The morning call., 1891-11-21
GRAND JURY.
Senator Stanford May Be the
Next Witness.
Mayor sanderson and Supervisor Taber
Quizzed-Another Effort to Run Down
Political Assessments.

The inquiry conducted by the Grand Jury
| yesterday was of a local character. Mayor
Sanderson bad quite n long conference with
them, and the next In rank who Immediate
ly followed was Supervisor Tabor. 1t Is
| understood that both were questioned in
| relation to the lax enforcement OF several
municipal ordinances, particularly those
| governing street work. sidewalks, private
contracts and the like.
Martin Kelly and Phil Crlmmins were
again present, but were not detained as
| witnesses more than two or three minutes
The impression seemed TO prevail that tho
jury were making another effort to ascertain
something moro about the system OF salary
shaving, or salary commissions mai ntaincd
by these two worthless.
All doubt about the nature of this par
ticular inquiry was removed when 1t was
| noted that n half dozen or more deputies and
attaches of the County Clerks office had
been summoned Tor examination. Daniel
Crowley was the first one called, A. J..
Barry next and among the attendants were
| Hugh Forbes and two or three others. Tho
latter were excused till the next meeting.
THOSE KELLY INDICTMENTS.
James &. B0obar, who was deputy clerk
under Ruddick and Davies, was also called.
but, 1t is understood, for mn entirely differ
ent purpose. Tho Grand Jury seems de-
termined to find out how It came about that
the four indictments found against Martin
Kelly in March, 1886, so suddenly and mys-
teriously disappeared. The last record that
appears on them is BoobRr's file mark. All
court documents were filed and pigeon holed
by him at that time.
Just what explanation he made to the
grand inqu stors Is not public property,
but he declares on the outside that he knows
nothing about,the papers.
IL now appearS that tho com m fion 0f
Assessor Siebe and Counselor burst at the
preceding meeting was not concerning po-
itieal corruption or irregularity, as then
supposed, but in relation to the technical
machinery of the Assessors Office, the
nature of which Is very little understood
outside and hard to explain. For instance.
John Smiths residence Is in the Mission
and his business on Front street In the
spIing OF each year, preparatory to making
up the assessment roll, deputies are sent
out all over the city to distribute blank
statements, and for this purpose the city is
dlstrcted. Hence one deputy leaves state
ment at the mans residence and another
deputy does like service at his place of
business.
AN UNPLEASANT COMPLICATION.
The law requires every property-owner to
fill out one of these statements with the
value of his possessions and make oath to
it in the Assessors Office, otherwise il is the
Assessors duty to make out the statement
himself, which Is called an arbitrary as
sesSment. John Smith fills out the blank
received at his residence in the Mission,
flies it In the Assessors Office and pays no
further attention to the one received at his
place of business, supposing his duty has
been performed.
The deputy who has the downtown dis
trict knows nothing of what has occurred in
the Mission. and supposlng the citizen to
have neglected his duty makes an arbitrary
assessment Of the downtown property To
that extent, therefore, the records show a
duplicate assessment, and John Smith
knows nothing of it until presented with
two bills. Even then he is apt to regard
the matter simple error, and lets it pass,
paying what he knows to be the correct bill.
A few months later he is notified that his
downtown property has been sold for dein-
Quent taxes.