The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-21
WILL IT DROP?
Warden McC0mb's Head Still in
Jeopardy.
Two of the State Prison Directors in Favor o.
tbs Change-Governor Waterman Takes
Hand in the Matter.

The rumor that gained ground Thursday and
which eliminated in the statement yesterday
mo ming that Warden John McComb was to be
displaced and In his stead Moses NJ. Drew ap-
pointed caused considerable commotlon among
the local politicians.
They read with avidlty every line printed In
the morning papers and arguments pro and con
enSued. But one and all agreed That II such
change be the tapiS II Is not due TO the causes
assigned, and that it Will entail other changes
This is thought 10 be true since The removal OF
one even half dozen gate keepers. which Is
claimed by some TO be the cause, would not be
enough TO make change OF Warden necessary
The law authorizes the Warden TO appoint all
subordinate officers, including every one having
a shadow of authority from The common convict
waiter, who deals cut the conyicts' food, 10 his
own deputies.
The Governor, Secretary Boiuck or anybody
else has right 10 presume to dictate TO him
whom he shall appoint 10 the positions under
him. Even the Prison Directors have no dlctlon
In the matter. II they are not satisfied with his
administration OF the prison affairs they may, II
they wish, declare his office vacant. or IL they
are not satisfied that a certain subordinate Is
fulfilling the duties Of his position they may de-
Glaze Ills position vacant.
POWER OF APPOINTMENT
Once vacant the Office OF Warden may be filled
by them but under no law are they authorized 10
I'LL the subOrdlnate's vacancy by an appointment,
that privilege being vested alone III The person OF
The Warden.
Tie office of gate-keeper. from which Berry
was deposed. Rud which was filed by Al Dis
taine is position OF so lille value that the fact
that il was filled by the friend OF Boruck, as
Berry is, or by DIstalne, the friend OF the present
| Warden, is OF very small consequence. III there
is TO be change al all, which Is thought prUba-
bic, all agree that 1t Will not he caused by this
eOnuetempS
A gentleman familiar with prison affairs when
asked what lie thought OF The affair, said: We'll,
| L think that McCOmb is doomed, though tie
publication of the anticipated action by The
| papers may Kill the movement. So far The queS-
| lion OF his displacement has only been decided
upon by Il couple three of The Board Of Prison
| Directors, ana They have been watching The Ell
| Iects OF Tie rumOrs as published To see how and
| When they should brlnB the matter before their
| colleagues; but The publication that certain
Directors, giving their names, had been the III
stlgatorS OF The aggi essNe movement VIII cause
| the concentrated force OF the combined pulls ,
| OF all OF the Warden's friends TO be brought 10
| bear Oh those maconIents, ana they may be
| sienced by Tie Storm"
WILD GUEssEs.
Another gentleman, who is In a position to
know, said: There has been considerable talk
about thus Warden business | laugh at the
many wild guesSes made al the possible cause OF
Ihe trouble One OF the causes assigned is that
tie Warden lad caused rules prohibiting any Of
the deputies leaving the prison Without his writ
ten permission, 10 lie passed by The board and
posted III lhe prison. l know that The rules
CAUSED ii big KICK but the kick came more
from the saloon-keepers IN Tie nelghborhoou than
from those VINO really wished 10 go out aud
drInk. To say, however, that that could have
Injured the Warden is all 'Dosb.' He is not the
author Of the rules, and the good effects should
not he accredited TO him any more than that lie
should be blamed for The possible loss his con-
slituency may have sustained by their adoption.
The author of he rules is tie President Of The
board, X. L. Deylin. He went through many
Eastern prisons gathering them up, and came
back armed with enough 10 establish an inqulSi-
ton were they 10 have been adopted ana ell
forced. Only such as were deemed most neces-
saIy were adopted, and that those pl obibitlng
the frequemting of salOUDs should be found SO
| te you that II is not in tile adoption aGd en-
fOicemenI OF these rules alone, If they con-
tribute 10 1t, that lie cause Of the trouble Will he
found"
BoRUCK AND THE GOVERNOR.
What adds materially 10 theruncertainty OF tile
rumors is The continued presence OF The Gov
ernOr III the city, and his being constantly with
one or more OF lie Prison Directors. Secretary
BUiuek, II is Claimed, Is, II not lie power be-
bIuu The throne, at least one OF Tie most decided
enemies Of The McComb faction, anu that tile
| Governor should interest himself III his secre-
taIys hight Is no surprise 10 any one eogniZant
| with lie state OF affairs in the gubernaloTIal
| office. He has been seen in conference with
nearly every Director at the Occidental Hotel,
aud more than once lie has had come one oI
| them button hOled along the Streets
Director SOnntag, who Is supposed to know as
much as any one OF the whole affair, Is very
jealous lest word too much shall gel TO the ears
ol reporters, bul III conversation with the Dl-
rectOTs lie is less secreIige. When the rumOr
FIRST got abroad Director Ciag hasteHed to see
him. but MI. Sountag said: You KNOW much
as 40, II you have read tie papers. l do not
know what there is III IL. What do you know ?"
In relating this Mir. Craig discaimed any
knowledge whatever OF anything having been
done, but iullniated that there would be before
long lie said: From Mr.. SOuutag's Looks
when l saw him last night, l saw that there was
going 10 be some trouble for the Warden"
Continuing, Director Craig SAID: " have hunted
all around to-day 10 see lie Directors, but have
not tounu one.
"Wnl there be anything done tomorrow at
Folsom, do you thnkY"
mo, DO not Think so, unless the two or three
Interested Try 10 railroad IT.
Director Sonutag when seen yesterday after
noon, was on his way 10 the train for Folsom.
He SAID: " have nothing 10 say, for know
nothing. 1 learned from Tins mornings
papers Inau has ever come 10 The notice oil or
been done by any of the board. No, cannot
Tell you about what may be DONE" ana with 4
knowing but not Wiling look lie hurried on.
Director Edgar j. de Pue was lound in his
office arranging his anaIts prior 10 depai ture Tor
Folsom 10 attend what may turn out To he an
historical meeting.
"On, yes, can talk" said lie, "much f:eer
than the papers would like TO give me credit for
lave mol much TO jell. 1t Is just as said last
night there Is nothing new. see by one OF The
papeIs of this mornings issue that am not only
credited With being Iully cogniZant OF this affair
but also one OF the chief lnsligatOrs. think ii
Is Dug to have what did not say imply put
into print under my name L told all that there
had been no meeting looking toWdld such con-
summation. 1nat was true last night aud Is SIM
thus"
POSSIBILITIES.
"WiH there be any such action taken at the
meeting at FOlsOm?"
No. We Will not have full board and we
would want all present, al least L wOulo want
every member present before we took such a
step.'
"But $ there any such action contemplated by
any member OF the bOard?"
II am not prepared TO say what may be done
| by individual members OF The board All | can
tell you now is that there are no papers flied with
the board to that end nor Will auyi hing be done
at the Folsom meeting. Beyond that / do not
wish TO be quoted"
! Private Secretary Boruck in an interview yes
| teTday SAID that McCOmD had no ''sIancher
friend than l. and the story That am in any way
| trying to secure the Narden'S removal is false"
X. L. Devlin, President OF The board, left
| Wednesday for Sacramento and will go 10 Fol
| som 10 attend the meeting. Directors Charles
! SonntaE and L. j. de Pue lett yesterday after
noon for the same place. Director Craig Will be
| The only absent member.
FRATERNAL INDEX.