The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-07
CORRUPT COURTS.
A Disgraceful Laxity of Police Court
Clerks Uncarthed.

Disgraceful Laxity Of Police Court
Clerks Uncarthed.
The investigation of the Police Court
straw-be1d factory was commenced yesfer-
day by the finance committee of the Board
of Supervisors. Joseph O'Donnell. special
counsel for the collection of forfeited ball
bonds. stated that he had commenced %
suits to recover on forfeited bonds, but with
meager results, because of tricks resorted
to by all of them TO escape payment. lie
got judgment against Jorgen Won Staden
and Samuel Mayer on one bond. The hrst
named assigned all his property to his
cousin, and the latter went into bankruptcy.
"There Is good deal of carelessness
about the taking of bonds" continued Mr..
O'Donnel. significantly. Even so careful
man as Judge Murphy has failed to swear
bonGsmen. AS rule, all Chinese bonds
are worthless, and appeal bonds are always
absolutely So"
Clerk Duflield of Police Court q said he
could not account for the missing bonds re-
ported by the committees expert. lie said
they had no proper way of keeping any
thing there. Their drawers were being
constantly opened and papers removed.
OF the 50 missing bonds reported. 81 of
them belonged in Court No. 2. Mr.. Dutiield
could not explain this peculiar circumstance
either
that he had accepted % bonds in felony
cases in violation of law; to which also
there was no satisfactory answer. As TO
his having accepted So bonds which were
not sworn to Mr.. Dufficld's explanation was
that they were often obliged 10 do things in
great hurry.
In answer to the question il he considered
Ben Napthaly good bondsmau, he said he
had seen the Judge accept him for $1,000.
In the matter Of accepting bondSmen
70 ID at hn
witness said he had not only done so. but
saw Judge Joachimsen accept George
Knight on q Chinese bond for 5000 with
OFT having any property specified at all; d.
Chairman Ebert produced the bond OF
Edward Morrison, signed by L. A. DOlRn,
and asked Duffield If lie had made 1t out.
He acknowledged having written the body
of il. but said that 1t was DOlan's signature.
The signature bore such suspicious RESENT
blance to the other portions of the writing
that Doian was sent for to tell what he
knew. He denied ever having signed il,
and declared that his name was forged.
The examination Of Clerk Cook of Judge
Rix's court also disclosed some very loose
methods. but nothing like as bad as found in
Department ?
Supervisor jackson was absent when the
committee TecOnvened after lunch, SO the
investigation was temporarily postponed.
Supervisor Ebert freely expressed the
opinion that the showing in Duffieid's case
certainly warranted the board to dismiss
him at once.
The matter will be laid before the Grand
Jury. Likewise, in all probability, the case
charged by DIR. j. A. c. ROeder, when o. +.
Meldon went OH the bond of Adolph Sylvia,
representing that he owned property in So
mona County when he did not. 1t appears
that a client or friend of Medon's decided
him 100 acres in SOnoma County temporarily
just to escape creditors. and on this tempo
rary possession in name only Meldon made
the representations shown in the bond.