Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-07
situated financially and otherwise as to


be above such temptations"
Mr.. Dillon may have had greater ex-
perience in "affairs temporal" than /
and he may have acquired more wealth,
but my good name and reputation,
which Mr.. Dillon has attempted to de-
fame, are more to me than property or
money, and propose to preserve them
even though may never become q rich
man or able to live in $100, 900 home
at Long Beach.
With this l am obliged to leave Mr..
Dillon. / have no means with which to
continue this kind of a campaign. Mr..
Dillon bas a great advantage of me in
the abundance of his possessions, and
can continue newspaper campaign
when would be compelled to be silent.
JAMES MCLACHLAN.
LETTER FROM MR.. GIBSON.
EDITORS HERALD: While l am usu-
ally averse to pushing myself into a con-
troversy. it seems that decent regard
for Justice requires the following state
ment as to matters within my knowl-
edge explanatory of certain attorneys
fees paid by the board of supervisors
soon after Mr.. McLachlan assumed the
duties of district attorney.
On December 30, 1890. Mr.. S. M. Per-
ry, chairman of the board of supervis-
ors, instructed me to prepare an abstract
OF the title to the property now known
as the old court house, and which was
then offered for sale. At the very outset
of my examination L came across certain
questions which, in my judgment, de-
manded attention before the abstract
should be closed and submitted to in
tending purchasers. These questions
were submitted by me to Mr.. Perry and
Mr.. I. +. Rowan, who was then MEM
Der of the board. 1t was suggested in
my presence by one of those gentlemen
that, as the then district attorney would
soon retire, it would be advisable for the
board to secure the services of some at
torney to attend to the matter, and, after
conferring with other members Of the
board, they instructed me to refer any
questions to Messrs. Houghton, SilentJ&
Cambell, and deliver the abstract to
them when completed. which was done.
Not long after Mr.. Perry instructed
me to prepare an abstract of the title to
the lot on which stands the new court
house, and to turn the same over to
Messrs. Houghton, Silent d Campbell.
This abstract also developed certain
questions which were the subject of
several conferences between members of
the board of supervisors, members OF
the firm of Houghton, Silent & Camp
bell and myself. The abstract was also,
l understood, submitted to District At
torney McLachlan, who had just as.
sumed the duties of that office, and
meeting was held at which were present
Messrs. Perry and Davis land perhaps
others) of the board of supervisors,
Judge Silent, Mr.. McLachlan and my
self. At that meeting the questions af-
fecting the title to the new court house
site and various suggestions as to the
best methods OF disposing of them (in-
Guiding the employment OF counseD
were discussed. Mr.. McLachlan there
stated very plainly that while he did
not desire to criticise the action of the
board, he felt that the employment of
counsel to assist the district attorney
was entirely unnecessary. His position
made an impression n my mind, as he
was so outspoken as ~ render the situa-
tion little embarrassing.
Information which was subsequently
called upon to furnish, was instructed
to deliver to the district attorney alone,
and always understood that alter the
meeting above referred to he had entire
charge of the county's interests. In
this connection it may be added that
the district attorneys management of
the matter resulted in the full and COM
plete protection of the county's rights.
An action which had been commenced
was dismissed by the court. 1t was
feared that another action would be
commenced, but after full investiga-
ton of the facts by the attorney for the
interested parties, the conclusions of the
district attorney were conceded to be
correct. FRANK A. GIBSON.