The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, August 7, 1902, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1902. . FURNITURE CARVED BY CONVICTS ADORNS HOME > OF JOSEPH AGU IRRE L RRING FURITLITUR 7 A2 ARAREE TS A S SRR BERNKELEY FROIT STEANER. T AROLIINE AT TACKSON TR cAaz 7o STR. RESOLUTE SrREET = OVERNOR HENRY T. GAGE has proclaimed that as a result of his recent “star chamber investigation” of affairs at San Quentin Prison he “found nothing wrong in the administration of the affairs of the penitentiary under the regime of his friend and appointee, Warden M. G. Aguirre. The Governor claims that he examined the records of the prison and compared them with the duplicate files of the Control- ler’s office at Sacramento., What has Governor Gage to say as to the reckless expenditure of public funds by Warden Aguirre in fitting up the Warden's house and that of the Directors? An extract from the records of the Prison Board of Directors for July 15, 1809, reads as follows. “On motion the Warden was authorized to expend not to exceed $1000 for refitting and refurnishing the Warden's and Directors’ houses.” The Call is prepared to prove that Warden Aguirre, shortly after he assumed office, ordered goods for over $2000 from one firm alone in San Rafael for refitting and rcfurnislziné the house he occupies and the one, used by the Directors, exclusive of the large sums expended later on for furnishing these houses with such articles as towels, doylies, tablecloths, napkins, sheets and night-shirts. The Call possesses documentary cvidence to prove the waste of public funds by Warden Aguirre, who has been declared innocent of wrong-doing by Governor Gage. J | T LOV I S~ v AGUIRR "M caz g EURNITURE W Rorz sTR Zo Docr rARKEDL BERHELES” CAMERA TELLS THE TALE OF +YHE SHIPMENT OF PRISON-MADE FURNITURE TO THE BER CARRYING- SETr T EE FROLrZ STR. 7O WAREFOUSE ¥ _ / KELEY HOME OF JOSEPH AGUIRRE. —fe -+ Massive Arm Chairs and Tables of Rare Ozk|" Shipped From San Quentin to Berkeley and Received by Warden and Brother AGUIRRE, | purchase of lumber and its having been charged to the jute mill. Nothing on the records showed the purchase of hard woods for the manufacture of fur- niture or any indebtedness of Joseph such lumber. The furni- OSEPH A over- seer at San Quentin and act- ing warden in the absence o his brother, denied on ) to a reporter of The Call s was b at any furniture being made at that time. The n in the prison or Was| articles manufactured and in process of stored there. The next day he ad- | manufacture were in evidence in the mitted to a representafive of The | pxl.;'mv, a\w;lfutehpro(it of zk}:e shhaméless Calt S e iy appointment | Violation of the law y the Gov- e 4«;)‘]';;: e:i’;"a‘i a};‘g:fi‘ Commis- | €FEOr's _ trusted personal friends. by G or Gage | Gage chose to shut his eyes to d if it were not true that | ol this, to keep it all a part of | y of the secret investi- | ation. Poseibly the fact that Gov- ernor Gage’s ranch house” at Downey | w even then adorned with handsome | pieces of furniture beautifully carved by | conviets, put to that labor in direct vio- | lation of the law, furniture made from | lumber chargzed to the jute mill and | hence paid for by the State of whose | | treasury Gage pretends to be the faith- ! ful watch dog—possibly this unfortu- nate predicament had something to do Resolute, and landed at the | with Gage's whitewashing report. He foot of University avenue, | scarcely could have done otherwisa, The next da Joseph | with the .integrity of his confedérates nd his brother, the Wasden, | in the other transaction in question, at the former's Berkeley | but his procedure at that time is, to say the least, in striking contrast to the | policy adovted by him when charges against Dr. Lawler were substantiated | by an investigation. | The Call learned July 28 that the fur- as then being made in the | for the house in Berkeley that | is future home, he said sim- »u people seem to know pretty on here.” He con- fessed at that time that he had ordered d that he intended erials when he left the deep myste: e consignment of furniture was the prison July 28 on the 1 transhipped to the ner f at the In the meanwhile Governor Gage had 1 held his star chamber investigation and d that there had been no viola- Jaw, no misappropriation of re public funds. Aguirre’s furniture was | niture destined to adorn the Berkeley | made by convict labor in direct viola- | home of Joseph Aguirre to a degree in t - State law and was stored | keeping with the dignity of a Bank prison when Gage made | Commissioner had been shipped from secret investigation. Tt |the prison on the steamer Caroline. from lumber illegally pur- | Reporters and a photographer were | waiting at Pier No. 5 at 3 o'clock, when ! the steamer docked. Within half an | hour the freight carrying steamer Res- olute came alongside the Caroline and the shipment of the con- | the crated and burlap protected furni- | ture was quickly transhipped. The process was watched for The Call, and | photographs presented herewith tell th: tale. The transfer made, the Resolute | steamed across the bay to the wharf at the foot of University avenue, Berke- d fraudulently charged to the account. And with unparal- effrontery Warden Aguirre and leled his brother, the overseer, gave personal | te 3 to the Berkeley to the disclosures The Call and the loud protest- of the Governor and the that the law had not been vio- or the State defrauded. Aguirre had made his damag- lated Joseph ing admissions, the records showed the | ley, and the consignment of conviet- | To-day further proof of shipments to have been made: August 5, 1901. From M. G. AGUIRRE Downey: February 17, 1902. From GEO. From GAGE, Downey, Cal.: May 8, 1901 (Waybill 140). From SAN QUENTIN PRISON T. GAGE, Downey: ' One lounge, 200 1bs. SHIPMENTS TO GAGE MADE DURING AGUIRRE’'S REGIME | | furniture was to DOMINGO MINDIAS, Three cases of farnitur.’, One crate of furniture. MacDOUGAL to GEO. care of GAGE RANCH, Downey: Four crates of furniture. Six boxes of sundries. November 7, 1900 (Waybill 390). CAPTAIN RUSSELL to MRS. One boxed chair, 235 Ibs. ESTERDAY The Call presented evidence to prove the shipment of prison-made furniture from the penitentiary to the ranch home of Governor Henry T. Gage at Downey, Los Angeles County. i Part of the furniture was shipped to } Domingo Mindias, the foreman of the Gage ranch; some of the articles were consigned to George MacDougal, a relative of Gage by marriage, while others were billed to the wife of the Governor. tain Russell is an official of San Quentin prison. The Call, yesterday and to-day, proves the following similar transactions is also given. May 29, 1901. From M. G. ] March —, 1902, MacDOUGAL, DOUGAL, October 1, From Mrs. 1900. HENRY T. April 5, 1901. to MRS. HENRY T. GAGE, z LAt . Prison, to DOMINGG MENDIAS. Downey, Cal.: Three boxes of furniture. From GEORGE MacDOUGAL to GEORGE Mac- Four cgates of furmiture. | One hox of plants. HENRY T. MRS. HENRY T. GAGE, Downey, Cal.: Invalid’s chair, boxes and bundles— From SAN QUENTIN PRISON to MRS. HENRY Cap- i | Warden San Quentin AGUIRRE, care of GAGE RANCH, Downey, Cal.: GAGE, San Quentin, to 8 articles weighing 825 lbs. Downey: kits, 1 erate, 1 box gl ing 627 1bs. i s, weigh- 4 made furniture was stored in the ware- house. WARDEN AGUIRRE THERE. The following day, July 29, at about 1 o'clock In the afternoon, an express wagon of the People’s Transfer and Express Company arrived at the ware- house and was at once loaded with a portion of the furniture, possibly a third of the total. Joseph Aguirre was there, watchful that the delicately carved chairs and tables and settees were not marred by the expressmen. The express wagon was driven direct to the new Aguirre home, and was pho- tographed en route, piled high with the furniture. Joe Aguirre drove in a buggy by an indirect route to his house, which stands on the west side of Wal- nut street, the third house south of Ce- dar., - Warden Aguirre was at his brother's home and he and the brother, these two trusted lieutenants of the Chief Execu- tive, superintended the unloading of the massive pieces of furniture and their disposition in the house. Each great arm-chair of oak, each table with its polished surface shining like a mir- ror, was placed with the loving care of connoisseurs. For not many pluto- crats in California, no matter how long the purse. can boast of rare and ele- gant furniture made in secret by skilled wood carvers in prison garb—from ex- pensive woods paid for by the State, stored in dark rooms within the prison walls and moved in stealth to the home for the ornamentation of which alone it was made. The crates and burlap-covered arti- cles were marked “J. Agujrre,” “Joe Aguirre,” “J. A A,” or “J. A.)” and in every case Berkeley was the place to which the consignment was made. Herewith is given a list of the thirty- nine pieces that made up the consign- ment. In most cases the character of the piece of furniture was evident, in spite of burlap covering and crate. In others, heavy boxes gave no clew to the contents or the shape of crates left it uncertain what particular article of | county jail. Photographs of Crated and Burlap Covered Articles Tell Story of Shameless Fraud Practiced by Governor’s Lieutenants - . inclosed. Following is |1 small bundle, contents unknown. large arm-chair, covered with burlap, the list: i 1 1 crate, settee, covered with burlap. crated. 2 couches, covered with burlap. 2 round top parlor tables, covered with 2 tables, covered ‘with burlap, crated. burlap. 2 large arm-chairs, covered with bur- |1 large couch, covered with burlap. lap. 2 chairs, crated, covered with burlap. 2 chiffoniers, covered with burlap, |1 sewing machine, covered with burlap, crated. | crated. 2 washstands, covered with burlap. I boxes, contents unknown. large crate, contents unknowns small crate, contents unknown. chiffonier, covered with burlap, crated. small crate, supposed to be mirror. large dining table, covered with bur- lap, and crated. 2 small chairs, covered with burlap. 2 boxes of goods, contents unknown. 1 table, covered with burlap, crated. 2 chairs, covered with burlap, crated. 2 1 1 1 1 wardrobe, covered with burlap, crated. 1 large box; contents unkown. | 1 dresser, covered with burlap, crated. | 1 refrigerator, covered with burlap, |1 large crate, piece of furniture of highs crated. { ly polished oak, covered with buse 1 barrel, contents unknown. |\ lap, supposed to be sideboard. COAL WATCHMAN PRYING AT DEFENSES IS BEATEN TO DEATH WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE Three Foreigners Are Arrested on a | War Department Proposes to Enforce Charge of Committing an Strictly an Important Atrocious Murder. Regulation. WILKESBARRE, Pa., Aug. 6—The| CALL BUREAU, 1406 G STREET, N. body of Daniel Sweeney, a watchman em- | W., WASHINGTON, Aug. 6—The War ployed by the Delaware, Lackawanna & | Department is determined to enforce ‘Western Coal Company at Hanover tcwn- | more strictly the policy of excluding from ship, was found early to-day on a lone- the coast defense fortifications persons ly road in Nanticoke, lying in a pool [ not connected with the military service 0{1 bll;wd» ’{‘hi S’;&;‘:ehi‘:&o":5;’.,:5‘;52:“!:; of the United States. There is a regula- top of the head and the body was brussed | tion which prohibits_any_persons_from in numerous places. A bloody pick handle | Visiting the parapets andemplacements lay close by. Sweeney quit work at mid- | without special authority from the Secre- tary of War. The regulation is aimed night and was followed Dy a score of men who threatened him. He took refuge in a | ;nor. ‘Grectly at visitors and military at- taches of foreign governments. saloon and, after he thought the crowd a 3 me. This was it i ehve Notwithstanding the strict rules a pecu- liar condition was discovered at Fort the last seen of him alive. Sweeney told the superintendent of the | e e . o o | Wright, where several guns of large cali- of the strikers had warne m tha e | . E ala not quit work he would be sorry, | e have been instalied :"d e e Sweeney said he needed employment and placements recently had been cons his family was in want. | ed. The work was let by contract and Michael Yisko, John Smith and Ignatz | the contractor had been permitted to em- Shukie, all forefgners, who were last seen | ploy a large gang of Italians, who were in ‘Sweeney’s company, were arrested to- | Unrestrained in their observations. This night charged with being implicated in |has been called to the attention of the the murder. They were given a hearing | War Department, and Acting Secretary and brought to Wilkesbarre on a special | of War Sanger has determined to tmn? train. They were at once taken to the |the matter to the notice of the proper of~ ficer with a view of rem ovik, 1 1 i