New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
SAN FRANCISCO.


CRIMINAL SENSATIONS-THE LICK ESTATE
-THF CROPS.
FROM AN occ ASTON A. CORRESPONDS OF THE TRIBUNE
SAN Francisco, March 22-The week has been
filed with local sensations chief among which WAS
the Sudden disappearance of John D. Gray secretary
of the Iarbor Commission, who is defaulter 10 at
least $50, 900. The community here has grown 80
familiar with fraud in public Office that its moral
ssnee seems 10 he blunted Little astonishment is
caused by the successive betrayals of trust which
have disgraeed the city governments the chieI curl
osity is &c learn how the thefts were COMMITTED.
GRAY was an expert accountant and his supeIors III
the Harbor Commission, deeply Impressed by Inc
clerical beauty of his accounts, made no careful IN
v.stirat,on OF his books. Thence he found unllm-
tied opportunity for stealing, and the inquiry now
going on shows that he took full advantage OF the
fooIisb confidence reposed III him. The Commits
sioners are trying to set up the claim that they are
MT respvpsbe for the sins of their subordinate. but
tbe orospect is that they will have to make good
tbs loss to the State The defauter is stu at large,
formng'one of the largo band of unpunIst-d thieves
on this coast
Another episode Of crime was the shooting of
Police Officer Duncan by Foster. gambler ana
banco-man from Ohio He was surprised whlle ROD
hing q dentists Office in broad daylight, was chased
by the officer and when hard pressed drew re-
vclver and shot his pursuer through the breast.
Duncan, though badly wounded, brought down
the fugitive with bullet through both legs The
officer will recover; the gamblers wounds were
merely in the flesh, and no has an excellent chance
of serving the State in San Quentin. lie came out
n this coast in company with Lew IIouck, another
Ohio cut throat who murdered man In that State
two years ago. Houck was arrested at Los Angeles
.Iot,. rhn hal hpnD nm
for long ii me- but his gambler friends rallied to
his support and made desperate efforts to secure lbs
release on o writ of habeas corpus Several notor-
on, Arizona bacKlecs came to this city to help him.
and they had the nsoence threaten the detectives
Hfe in omen court HOuck started East yesterday
uuder "A strong guard This case shows the necessity
for breaking the power of the gamblers IN this city
They have great political influence and far too much
control over the machinery of the law. Since the
c,apse of the stock market II 10 in their dens that
most of the coin of the defaulters is dropped.
An important sale of property was made this week
in the transfer of the large lot at Market and
Fonrth-sts., to James c. Flood the bonanza mill
ionare for 100000. This is the lot held by the
Lick trustees and which they refused to sell at auc
ton about month ago on account OF the lowness OF
the bids The trus still retain strip of fifty feet
on Fourth-st that the price Is regarded as very
good the lot being 1913 feet on Market by 80 feet
on Fourth. This purchase means great deal Tor
the improvement Of the south side OF Market-st. as
Mackay owns the opposite II sthougbt that
another veal will the erection of two fine bust
ness blocks to replace the rows of shantes which
now disisure the corners. Flood gives out that he
has merely bought the lot for speculation and
doesn't intend to build; but when he admts the
public into his confidence it is generally safe to
fake his admissions by cOntraries.
This supply Of ready money " i'll enable the Lick
trustees to carry several provisions OF The dead
millionare's will. # Will insure the speedy COM
pletion Of the observatory on Mount Hamilton, the
establishment of free baths in this city and The as
sstance of many local charities The baths will be
a gudsend AS this of tho dirrest cities in the
world aud its unwashed population is large and an
offence in the public nostriis.
rne rain that has been prayed for in the Roman
Catholic churches the coast refuses to come
Only small grace remains to the farmers, for II
March ends without good rains, their wheat crop
will scarcely fit them out in seed for another year.
Already the fears of bad year have reacted on the
hardware and other trades and the business outlook
is gloomy. In Oregon and Washington Territory
the winter wEeat was frozen in the ground, but the
fields have been resown and the crop prospects are
reported good
There is a dreary monotony at the theatres,
everything running to the old stilted melodrama
with the be-ludy" villain. Or upIoarous burlesque
with one or two good actors in Il company and the
remainder unfit to be let loose on the language and
the public.
A sequel of the prosecution of ex-Immigration
Commissioner Bunker the arrest yesterday OF
hi, predecessor in Office, 1tOmas G. Van Ness, OIL the
charge of failing to turn $4,000 Of State
funds to the proper officers The law uncer which
Vun Ness and BunKcr acted provided for n head tax
of 20 cents on every Chinese who came into this
port Under Van Ness the fees announced to only
about $40 0OO of which he retained the lions share.
Bunker, however, enjoyed the dooGtiue of iInmi
glj,tion and took in more Than 100000. of which
he refused to turn cent. Both officers
based their action on the law which provided that
fees were to be used tor the erection and mainten-
anee of a lazaretto. As none was ever built, they
chung to the coin. Opinion is divided to the
countability of either TO the State.
----
UNSUCC ESSFUL ATTEMPT TO SVLNDLE.
Troy NJ Y March 3l.-A man giving the