The morning call., 1892-07-03
moor SAID Ir W4s FRAUD.

An Interrietc HiM His Son-ia-Latc, VII
liam E. HaU
Had II. w. Carpenter ever any title to
Oakland waterfront lands?
The people of Oakland say he had not.
All the direct proof that can be obtained
on the subject says ne had not.
And yet the Oakland Water Front gets its
title from him and the railroad people get
their exclusive privileges from the Oakland
Waterfront Company,
The only difficulty that lies in the way of
the people getting their own is the possess
sion Of the territory by the railroad.
The Southern Pacific Company has en-
eircled Oakland with band which cannot
easily be broken unless the City Council
should break its record of subservience to
the railroad.
AS much light as possible is being thrown
on the transaction of the Oakland Board of
Trustees in 1852, under which it is claimed
by the railroad that Carpenter secured his
title, but the tales told are conflicting.
There Is no documentary proof of the
fact that Carpenter received grant of the
waterfront lands from the Trustees.
The two volumes of records covering the
proceedings of the Trustees are missing
They might settle the dispute forever.
Ii A. j. Moon were alive the truth regard.
ing the whole matter might be known.
He could tell what became of those books.
MIR. Moon was Town Trustee on the
same board with Carpenter who, it is said.
never qualified for the office. though that
statement. too, is uncertain.
Mr.. Moon died about 13 years ago. but he
had talked with many persons during his
latter years regarding the Carpenter trans
action.
His son-in-law. William Z. Hall of this
city, knows something of the matter. MIR.
Hall is the clerk of the Chief Of Police and
the Board of Police Commissioners.
ut is my belief" he said yesterday. that
the records that are now demanded by the
people OF Oakland were burned
"When?" was asked by THE CALL re-
porter.
''In the early fifties. You see, the small
house in which ths Oakland Trustees used
70 meet, and in which the official books and
papers OF the city were kept, was destroyed
by fire, and / have often heard that those
missing documents showing the nature Of
the Carpenter transaction were burned at
that time. 1t is certain that many papers
were lost in that fire, and it is reasonable To
believe that the Carpenter records were
among them"
Mrs. Moon Is still living, is she not?"
"Yes. but she is old aud feeble, and could
tell nothing OF the matter"
''But has she no papers throwing light on
the Carpenter Transaction"
"Are there any in your family's keep
ing?"
swell. my wife had few. 1 do not
know that they give any light on the Car
pentier matter. Ny impression is that
they did not. They referred to many other
affairs regarding lands in Oakland"
"Wby did Mr.. Moon preserve them?"
"Oh. suppose he took an interest in
keeping them. They were Of no value as
public records. The only thing that think
would be OF any interest in this connection
Is a map which includes all the Oakland
lands in the early tifties. That might show
something"
Where is the map?"
ut is down at my ranch, near Fresno.
My wife Is there for the present, but | ex-
pect her here any day and she will bring it
up. l wrote to her. asking her to bring il,
as / thought it might be of some use."
did you send for any other papersf 2"
81 asked to have any document that would
seem to throw any light Oh the subject sent
to me at once, but have not received any,
and presume those looking over whatever
papers there were al the ranch did not find
relating to this important matter. They
looked all through MIR. Moons old papers,"
"Did Mr.. Moon ever say anything about
q grant to Carpentier?"
He frequently talked of the transaction
under which Carpenter gained possession
OF the water front, but it was no grant"
"What was it?'
Mr.. Moon said concerning IL. 1t was merely
q lease"
Mr.. Moon knew, then, that Carpenter
had no titleP"
YES, and he frequently denounced Car
pentier's assumption of rights as fraud.
That Ia all know about the matter. Imay
know more when that map arrives here"