The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-25
THAT STRAW BOND
Modus Operandi of It's
Acceptance.
A TRAVESTY ON JUSTICE.
Detective Hogan's Clever Capture of
One of the Fraudulent Sureties.
Trio of Desperate Criminals.

The mystery of the worst case of "ztraw
bond" known in the history of the Police
Courts has been speedily cleared up through
tile sagacity of Detective Hogan. to whom
Chief Crowley intrusted the affair last Fri
day.
james B. Jordan. alias L. A Morrison.
one Of the fraudulent sureties. was arrested
by Detective Hogan and Officer Shadrach
Campbell at Market and Stockton streets
Sunday night, and was locked up in the
tanks Of the City Prison. He was identified
yesterday morning by Clerk Stevens of
Police Court l, who accepted the bond. as
j.. A. Morrison, one of the sureties, who
qualified on lot corner OF Broderick and
Sacramento streets.
Detective Hogan is still hopeful of captur-
ing The other fraudulent surety. who signed
the bond in the name of c. a. Lewis, owner
Of a lot corner of Valencia and Fifteenth
streets. Lewis is fictitious name. His
real name IS known to the detective.
The importance of this CAPTURE cannot be
overesttmated. James B. Jordan. alias l.,
A. Morrison, now in the tanks; Clinton K.
Smith, now in prison awaiting trial for
threats against Claude Lee, and the other
fraudulent surety still at large, have worked
together in all sorts of crimes and in all
EOikS u DidGf5 III Ello OIlleu states as all
round crooks, bunco-steererS, confidence
men and bad men generally. Jordan is a
double murderer. and has served his time
in Illinois for each of the murders.
Inc THO came 10 this city about seven
months ago, but have made their head
quarters in Oakland, which Jordan declares
10 be the paradise of the world for crooks.
Here, then, was bond for $1,000 accepted
last Thursday night, the bondsmen being
two of trio of desperate criminals for the
release of their pal"
The story of the acceptance OF the bond is
interesting.
On Thursday night Attorney Frey drove
in carriage TO the residence of Clerk Sic
vens, who was in bed. He prevailed upon
MIN To dress himself and 60 with him to
accept bond for the release of one of his
clients. They entered the carriage and
were driven to King" McManus' saloon, I6
Third street.
Frey conducted Stevens to room, which
was empty, and told him to wait for a minute
and he would bring the men. The bond had
been already prepared and only wanted
Stevens Signature.
Frey returned with two men, and Stevens
put the usual questions to them, each swear
ing he was the person represented and the
owner OF the property mentioned in the
bond. Stevens then affixed his signature
After the business part Of the affair was
over two bottles of champagne were drunk,
king" McManus being present but drink
Stevens felt nstinctlvely that something
was wrong, and this afterthought was the
reason why Frey wrote about the printed
form on The face of the bond. Fired Frey
presented this bond to Clerk J. II. Stevens
for acceptance"
Frey then went to the City Prison, pre-
sented the bond Of straw, the prison doors
we're unlocked and a dangerous criminal
was for the time being set at liberty.
Such is the plain statement of this tray-
esty upon justice.
Stevens was driven home again in the
same carriage, and. fortunately for him,
noticed on leaving Detectives Seymour anu
Whitaker, who were able to corroOOrate
that part of the story that both of the
fraudulent sureties were in the saloon when
Stevens was there.
Detective Hogan states that on Friday
morning, when the excitement was going
on in Judge COnlan's court over the dis
coyery of the straw bond, both Jordan and
the other bondsman were not many yards
away, and when it was seen that THE jig
was up the tip went out to them and, in
the language Of the crook fraternity, they
speedily "buTied themselves"
When the case was given into Detective
HOgan'S hands on Friday he went to Clerk
Stevens and got very fair description Of
the two men, sufficient to make him aware
Of the fact that he had two desperate and
clever criminals to deal with. He knew il
was useless to go the Tacetrack 10 look for
them, but went with Stevens Just to please
the latter who thought they might be
there and that he could Identify them. OF
course, they were not there.
While there, however, king" McManus
approached Detective Hogan and with a
fine air of virtuous Indignation denied,
without being asked, that the two crooks,
Jordan and his pal, were in his saloon on
Thursday night, and he wanted it under
stood that these sort OF characters did not
frequent his saloon.
Against the Kings" virtuous statement
there are the statements of Clerk Stevens
and OF Detectives Seymour and Whitaker.
Attorney Frey will also probably not deny
that the men swore to the bond in the sa-
loon.
Detective Hogan called to his assistance
Officer "ScOtty" Campbell and they sue
ceeded. as already stated, in arrestng Jor-
dan on Market and Stockton streets, Sun
dav night.
Yesterday morning, when Stevens saw
Jordan in the tanks, he recognized him at
once as one of the TWO men. Jordan, alias
Morrison, denied at first that he was the
man, but when Stevens at Hogan'S instiga-
ton, placed few facts before him be said,
II Will neither affirm nor deny their truth"
be would not, as an inn ocent man would
presumably have done, say they were ia lse.
The Antoine case pales into insignfieance
compared with this case. Antoine was an
illiterate fruit-peddler, who was never
known to have committed an otfeuse before
the one on which he was held.
Clinton r. Smith. on the other hand is
known to be des perate criminal, whose
liberty meant the possibility of immediate
continuation of his criminal methods.
What measure of responsibility lies upon
CLERK Stevens for leaving his bed to 90 to
notorious saloon and accept a bond by men
whom he had never seen or heard OF for the
release Of a man charged with the serious
crime OF threats to murder, and who had
been arrested on a warrant from another
court is for the Board of Supervisors to say.
The action Of Attorney Frey in the mat
ter will doubtless also be closely inves,i-
gated by the proper authorities.
The procedure in accepting a bond for
the release of a prisoner in a saloon is re-
garded as extraordinary and not to be iol-
Rrafad