probate Court of Judge Troutt has aroused the deepest interest of the bench and bar in this city. As a result of that expose of the atrocious operations of a clique of scheming and unscrupulous lawyers, an investigation, searching in its nature, was begun yesterday morning by Judge James M. Troutt, who declared that he would leave nothing undone to sift the affair to the bottom. Realizing the seriousness of the situation and the reflec- tion which the operation of scoundrels had cast upon the legal profession in this city, he called upon Reu- ben H. Lloyd, Garret W. McEnerney and E. F. Preston to represent the Court in the investigation. These lawyers, edmittedly of prominence in their profession, accepted gladly the duty imposed upon them. © | contradiction and equivoca n_and equivecatic discom e who signed ti the he at Frank Co He was asked e could. He clerk” s and the The New Mnn Weston. | nd another man has crept Into the | A convenfent man from the heart one Charles Wes dress to Chretien jus ing of ever finding an respondence he would drm\ probably find his id so, and al- thoug the London ptv“;y] authorities h notified Chretien that of Sullivans living in Soho not sought for man i1l this time ll nothing, but, Chri en swore, ected the ter to Evergreen ra County California, and there owner. Once before, in an- lrnpr'\ the L. t 1, 3 or § it still the last epistle found an o turned up just in time. asked to produce a copy of letter, but he did not do so. of meeting in Ever- the Joh! missing heir, K hhl)\l( the Sullivans ex “bad blood” _betwe | . and he never asked her where her Information. He struck a man named Weatherly on the streets of ‘ this city and Weatherly told him all about where he could find the missing Sullivan and just whom to write to, and he never asked Weatherly if he knew either of the He never showed the heir to ho could help to identify him, | in the whole contingent that ever | @ a hand in the case no one ever saw | one to vouch for Johmn Sullivan in | [ except Chretlen. When John Sullivan wanted money from Rauer Chre- ‘ tien drew it for him. When he wanted money, the bank Chretien was with | him. "Whenever he appears in the case he O | appears thrmu:}‘ Chretien or Chretien ap- ¢ for him, and whenever he signed would man That House in Soho Square. The letter to 34 Soho square took up much of t ntion of the court and.the attorneys. arching_inquiry was made regarding the place, but it femained for I one’ of the attorneys for Consul, to tell that 34 Soho juare is tk select club | re 1 as being an” sign the dey port of his clatms, nor would he admit h re the man lives, and as nteresting to notice | ohn Sullivan” of the | morn'ng the references of the defending | aticrneys to the bogus helr drifted around to the “supposed heir” and the “so-called John van.” There were other witnesses, but none o them were such witnesses as Chretier James Taylor Rogers seems fo promise something pitiable, if not interesting. but he not passed through half of his ex- amination so far. In fact, he had hardl Dbegun at the time the court’s adjournment gave him a respite And J. Rauer v was all in regard to. the m | he may lose by having bought out the es- tate. | The crowd iIn the courtroom just Lefore | the case opened was Il was made up mostl | & sprinkling of new: | most prominent thing about it bearing of the men who had handled the | estate of the dead man, Sullivan 1 day wore on this bearing changed | fore the evening adjournment ' to | quietly away was their evident desire, When the case was called by the court Reuben H. Lioyd arose and addressed the @ | Judge. He said: | Mr. Lloyd Opens Proceedings. If the court please, being a mere looker-on | | yesterday In this court and seeing from the roceedings that were had that there might fe’a miscarriage of justice and concetving it my duty as a member of the bar to make a suggestion to your Honor ‘to protect the court and the heirs and the parties interested in this estate Dy setting aside the decres, it seems I have got myself Into troubie by your Homor appointing me to represent the court. I mad a cursory examinatlon of the affairs and trans actions of this e s rapidly and as full as I possibly could at the time, and I find that | there are many things which should be care- fully investigated. That will take some time, | and 1 think, therefore, that the court should | appoint some other member of the bar. All lawyers should cheerfully give thelr time to see t stice is properly administerel in | court, and therefore I do not think that any lawyer will object to rendering his services to | assist the court so far as he can in this matter. The Court—1 agree with you. Mr. Liova 1| observe that Mr. McEnerney is hers. M- | Enerney, perhaps you would be willing %o Join | 1 Mr. Lioyd in this matter. Mr. McEnerney—I would be very glad to do | so, your Honor. Mr. Ruef—I desire to have it recorded that we cheerfully, 80 far as the Public Administra- tor i concerned, acquiesce in the appointment of Mr, McEnerniey or any other attorney that Vour Honor may see fit at any time to desig- nate for the investigation of these proceedings and matters. Mr. Lioyd—I notice also another distingutshed member of the bar here In court—Mr, Preston. I think he could render able assistance in this matter, and 1 suggest that he be added to our also a witness. Hi. ® | of attorneys, with slip O+ 4444444444 QQOQOQJ;HNHOQMO000H0¢00090fl 1 B e R o e R R RS The Court—I should appreclate it most sin- cerely 1f Colonel Preston would also assist the court in investigating this very serious mat- ter. Yesterday morning, after matters had progressed to a certain extent the court was Satisfied that. owing to| the suggestion of one of the daily journals, the matter had been taken in time and we are in a position to pre- serve the estate so that no man—if any man has attempted to folst himself upon this court as a brother and heir to the decedent—no such may Y:il)ut a ‘ve'rymhgl.no\u crime has been at- tempted; an attem s been aps to s et P eoaie of the administrator fortunately and it is not o0 late to set aside the decree. there be- yesterday. ing_time to lnln{e go Tor the disposition of this matter and for a thorough investigation before | n_interesting one. | 13 2 | street address as soon as he heard fit. CALS ARE RUN TO EARTH S EXPOSE OF THE CORRUPT PROBATE RING FRUIT FOR THE PENITENTIARY, IN JAIL--POLICE SURRQUND THE LAWYER'S HOUSE--HE WILL E ESCORTED TO COURT THIS MORNING BY DETECTIVES, on that ha: 0 give me an opportw to e this estate w Ruef—TI ask your Hon: Jear app o let it that the motion was made b pose or that it fs made by the cc parties. The Court—The cou preciate, of ter. John M. Chretlen was the first witness called to the stand. Mr. McEnerney con- ducted the examination. In Search of an Heir. lcb:nerney s questions t hretien has suggested it. I ap- course, your position in the mat- Under ad an, he proceeded to 1<mx for same. Hg did not know that B heirs, but he went to S on Post street and she sent ! lor on Kearny street and he to a farmer vergreen, whos a deaf old wom Martin Murph Kearny stre on he h ald Mrs. e address was 34 Soho h Laffe r'\ had r he k this back a Weston told him in a land. How C no Sullivan known Soho square. With n of ter ends all that ble about Chretien’s story Chretien sald he inquired of English friend, a man named Rollat, he sent at his s firm of Freer, of London, but he received no r sent two more letters to an addres e sald. one on Septe: »ber %. How he se the Wharton street address was teresting fllustration of how Ci business McEnerney started after the Wharton asked: The Hand of Mr. Weatherly. How 4id you get any information about Sul- ltvan's address being at 25 Wharton street? From a gentleman here In the city. Who? Dr. Weatherly. Where is his place of business? I couldn't I met him one day on the street and 1 asked him. Is he a physiclan? B e ey ) - McENERNEY WANTS TRUTH UNHAMPERED Well, he was a phy- T is not the amount of money involved in this case, but the enormity of th t s not a question “who uh( uld be protected,” but “who Is impli- cated.” It is of interest to whole community to see that this matter is probed to the bottom re- gardless of what the outcome of the Investigation may be. Private concerns must be sacrificed to pub- lie necessity under these circum- stances and every good citizen should do his utmost to assist the court In arriving at the truth in this case. We have the right to inquire into private matters which may have any bearing on the sub- ject or can throw any light upon it, for no private affairs can be allowed to stand in the way of this investigation. We are concerned only with the openness and thin- ness of the fraud. Now it seems to me that an attorney who comes here in a proceeding like this ought to give the court the benefit of his Influence. The fact that he does not comes In very bad taste from him.—From Attorney Gar- ret McEnefney's remarks during the investigation.