Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-16
IT WILL BE MALODOROUS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES oANDAr.
TO BE INVESTIGATED.
Mr.. Pirtle Takes the Initial Step in Le-
gal Proceedipgs-A Petition Filled
Asking for the Cancellation
of the Papers.

Office, as far as the ascertaining of addi,
tional facts directly affecting the allega.
tions already made is concerned.
County Clerk Ward has changed his
mind. At first he claimed, in another
paper, that there was nothing in the
charge that he had sanctioned the doc
toring of the records of his office, az
made by the HERALD. 1t was altogether
too trivial to talk about. But since then
he has changed his mind. Now he
comes out, and with mighty display he
lou dly says that he will have a judicial
investigation in order that the full facts
may be ascertained in regard to the
whole affair.
The HERALD has already given all of
the facts and they are complete. But
then judicial investigation should be
had also. However, Mr.. Ward does not
need to demand it, cor John A. Pirtle
has already saved him the trouble.
MR.. PIRTLE's PETITION.
Mr.. Pirtle yesterday afternoon, after
Office hours, between and 6 O'Clock,
filed petition with the county clerk
asking the superior court to cancel the
naturalization papers of Robert A.. Tay-
lor. The petition is short and does not
set forth at. any great length the details
of the charges heretofore made in the
matter.
MR.. WHITNEY SILENT.
In the meantime the county tax COL
lector, A. B. Whitney, sets up no de-
tense of the charge made against him by
John A. Pirtle, that he changed the rec
ords of the county clerks office, in the
presence and with the cognizance Of the
said county clerk. The man who handles
and is responsible for ever dollar of
taxes collected by Los Angeles county is
! silentwhen such grave offense as this is
charged against him. He should not rest
under it an hour without making an ex-
planation of some kind. Yet his silence
is profound.
WITNESSES WHO SHOULD BE CALLED.
Now that Judge Smith will be called
on to take hand in the matter, full
investigation is thing that
must be had. The following
parties should be summoned, for
they are prepared to swear that when
they saw the declaration of intention oil
Taylor, the fgules upon it were not
altered, and bore no evidence going to
show that they had been tampered with
Messrs. r. j. Adcock, j. d.
Reymert, A. Orfila, w. A. Ryan,
Charles P. Kearney, and two
others. To none of these parties, four
OF whom Taylor was intimate with, and
to whom he showed his declaration OF
intention before he did to Mr.. Pirtle,
did Taylor say anything about refresh.
ing his memory to the extent of know
ing that he arrived in this country in
1887 instead of 1888, as set forth in his
certificate.
This whole business and the evidence
the HERALD has presented of the negli
gence and carelessness of the superior
Judges in naturalizing parties clearly moi
eligible to citizenship, also the fact that
q Republican could get man natural.
lied when Democrat could not, has
created decided sensation among the
people. They are interested and want
not only to know more, but also desire
that the facts already presented by the
HERALD be acted upon.
REPUBLICANS OPINION.
The HERALD is in receipt of the fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. A. w. Stratford,
of 246 Myers street.
EDITORS HERALD: / have been read
naturalization case; also that of Robert
| A. Taylor. I cannot see what the differ
ence is between altering the records in
the county clerks Office and those in the
county recorders Office. Two parties
were arrested for tampering with the
! county records. / don't see what is to
prevent criminal proceedings being in
stituted against A. B. Whitney. It is
coming to a pretty pass when anyone
| can go into the clerks Office and cay that
a mistake has been made, and forthwith
change the records, or have them
changed. What is the use of having
records if they can be changed with i'm
| punity?
As to John Sherrer, I think it is the
duty of any one that thinks anything of
his country to enter proceedings to have
his naturalization papers cancelled.
Were in town should see what could
be done about it. L think it is an in
| fernal shame. I have always voted
with the Republicans since have been
a citizen, but none of them will get my
vote this trip, after such fraudulent
tricks as that. If you feel like it you
can publish all, or as much of this, as
you like.
NOTHING DONE IN THE scHERRER CASE.
In the meantime nothing has been
done by the courts in the matter of can
ceiling the naturalization papers of
John Scherrer, issued in clear violation
of law by Superior Judge Clark. 1t is
plainly evident that Scherrer was igno-
rant of the provisions of the statute re-
| garding the qualifications of citizenship,
and the judicial mind seems to have
been very much clouded also on the
same subject. Scherrer is waiter in a
First-street restaurant and bears a good
| reputation. He did not know, he
claims, that he could not get bis final
papers until two years after his first
| papers were issued to him. Judge
Clark, it SCENE, was also ignorant of the
fact. The mistake should be corrected.
Henry Irving is fond of relating little incl
dent that occurred to him when in q Dorset.
shire village last summer. Whilst passing q
group Of children one of them eyed him 40
sharply that the actor said "well, little girl do