The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 1, 1905, Page 1

~ —_— e THE WEATHER. Forecast made at San Francisco for 30 hours ending midnight, February 1: San Francisco 2nd vieinity—Cloudy, unsettied weather, with showers, fresh south winds. A. G. McADIE, District Forecaster. l — TH 63. VOLUME XCVII—NO. AR IR T o e ALCAZAR—"The Gay Lord Quex.' ALHAMBRA—Creatore’s Band. CALIFORNIA—" CENTRAL—“A day. TIVOLI—Grand COLUMBIA—"The Dictator.”™ |* CHUTES—Vaudeville. FISCHER'S—Vaudeville, GRAND—'‘The Bennis Brier Bush."™ ORPHEUM—Vaudeville. Matines to- -— “A Little Outcast.” Prisoner of War."™ Opera. ACCUSED SOLO }\‘ | | PRICE FIVE CENTS. 3 AT THE BAR Proof that money was handed to Joseph S. Jordan by Clarence Grange, manager of the Phoenix <Building and Loan Associa- | tion, for the purpose of purchasing immunity from Senate inquiry was established at the investigation’ of the charges of bribery ' commenced last night by the investigating committee of the State Senate. 'Whether the money reached the hands of the four Sen- ’ ators accused of taking the bribe is a question yet to be answered. ; 1 -’S;G strong is the proof against Jordan that he was arrested last night at the instigation of the District Attorney of Sacramento. . e STARTLING TALES ARE TOLD BY WITNESSES Investigation Results in Disclosures of Corruption. PLOT TO TRAP SJLONS Further Examination Is Needed to Prove Crookedness. AGENT ALONE SUFFERS \CRAMENTO, Jan. 31.—There remains to-night but one be forged in the chain of evidence that is heing drawn rs Emmons, Bunkers, French and Wright to con- hem, at least in the public mind, of the crime of bribe taking. . 1t seetns at this hour to be impossibie of refutation, was 1 hefore the special Senate committee, composed of Bel- Rowell, Simpson, Ralston and Diggs. establishiiig the fact Jordan, secretary of the San Francisco Senatorial 1 tive representative of the San Francisco ved indirectly from Clarence Grange, manager uilding and Loan Association of San Francisco, he informed the donor of the bribe money, he di- among the accused nfembers of the upper house, as commission for his part in the deal. _ RECEIVES THE ROLLS OF BILLS. his commission anat 1at the evidence shows, Jordan first received g paid $100 additional at a later date. Former Detective N. T or, now an officer of the Continental Building ion, testified that he saw Jordan place in the ms and Bunkers envelopes that contained their a ZIEZVT cov ALDEN" SBNCERSQN, < <o WO EDITERS . boodle—$350 each. He did not see French and 1, he said, because Jordan had failed to keep an engage- him by which he hoped tc witness the passing of the ! Id him, however, that he had met French and had given them their share of the bribe money, com- and securing immunity from interference for 1g and loan associations that compose what is Four,” these three being the Phoenix, the b accused Senators de- 1 $10,000 to stay proceedings against it, and its officers re- ed to contribute a dollar for protection, save what it cost them their share toward the payment of detectives that carried 1igh the plan to trap the 'men that now stand before the bar e Senate accused of felony. The link that remains to be forged in the chain of evidence relates to the passage of the marked bills, which it was testined to-night were given to Em,-- mons, Wright, Bunkers and Frech in payment for their good of- fices. If the prosecution has witnesses to testify that the accused have passed marked bills it gave no intimation of the fact to- night. This alone will complete a legal case, it is said, for no matter how positive the evidence that Joseph S. Jordan received the money and was seen handing what appeared to be the envel- opes in which the marked bills were placed to at least two of the accused Senators, the legal doubt will always remairm as to whether dan honestly carried out his part of the dishonest conspiracy. REMARKABLE GATHERING AT HEARING. The trial to-night drew a crowd to the Senate chamber that was remarkable for its personneland significant as evidencing how far the slush of scandal has spread. Politicians that have been hurt, lawyers that have been retained to defend the accused and to prosecute them, citizens actuated by curiosity, detectives bodyguards earning their fees, editors with policies to ntain and with axes to grind, women, some fearful of the IRE CALLED AS WITHESSES Key to Room of Go-Between Is Shown, Joseph S. Jordan [S Described as AgenL Epecial Dispatch to Thé Call. SACRAMENTO, Jan. 31.—The great drama of the legislative session--the trial before the bar of the Senate on charges of bribery of four of its mem- bers, Bunkers, Emmons, French and Wright—opened to-night. Direct tes- timony, of which it seems there can be no refutation, bars the way to exon- j eration for at least Joseph S. Jordan, secretary of the San Francisco Senato- rial delegation and legislative repre- sentative of the San Francisco#Even- ing Post. Absolute evidence that the accused Senators took the money they are charged with having taken is lack- ing, however, in the fact that when the investigation closed to-night no one had been placed on the stand to testify that they had "received from either® of the accused any of the marked bills it is claimed were handed them, though a detective testified pos- itcome, others looking for entertainment, gathered from the ur corners of the State to watch the battle rage. Mayor Schmitz of San Francisco, whose reputation has been ziled in connection with the scandal, arrived early to give, if ed upon, his testimony in denial of the intimation that he stood ready to award Senator Bunkers in return for his loyalty to the cause of the San Francisco Examiner in its efforts to undo Washington Dodge. £ The prosecution does not allege, however, that Mayor Schmitz stood ready to thus reward Bunkers. It simply states Continued on Page 2, Columns 3 and 4 itively that ‘he saw Joseph S. Jordan, the go-between, hand envelopes con- taining $350 to both Emmons and Bun- kers and that later they were told by Jordan that he had paid French and Wright, Jordan having failed to keep an engagement with the ' detectiyes they made in hopes they would see’the money pass. This detective is George N. Tichenor, formerly of Pinkertons. and now inspector of the Continental Building and Loan Association. An- other detective, as yet unnamed, will testify on’ the same line to-morrow evening. Promptly ‘at 8 o'clock Senator Bel- shaw, chairman of the investigating committee, called for order. He said that no disturbance would be tolerated / A M. SEYHOU - - arid those that violated the injunction would be ejected from the chamber. | He thén asked if William Corbin was present, and being answered ;in the affirmative directed that the hearing proceed. The trial opened with a. warm discussion between members of the committee and counsel as to whether Ceorbin should be. again required tol. swear to his affidavit of accusation. There was objection to this by Corbin's' attorneys, as they pointed. out that he) had already sworn to the statement and would give his testimony, under| oath when the time came. COPE! ND OBJECTS. Attorney Copéland, representing Sen- ator Emmons, was Insistent that the affidavit should be again sworn to. “Because,” he said, “it is doubtful whether a man can be prosecuted for perjury on an affidavit’'sworn to before a notary only.” \ Copeland was informed that he need have no fear on that score, that Cor- bin would testify under oath to the facts contained in the affidavit, and more, too, before the hearing was at an end, Copeland then said that he would like to know whether the hear- ing was going to proceed on strictly legal lines or if the committee’ would be liberal in hearing the case. =~ He would rather it would proceed on lib- eral lines.. He was not looking for traps, he said, but would like to have it as liberal as- possible that every phase of the charges ~might ;be brought to light. He was assured that the hearing would be on liberal lines and Chairman Belshaw then’ordered that the witnesses be called. McNab. asked the right to call one witness be- fore Corbin took the stand, stating that this witness was greatly incon- venienced by being called here. This raised another controversy, but the chair finally ruled that the prosecution should have the right to present its case as it saw fit. : «Call your witness,” said Chairman Belshaw. 2 Clarence Grange, manager of the Phoenix Savings Building and Logn Association of San Francisco, who re- sides at 2315 Broadway in that city, took the stand: % GRANGE TELLS: STORY. Grange first testified ‘that he had occupied His present :position - five'| years and then proceeded, in answer to’ questions, to tell his story. “A week ago last Saturday,” said Grange, “Joseph S. Jordan, whom 1 had known for some time, called on] | } | | | | me at my residence in San Francisco. He called to see m® as an emissary of certain members of the Senate Committee on Commissions and Re- ‘trenchments. His purpose was to se- cufe money for these men, which, he Baid, was necessary to-stay an investi- .gation of the corporation of which I am manager, and also the investigation ‘of “‘other corporations of the same character. He told me hell was pop- .ping in Sacrafento; that the Senate .Committee on Commissions and Re- trenchments had six subvenas out di- rected against the, ‘Big Four,' so ‘called, &nd that the committee pur- ‘posed holding an investigation the following Tuesday in which these companies wouldshe aimed at. “He told me that the committee was open for business and wanted to know if I wanted to do business with ‘them, and if I would pay for immu- nity. - I told him that I didn’t care for . the investigation; that I had nothing to conceal and that I would take no steps looking toward staying the investigation or receiving a favor- ‘able report, if such investigation was ‘held, unless the managers of the other companies agreed that such a ‘course was advisable, and that before I*%ould even lay the question before thgm I must have a definite proposi- tion. 1 told him that in any event nothing could be dome by the follow- ing Tuesday; that the time was too short. ASKS FOR AN OFFER. “He sald he would see Bunkers and ‘French and let me know the following day (Sunday) what they had to say. ‘I remained in ‘all day, awaiting him, -and at 2 o'clock he arrived. He wanted -to know what proposition I would of- fer, and I told him that I had none to offer, and that he must bring me one. He “:(hold me that.{'l::m‘mxity cou:& . be ased reasonably for three the g:mphnkl included in the ‘Big Four, but umgu iner, 'y for protection. This, account of the Exam- which would raise a disturbance the Continental would have | ATE INVESTIGATION OF THE MEN PROMINENT IN THE SEN- CHARGES OF CORRUPTION. — G - if the corporation was let down easy. and the members of the committee thought they should be well paid for facing what. was sure to follow. “He -said that French and Bunkers ‘were waiting ' for him at Eighth and Market streets .and that he would go to See them. He returned at 6 p. m. and said the three companies could fix it for $2000, a fourth of which was to g0 to each Senator. This sum, he said, however, was outside of his commis- sion. He said he wanted $250. He said the four members of the committee that would stand in demanded $10,000 to pro- tect the Continental, outside of his commission. He sald the four Senators would not move a peg for less than $2500 each. as they were sure to be dogged by the Examiner. Emmons had told him, he said, further, that he expected evidence would be furnished by the Examiner as'a result of which warrants could be issued for the ar- rest of McNab and Washington Dodge for compounding a felony. SES NAME OF NEWELL. “If told him that I -would et him know by wire what could be done and that if things developed I. would come to Sacramento to complete arrange- gnfl We agreed that all communi- tions by me should be signed Bill Newell: 'I then went to Mr. McNab and arranged to trap these men. I did not purpose permitting them to black- mail me. Last Friday I telegraphed to Jordan. I am not sure whether 1 directed the message to Joseph S. Jor- dan or Frank S. Jordan in care of the Senate. In this message I asked him to communicate with me by telephone. _When he called me up I told him that there had been a change in the pro- gramme; that I could not come to Sac- ramento and asked him where he lived. | He told me at 1160 Seventh street. I | told him Bill Newell would call, and ‘make all arrangements, and he said “All right.” “What did you do to raise with which to ecarry plan?" asked McNab. CALLS ON MALLETT. “I went to the residence of J. H. Mallett, vice president of the Renters’ Loan and Trust Company, and laid the communication before him. He would not agree to do anything. Then I went, to Perine and told him of the arrange- ments I_had made to pay the money. I asked him if he would join me in a campaign to stop grafting. He said he would and agreed to furnish half of the money, I to furnish the other half. I counted out 3350 in four pack- ages which I placed in envelopes and placed $150 in another envelope. These 1 delivered to a person unknown to me in the corridors of the Mills building.™ “Did I. nod,” interrupted McNab, “directing which man you were to hand the envelopes to?” Grange then con- tinued: “Though Jordan had said he must have 3500 for each of the Senators in- volved and $250 for himself the sum was reduced in round figures to $1550 because the three big associations out- side of the Continental did not go im. The matter was submitted to the Pa- cific States Company, but it refused to have anything to do with it. I did not ask this company to join in the trap, thinking it better to keep this end of the affair as quiet as possible that the plan might not be defeated. We also decided that the sum we gave would- be sufficient; that a man that | could be bought for 3500 could be | bcught for $330, and then again we would save money, because after we Iunce gave the money we appreciated the fact that it would be*gone from us forever. However, I afterward added $100 to make up Jordan's commission, as he demanded $250 from the begin- ning. This latter sum was in $20 gold | pieces wrapped in a piece of newspaper and pinned inside of an emvelope.” “Have you met Jordan sjnce the 234?" inquired Attormey Copeland. “I met him in this city last Friday at the Capitol Hotel,” answered the witness. “I asked him how things were and he said there was trouble. | He said that Bunkers only got $300 in his package; that he had seen tke same counted and that through some urexplained circumstances $50 had i been extracted from the envelope. He said that Bunkers demanded the money, but I told him to wait a week. JORDAN USES PHONE. “On Monday, yesterday, before these charges were brought before the Sen- ate he called me up by telephone and asked me if 1 had seen the Bulletim I told him that I had not: that I would send out and get one and for him to ring me up in half an hour. 1 was tken in my office in San Francisco. He rang me up again and when I told him that the Bulletin had the story he asked me if I was coming up. I told him ne. He then asked me if his name was in Continued on Page 2, Columa %. ¢ money through your A