The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 9, 1905, Page 1

—_— % THE WEATHER. Forecast made at San Francisco for ¥ hours ending midnight, Febru- Francisco and vicinity—Fatr light north winds, A. G. McADIE, District Forecaster. reday; ALCAZAR— CALIFORNTA—* GRAND LYRIC day. TIVOLI—Grand s Humming Bird." Vaudeville. “Mother Goose.™ HALL—Dolmetsch Concert. ORPHEUM—Vaudeville. Dictator.” Fight for Millions." Matinee to- Overa. VOLUME XCVII- FRANCISCO, THURSDAY FEBRUARY 9, 1905. ORDAN ADMITS HE BRIBED SENATORS J OSEPH JORDAN the man who was said to have acted as the agent of building and loan corporations and purchased immunity from investigation at the hands of the Legislature from four members of the Senate, confessed last night that he had handled the bribery money, and as such agent paid over to Senators French, Emmons, Wright and Bunkers, members of the committee appointed to investigate certain corporations,$350 each. He verified in every detail the statements of the detectives employed by the corporations The confession was obmm fid onl\ cmer counsel for the accused Senators had made every effort to keep Jordan off the stand. TALE OF CORRUPTION TOLD BY GO-BETWEEN N AGENT’S CONSCIENCE I IS UNABLE TO CARRY THE BURDEN OF GUILT L et TR SAVES HIMSELF AT EXPENSE OF UTHERS Emmons, French, Wright and Bunkers Sell Their Hon- or. for- {300 —Joseph S. Jordan has conf - Senators Frank French and Harry d Eli Wright of San Jose. to success ed and the doors of the peniten- Bunkers of San Francisco, J. Em= i District Attorney A..M. Seymour of Sacra- ssue the greatest battle of the scandal and the criminal courts have Backed in force by counsel the guilty sought, ta-night by «every means ach the witness chair, there under oath tc make sucl explanation as they harge of which they now stand convicted and then to laugh at the law’s But to-night all the good, red ot dispel their terror of the fate they see ahead. of Jordan astounded a majority of the great audience that jammed the Sen- focation. Character witnesses had been telling that Detectives Tichenor and t pointed the finger of accusation at the alleged hoodlers were men of good NOWN Versa \l\ and HMC‘Q]’H\ £MMONJ" UNABLE TO STAND THE STRAIN. udience saw prey a dull session ahead when it was announced that Senator Emmons would owed by the rest of the to nail under oath the sworn charges rankest perjury. Once under oath the accused would have heen absolved from pros- wler provisions of the law framed to induce men to confess when guilty of with difl But they were to be denied this privilege. Dis- demanded that the committee do not thus sacrifice the rights of f the accused be the decision of courts that alone could mete punishment for their crimes. ) be o accused, ays proved Hiculty. mour rose and e fate reserved for fight, and a tremendous burst of applause marked the temper of the audience. | hastened to the witness chair when his name was first called, sat for a moment in mopping his forehead with a handkerchief, and then rose and made his way out of accompanied by his wife, who hastened here to aid him when he first stood accused of he sympathy of the entire audience was hers, but what little there was for her husband | Bunkers sat, his face aflame with excitement ; the features of Wright were 1 was sullen in the face of the adverse turn the case had taken. JORD.HA/ DISPELS THEIR LAST HOPE. And then came joseph S. Jordan to the stand. With a clear voice he tore ,aside the last of defense that remained for the accused and they stood exposed beyond possibility of Jordan told in every detail as to the manner in which he received the gold that bought sgrace for Bunkers, Emmons, French and Wright from the hands of the detective set to trap He told how he paid the Senators the sums they demanded to carry out their dishon- le compact to protect the men that parted with the price of their dishonor, but he varied in one important particular from the testimony introduced by the prosecution. Clarence Grange, manager of the Phoenix Building and Loan Association, who raised the purse with which the boodlers were trapped, testified that Jordan first came to him and told him t the Committee on Commissions and Retrenchment was organized and open for business and it was then he conceived the idea of ending the public careers of the men that sought to blackmail him. With other building and loan men he proceeded, he testified, to place the mat- ter in the hands of Gavin McNab, attorney for the Continental, and success waited on their efforts. SAYS GRANGE SUGGESTED BRIBERY. Jordan testified to-night that it was not he but Grange that first raised the question as to ther the committee could be bought, and that it was in obedience to Grange’s instructions that he went to see the men he picked out of the committee as corruptible and entered into the compact that for a stated sum they would protect the Phoenix, Renters and Pacific States companies, the Pa- cific States refusing later to enterthe scheme of entrapment. It was also, he said, at Grange’s sug- tion that he inquired of the now-convicted Senators how much it would cost to protect the Con- tinental, and that in answer the boodlers told him they could not do it for less than $10,000—that too hard a fight wés being directed against the institution. There is no question but Jordan has escaped the consequences of his acts as a lobbyist and briber of legislators, but whether he will escape prosecution for perjury yet remains to be deter- Mr. Grange is not in a temper to be trifled with and Jordan has cast the lie fairly and squarely at him. But it is thought that Jordan’s disgrace is sufficient punishment for him and t Grange wiil be willing to let the questmn of veracity between him and Jordan rest for final decision with the great jury of public opinion. District Attorney Seymour said to-night that no arrests would be made before to-morrow, when the Grand Jury would resume its investigation of the bribery cases. It is presumed that that body will at once return indictments against the four accused Senators, or against Bunkers and Emmons, anyway. When the hearing was finished to-night many spectators thronged the corridor outside the Senate chamber, expecting that some of the accused men would be taken into custody at that time, but no arrest was made. The four Senators are closely watched by detectives, so that none of them will be able to escape from Sacramento. rom her. rem defer sc. dis them. mined. li f\ | 1 { | | | | ] | | { .. UTBYHMOUVR_. COUNSEL MAKE BITTER FIGHT FOR ACCUSED Try to Save Clients by Use of Law’s Technicalities. —_—————— EXCITING SCENE Chance 10 Make 2 Sworn Statement Is Dg_nigflhem. SACRAMENTO, Feb. 8.—After ‘an hour’s weary work examining witnesses that testified to the good character of i Detectives Tichenor and Hartling, the great climax of the bribery scandal was reached to-night. The prosecution had announced that it had exhausted its| list of the character witnesses, but that more would probably be in on the late train. Then the defense announced that it would go on with its case. Attorney Cator said he would call Senator Em- mons to the stand, and later the rest ot the accused, that they might disprove the grave charges against them. Then the sensation came. District Attorney Seymour of Sacramento, who had not appeared before to take part in the proceedings, took a pldce near the desks of the committee and said: SEYMOUR OBJECTS. “I object to the effort here to swear these accused Senators. I do not care what may be my opinion of the merits of the charges that have been lodged here, it is apparent to every man that a grave offense against the laws of the State has been committed and that| crimes denounced by the penal statutes ever if they are sworn here. This sec- were consummated.” Cator leaped to his feet before Sey- mour could proceed further and said: “I have the highest respect for the District Attorney of this county, and agree that if he wishes to address him- self to the legal status of this case he has the right, but T say that it is highly improper that he should in any man- ner express an opinlon or refer to the evidence in the case. If he is ready to present any reason Wwhy this case should not proceed let him do so. I cannot believe from past statements that he has made that he would do anything to prejudice the interests of the accused. No one supposes that these men are going to run away.” Senator Simpson of the committee +- NEWSPAPER MAN HO FESSED THAY HE GAVE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE TO PURCHASE IMMUNITY GATION, AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF SACRAMENTO COUNT BR! Boodlers Receive Marked Notes. hére entered the controversy and moved that Seymour be given the right to proceed. The motion carried and the District Attorney continued: % “If Mr. Cator will listen as patiently to me as I did to him I will soon show this committee why these men should not be sworn. I will say, if Mr. Cator objects to my remarks heretofore made, that there is reasonable cause to be- lieve that a grave offense has been committed by two at least of the ac- cused men, and they should be placed on trial in the criminal courts for their acts. “What would be the legal effect if they are sworn here? CITES THE CODE. “Section 304 of the Political Code, bearing directly on this case, will free these men from any prosecution what- tion reads as follows: “*No person sworp and examined be- fore either house of the Legislature or any committee thereof can be held to answer criminally or be subject to any penalty for forfeiture for any fact or act touching which he is required to testify; nor is any statement made or any paper produced by any such wit- ness competent evidence in any crimi- nal proceeding against such witness; nor can such witness refuse to testify to any fact or to produce any paper touching which he is examined, for the reason that his testimony or the pro- duction of such paper may tend to dis- grace him or render him infamous. Nothing in this section exempts any witness from prosecution and punish- ment for perjury committed by him on such examination.”” Senator Simpson again interrupted the District Attorney and asked him if he knew of any rule under which the committee could refeuse to swear the accused. Seymour answered as follows: “No, T do not. These proceedings are unusual, and T doubt that such a rule can be found, but public interest demands that you grant my request and refuse to swear these witnesses. My duty is plain and the courts should be given. the right to determine the merits of this case. If they are guilty they should be punished for their acts and disqualified to hold ofllce of public trust forever. “What punishment can you mete out to them? All you can do is to expel them from the Senate and can you do that? Under the law it takes a two- thirds vote to expel a member from either house and in this instance they ; have four votes themselves. Then they would have to rally but ten friends around them and they would be safe from all your efforts. If you swear these mien they will be absolved from prosecution, and can never be held to answer criminally for this offense or any offense upon which they are called to testify. “l ask you in all earnestness that you do mot swear them. Are you go- ing to tie the hands of the authorities of this State, the representatives of the people and defeat the ends of justice?” SUGGESTS A REMEDY. “What do you suggest, then?” asked Simpson. ‘ CASE 1S PAI A8 DESCAIBED BY DETECTIVES Plot- to Enirap the Legislators Is Success. ROLLS OF BILLS Money Slipped Into Pockets on the Streefs. that if these men want to do so that they make statements be- fore this commission but not under oath. The eyes of the whole people are upon you. You can not afford, as have said, to absolve these men fromd the consequences of their acts and that is what you.will do if you swear them here and permit them to testify. I con- ceive what is my duty, but if you pre- vent me the responsibility rests on you, not on me.” ‘When Seymour concluded his address the decorum of the hearing was broken for the first time. The audience joined in tremendous applause and the rap- ping of the gavel of the chairman could not be heard in the din. Finally si- lence was restored and Cator, astomsh- | ment written on his features, rose and said: “I do not hesitate to say that what the District Attorney has said is true in part, but I claim that if these men do escape prosecution the law has made it possible. The responsibility will rest upon none of you. The law has even been extended in section 64 of the Penal Code in election cases. It contains a principle that has been put in the beoks by the representatives of the people and in no event can any of you be held responsible. The responsibility rests alone in the law.” Cator was then asked by the commit- tee if he objected to the accused mak- ing voluntary statements to the com- mittee not under oath. He said that decidedly he did; that he would advise camlna«lwhp?,fi_l. “I suy