Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-30
LETTER BAG.
The Grand Jury's Work

EDITORS HERALD :-W1l you kindly
give an old subscriber the following in
formation, viz: Who are the members
of the grand jury now sitting in and for
this county? Will you kindly give me
this information by publishing the
names OF the grand jurors in the
columns of the HERALD.
l am aware that this information was
given to the public at the time of the
formation of the grand jury, but at that
time it did not appear that anything
unusual would come before that body,
and consequently many of your readers
have forgotten the names of these gen
tlemen. Within the past few days,
however, your enterprising newsp aper,
has presented to the public facts in con-
nection with the furnishing of the court
house and the Whittier reform school,
which, if true, show most deplorable
state of rottenness in our state and
county governments, and cry out
in trumpet tones for full and
complete investigation and report
by the grand jury. As con-
sequence your inquirer desires to know
who constitute the grand jury, so that
the voters and Taxpayers may know
whom to hold responsible for the proper
performance of the duty which now
rests upon them of probing to the fullest
extent this iniquity. The neighbors
out my way want to know upon whom
the search light of public criticism is to
be cast. They would also like to have
all the facts in the case presented from
time to time through the columns of
the daily papers, in order that they may
know whether the report, which will be
ultimately filed by the grand jury, con-
tains full and correct exposition of the
facts connected with the matter. In
this way the citizens will know whether
or not the grand jury has performed its
duty in the premises faithfully and
fully. For the case is one which
involves not only our county Of
fcials, but also other high and
puissant potentates, e. g. his excel
lencv Henry Harrison Markham, Gov
ernor of the state of California, who, IN
connection with the Whittier reform
school scandal, acts in the dual capacity
of agent for both buyer and seller. That
is, as the head and representative Of the
Los Angeles Furniture company our
magnetic gubernatorial magnate is the
agent of the seller to the state; and, as
governor and ex-officio member of the
state board of examiners, he represents
the state as the buyer. In other words,
he acts as agent for both parties in
transaction in which the interests of the
contracting parties are necessarily an
tagohistic.
There are also involved in these little
transactions other high and honorable
CD moguls of the political world, viz.
brace of aspirants for congressional hon.
Ors.
You might also at the same time tell
your readers, if you know, why it is that
our local thunderer has so farobserved
clam-like silencein this matter, while the
HERALD has boldly entered the lists on
behalf Of the people and the taxpayers,
and the evening contemporary has
thrown open its columns to the furni-
ture forces.
Perhaps if the plea entered by the
furniture company relative to. the fur
nishing OF the courthouse, as set forth
in the interview with the company's
manager, Gen. E. p. Johnson, in the
Express of the 2Sth inst, instead OF neg
ativing the charge of malfeasance, does
it not rather show the contamination of
a great fraud upon the taxpayers? The
plea put forth is, that the contract was
let to the lowest bidder, the Los Angeles
Furniture company undertaking the
other competitors by about $1,000. But,
mark now where sits the niger in the
wood-pile. Instead of proceeding to
carry out the contract, which was let,
after advertising for bids, in the regular
manner, the parties to the contract beat
his satanic majesty about the bush by
virtually entering into another and
wholly different contract-a contract
made without receiving or even asking for
any competitive bids. For the departures
from the original contract were so widely
divergent from its provisions, as to re-
suit, in effect, in the creation OF new
contract altogether. In short, the con-
tracing parties seem to have entered
into contract, let to the Los Angeles
Furniture company, and to have pre-
vented all real competitive bidding by
the simple expedient of executing
shan1scontract to be departed from ad
libitum ct ad infinitum. This alone is
fraud upon the taxpayers which calls
for vigorous action upon the part OF the
grand Jury. Let the cleaning of the Au-
gean stables begin, ,'and show to the
people of the state that in this county
we can select competent and fearless
grand juror without having to call in the
services of an klisor. CITIZEN.
THE jury is composed of the following
nineteen members: E. Bouton (fore-
NAM, f. w. Tyler, f. S. Munson, J. l..
Blacdman, G. w. Morgan, Thos. Lam
dreth, A. P. Kerckhof, ]. G. Houser, j.
G. Hiatt, Thos. Goss, ]. NJ. Frew, 9. n.
Earl, Julius N. Carter, John Brookeir,
O. w. Baldwin, II. A. Barraclough, A.
L. Ball, J. b. Banning and w. 5. Ar
nold.l
A Hint to the Health Ofticer.