The morning call., 1891-10-22
BRUNER INDICTED.
The Grand Jury Finds Two Bills
Against Him.
First for Demanding $500 to Kill the Trav-
elers' Bill, and Second for Perjury
in Denying 1t.

The first bomb hurled by the San Fran
cisco Grand Jury exploded in the boodlers'
camp last night 1t was the indictment of
Elwood Bruner of Sacramento. Two bills
were brought against him, one for NAL
feasance in office. and the other for perjury
within the Grand Jury rooms.
Shortly before O'clock fourteen of the
grand jurors filed into Judge Wallace's
court and seated themselves in the jury
box. While their names were being called
It was observed that their foreman, Barclay
Henley, was more or less deeply absorbed
In two very suspicious looking documents,
that he carried in his hands. He scanned
one, somewhat nerv0usy, then scanned
it again from end to end, as if to make GER
tain that it contained no fatal detects.
Finally lie refolded it, and opened the
other one. which he subjected to the same
cautious scrutiny two or three times.
AS if satisfied that they were all right.
air tight. water tight, law tight. fire proof
and Doodle proof. he placed them together
again, and in response to the Judges in
quiry, II he wished to make any report, re-
piled in the affirmative, and handed the two
documents to the District Attorney.
BENCH WARRANT ISSUED.
Mr.. Barnes glanced at them an instant,
then passed them direct to the Judge. re-
marking as soon as the Judge had read the
names that as the person indicted was not
in custody he desired bench warrant to be
issued forthwith. He further remarked
that the name contained in the indictments
should be kept secret until the party was
placed in custody.
The indictment for malfeaSance was not
In relation to what has become so generally
known as the Bruner scandal. where Bruner
was caught in the act of selling positions on
the San Francisco police force for $500
apiece, and his criminal conduct exposed by
the public press. 1t was in relation to AS
sembly bill 700, then known as the Trav-
elers' Bill.
COIN IN IT.
The main purpose of this bill was to pro-
hibit ticket-scalpng. and the American
Ticket Brokers' Association was very much
interested i'll having it squelched. The as
sOcia.iOn representative in this city Is
Adolph Ottingcr, and through him negOtla-
tons were pending for its quIeubut ehectual
disposition. Mr.. Bruner was considered
powerful agent in the Legislature, no mat
ter in what cause his services were enlisted;
He was approached, and as he never Scorned
an "honest penny" he proposed for con-
sderati0n t. kill the bill.
The misunderstanding measure met its
fate accordingly, and in due time Assembly.
man Bruner made peremptOry demand
upon the agents of the association for the
price of his service, which he fixed at the
generous estimate of $500.
The figure fairly paralyzad the agents;
they had not dreamed That legislative
service was such valuable commodity, ard
Ottnger fatty refused TO pay dollar un-
less directed to by the association. When
the matter was presented to that body 1t
was repudiated without even a hearing, and
Mr.. Bruner was left stranded high and dry,
not only without his money. but branded
with felony.
The parties who figured in this transac-
ton besides Mr.. Bruner, or who knew all
about it, were Adolph Ottinger, f. Rigdou,
Theodore Bachman, +. B. Num-, J. S. Nc
Call and c. J. Stllwell, all of whom were
summoned as witnesses before the Grand
Jury, and who made clean breast Of the
whole affair by telling the truth.
PERJURY.
BrunPr, on the other hand, denied every
thing. He denied that he proposed to kill
the bill for consideration or that the
element of bribery was present in any
transaction connected with the bill so far as
he was concerned.
The Grand Jury have made uD their
minds to stand firm on this proceeding
fright from the word 60" 1t is declared
upon reliable authority that they will eX-
tend their investigation clear Into the very
heart of boodledom, and he who is rash
enough to perjure himself will run the
double risk of Indictment
The uncomfortable predicament of As
semblyman Bruner will be the fate of every
other witness who goes before the Grand
Jury with anything but the truth.