The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-14
In BRUNER'S FAVOR.


SACRAMENTO, Mdrcn lo.-StartIuR TeVeia-
tions made before the Bruner investigating
committee Neutrality-suspicious. that place the
affair in a new light and go far toward establish
ing The innocence OF Tue accused AsSembyman.
1t has been whispered about the town for sew.
eral days that Senator Sprague had strange
story 10 tell about tue now famous case. and as
il was known that the accused Assemblyman
was TO testify 10 his own behalf the courtroom
where tie com mlttee met was packed with spec
tators who gasped 10 the Sitting atmosphere
While The Inquest proceeded
The first witness was an emploYe in the State
Printing Office, who corroborated the State
Printers statement that Bruner few days be
| fore the expose gave him some money TO keep
| for lin.
Senator Sprague was called, and told a story
| that astOniShed the committee aud lightenad the
| shadow that has hung over BIuner since The Ex-
amineI's expose was read. The Senator, who Is
| one OF the Sbrewdest members OF the upper
| house, said that the afternoon OF the day
on which Bruner arose i'll the Assembly and de-
| MED The truth OF the Examiners charge that il
| detected him IN peddnS places on the police
| force, he was standing near the Golden Eagle
Hotel with Dick Beau, who obtained Re-
| porter StillwePs money and gave 1t to Bruner
| for letter recommending Thomas SOey for 4
pace on Inc ponce IOice, BEAU was liOuDleu.
| lie feared that he might be punished in the
| courts for his part in the affair, and he wanted
| S9r2gue, with whom lie was acquainted, to ad-
wise him. Sprague told him that he would see
! linn al 40 O'Clock III tie evening at the hotel.
| Later IN the afternoon he saw Belau cOnveTsing
| with Charles Nicholson and Andrew Lawrence,
|
witness 10 his interview with Belau In order that
| lie might be abe 10 disprove any version Of the
| affair which the uncertain go between might be
| induced 10 make. He met John A. Sheehan,
| reporter OF the Sacramento Bee, and told him
| that he was going 10 have a conversation with
! Belau In the Bruner affair and asked him TO go
| to an adjoining room where he could hear all
| that passed SIeehan seeing scoop" right
| ahead OF him consented and went up 10 Room
| 80, adjoining SpraSue's, and took up his posi-
| ton BY d communicating door. Belau came at
| the appointed time and Sprague strictly enlOlned
him 10 tell the truth or lie would have nothing To
| Go with his case.
WANTED A FRIEND APPOINTED.
Belau then said that he first met Mr.. Bruner 10
relation to the police force two weeks before the
| Examiner article appeared. He had friend
| whom he really wanted 10 get on the police
| force. Mr. Biuuer promised TO help him and
( pi omised 10 give him letter for his friend. He
| dld not give BruEer his friends name and sub
sequently, while IN conversation with one of the
| JOneSeS, he found that lie could make some money
| ont If tile thing and lie went TO work. He met
| Mr.. Bruner ana asked him for tile letter, but Mr..
| Bruuer had IN the meantime heard that tile Ex
| aminer had heard OF the matter from Jones and
| he did not want TO have anything more 10 do
| with IT, as lie feared scandal, but afterward
| he appeared 10 yield and Beau sent word 10 the
| Joneses that II was all right and told them TO
| send on their men. Stlllwell came and the meet
| ing IN the library took place.
Belau said that Lawrence and Nicholson of
| the Examiner while conversinG with him In the
| hotel that evening. haa tried TO have him say
that Bruner had offered 10 sell six places the
| police force. The gentleman who was In the
OtutI IoOul IiSlculuR " tue COufcEsdlOu WAS
Sptague in reply to question. said he told
nothing about this TO MIR. Bruuer, because he did
not wish 10 become involve In the matter, but i
| told MIR. Galbraith of the Investigating Com
mittee of my conversation with Belau that
my testimony might be gwen IL IL were necessary
TO ylndlcdte Mr.. Bruner"
do you generally consult with your clients
this way?' asked Mr.. Gould.
81 did not consider him ceat talked to
him as friend"
''You heard Mr. Burners explanation IN the
Assembly. Was your conversation with Belau
| before OF after that explanation"
After, because l asked Belau II Mr.. Burners
| statement was correct, and he said II was sub
| stantlally correct asked Mr.. Sheehan 10 hear
| the conversation simply because he was the first
| OF my acqualutdnces that met"
did you not read Mr. Bruuer's statement In
the Bee and have conversation about IL with
Attorneys Hart and Jones"
II die not"
sPRAGUE CoRROBoRATED.
John A. SheehAn OF the Bee cOrrOUorated SEN
atOr Sprague's story. He said II was Thurs
day evening when Mr.. Sprague told hin 10 go up
| Into Room SO OF The Golden Eagle and he would
! hear something interesting about the Bruner
| case. He went upstairs 10 the room and found a
| door leading from The room into Senator
"SDrague's room, and took his stand near 1t
| where he heard most OF the conversation.
Sprague urged Belau TO tell the truth. ana Belau
| said: You are my friend, aud L VIII tell you
everything; You are the doctor and l am the
| patient Belau said that he met Bruner In San
| FRANCISCO aud obtained from him promise Of
| place on the police force: Subs quentiy he
| Da0 letter from MS Iilenu Jones OF san Frau
| ci.eo, who told him he would make mOUey
| by getting places on the pOics force
| and lie decided TO drop bis friend and go in with
| Jones He said lie Bruncr after that I'D the
! Capital HOiel drugstore and asked him for let
| ter, which Bruner then declined 10 give, saying
| that he understood the Examiner had heard
| about the affair and might make a scandal about
| II. Brlau denied to SpraRue that Bruner had any
| places to sell. Sprague asked him, who was
that man you were talking TO downstairs He
said Nicholson. VINO is hep asked Sprague.
| He's reporter and he and Lawrence were Try
Ing TO get me TO say that Bruner had six places
| TO sell on the police force "
why didn't you publish this the next day,
| Mr.. Sheehan?" was asked.
because did not consider IL OF sufficient iu-
terest."
Did. you hear Belau say to sprague that
| Bruners statement OF the scene In the library In
the Assembly was substantially correct"
| Il did hear him say So"
| Charles Nicholson, the Examiner correspou-
| dent, testified that lie cOnyersed with Belau GU
| last Friday evening. He denied that lie then
| asked Belau 10 say that Bruner had six places 10
sell. Witness said he came up to report the in
Vestigation. Belau told him he was going 10
| renee. and he and Lawrence made an engage
| ment 10 meet later IN the evening. Beiau was
| ball drums.
BRUNER ON THE STAND.
Elwood Bruner, the accused Assembiyman,
| took the stand, while a buzz OF excitement ran
through the spectators. He said he Introduced
| airy 18Th. Two weeks later he was asked to
| recommend friend OF L. B. Reed for place
| on the force. lie received q letter from
Mr.. Reed, Which has been placed In evidence
| He replied TO lie letter. which inclosed the card
| OF MIR. Reeds friend, who wanted TO get on tue
police force aud stated he would DO all In his
| power to help him. On Monday, February 23d,
| Bruner met Beau III San Francisco. He
had met him before, and when Belau asked
| him 10 recommend friend for the
| police force lie promised to do So On Saturday,
| February 18th. as he was about taking the train
| Tor Sau francisco lsidore Alexander, the Exam
iuer correspondent, came 10 him and asked him
| whether lie was selling places on the San Fran
cisco police force. because, said Alexander, candy
Lawrence. the special correspondent OF the Ex-
aminer, Is going 10 Interview You about 1t on the
train, and he Will do you Look out for him, for
lie Will do you up He has done me up several
times"
Bruuer then took the train and was interviewed
by Lawrence, as he stated before the Assembly.
lie then told how Beau came to him the uext
week and said there was money in il If he would
get hun the position on tue force promised
Bruner, who had been put on his guard by Law
renee and Alexander, then believed thai trap
was being prepared for him, and told Belau he
would have nothing 10 do with the matter. That
day he saw his brother and Judge Armstrong
and told them about his su>picions. He said that
Lawrence was back OF the job, as he had heard
OF Lawrence's attempt 10 blackmall Lawyer Bull
| out Of $4,000 on the Connolly claim.
| The next event OF importance WAS the scene In
| the library, which lie described tonight as he
described it in his statement before the Assem-
| Dly. AS part oil that scene, he received a card
| from Stllwell, the Examiner reporter, with the
name aud age of Thomas Stoley written thereon.
| the person lie wished TO get on the police force.
| glance al the card and the Endorsement on the
| S4O0 certificate showed him that the handwrit-
| Ing was not the same. He instantly concluded
that he had good case OF forgery when the GER
tii cate should turn up In The bank that Issued Ii.
| Bruner Was asked why he did not tell Speaker
| Coombs about thus and said that he was not on
| intimate terms with Mr.. Co0mbs. He was asked
why he did not tell Printer johnson, with whom
| he walked down the street after the scene In the
| library, about IL.
Bruner replied that after securing the certIn
CAFE he thought there was no necessity for telling
| any one about IL. He was asked why lie did not
speak of Judge Armstrong and Stlllwelrs card
| In bis speech TO the Assembly, and lie said that
he stated enough to stem the Tide of public opin-
| Ion, knowing that an Investigation was TO be
| had.
Gould asked him II he thought The Examiner
| or only It's reporters were Involved 10 the plot.
| lie replied that he first thought that Lawrence
| was the only person involved In IT, but the
| Vruent way In which the paper has treated The
| case lis abuse aud caricatures OF him and the
committee, before be had mad a chance to make
! defense led him TO believe that the Examiner
| was responsible
"What motive did you think aetuated the Ex-
| aminer's reUorers?" asked MIR. Could
| money" was the fiat response.
| his closed the investigation Tile committee
| Will hold an executive meeting Monday night