The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-06-01
He Swears That He Never
Was Bribed.
NEVER TOOK A FARTHING.
The Tall Sergeant Says the Witnesses
Who Testified Against Him
Did Not Tell the Truth.

have testified in the case present. and al
though the police are deeply Interested In
the trial there were but two or three OF
| them in the anteroom when the Commits
| sioners met.
Commissioner D. NJ. Burns was present,
for the first time since Wittman's trial
began. He was very pale and apparently
took ne interest in the proceedings.
Call the case of Sergeant Whitman"
| Commissioner Tobin commanded, and the
accused officer stood up and swore that he
would tell the truth.
"My name is George Within an. and l
Rave been a member of the police force
since April. 1885," he testified. Il have
been sergeant since August, 1888. Be-
tween those dates l first parrolled Pine
street from Larkln to Steiner. had that
beat for about a month. Then l was sent
| to North Beach, where l worked for sew
eral mon tbs.
81 was given a special detail to raid and
close gambling-houses for about year,
and then l was given the kearny-Street
beat. l held that beat until l was pro-
noted"
After his promotion on August l. 1888.
Whitman testified that he was given super
vision of the district containing the houses
! of in fame on Dupont, Berry and Quincy
streets. The patrOlmen on these DeaIs, ne
| said, were changed frequently. o,
"How is your present district bounded =
! Wittman's attorney asked.
"By California, Front, Market and
| Larkin streets.
"How is the district adjoining yours on
| the north bOundedT
"By California and Front streets, the
| no ond T,arEin street,
aTn which district is Commercial
s.reet?" (The saloon owned by John
O'Hanlon, the reputed friend of Judge
Conan, is on Commercial street,
TT is not in my district"
sHave You ever instigated charges SINH
lar TO that made against you-charges that
! inmates of houses OF i'll fame had been
compelled to pay the police for immunity
! from arrest?'
II have, and it was spitework every
time"
| the houses of i'll fame?"
"Yes: we compel the women to keep
| their windows closed, and we arrest them
| when they disobey our orders"
'.Do you know Anglede, who keeps sa-
\ loon at the corner of Pine and Dupont
! streets? II testified against you"
! yves. His place runs through to Quincy
street. He was about to open house of
! i'll fame on Quincy street and we stopped
Marie Lowe has testified that she gave
you money. Has she?'
''She never gave me the value of farth-
ing" mo,n +bo. 81. r,uo
you money"
Not nickel"
"Did YOU ever ask her for money!"
"No, sir; never"
"Did you ever receive money from Laura
Montroussaye?
From Front Lena G. GodetP"
mo, sir; never"
"She said that the first occasion on which
she gave you money was when her land
lady, Regina Rouget. told her to do 50,
saving that she (Regina) had given you
$780, Do you know Reglna?"
"Oh. yes"
IBID you ever receive any money from
ber?"
"Never. It's absolutely false
You have heard Alfred Desbin, bell
hanger, swear that he was in a house on
Dupont street and had there heard La
Mascotte, who kept the house, declare that
you were not content with the 50 80 which
she paid yon every month, but that you
wanted more?
False, sir, false"
ut is said that you introduced Sergeant
Johns to the keepers of several houses"
Never did anything OF the kind"
Louis Langlais says that he gave you
money on several occasions"
Never a time"
ut ha. been said tina, you received
money in the Temple Bar saloon. Tell US
all about that"
SIN last November Blanche Commerce
! of Quincy street was called to our
attention. She had been giving trouble
! and had been arrested for larceny She
/ I'd
close her place. | was questioned about
the case by Sergeant Hall, the clerk of the
! Police Commission, and was told by him
| that all the women OF the street should be
! treated alike.
eff you close her house. she will 60 up
on the street," Chief Crowley said, ARREST
her whenever she does wrong, and wen
! tone her down"
| In explanation of the story that he had
been given a bride at the Temple Bar
saloon. Whitman said that he had gone
there to meet a man who wanted him to
deal lenienty with certain woman who
had been ill. and who needed protection in
her business.
The woman was "Blanche," who was
one of the witnesses in the case, and Witt
man swore that he had never received auv
! from her or in her behalf.
! Louis NJ .Tslin, IA cook, swore that he
| had seen you divide the contents of a
kitty with the proprietor of saloon on
Pine street. Was that tTue?"
"All false"
Exc Officer Briggs stated that you re-.
cceived money from gamblers and den
| keepers In Chinatown"
''All vaporings."
| Sergeant Whitman then told how he had
arrested Ceiine. Rosalie, Gabrielle. Eina
and Theo, and how they were liberated IN
| bail furnished by John O'Hanlon and ar.
cepted by Judge Conlau.
These cases. Whitman said had boon
assigned for trial to Police Court 8 but
before trial had been assigned tn .1udgs
Conian's court. The Chief OF Police pro-
tested against the trial OF the cases by n
Judge who had been attorney for fallen
women ana IL was tried In court3 3.
The attorney for the women entered :.
plea OF guilty, and they were fined $500
each.
A similar case in which women who
gave an immoral exhibition on Commercial
street was subsequently tried, and when
Gonlan heard that the jury had disagreed
be SAID that IT was good. One of the ac-
cused was friend of O'Hanlon,
whitman said that he had arrested sew
erai OF the women who had testified
Gross-examine," said ATTORNEY Dunn.
we nave no questions to ask. repIied
the attorney for the prosecution. and the
asGon1shed sergeant sank into his chair.
L. " carpenter, reporter, testified that
ne was In Judge Conlan's office when
Josie watson, one of the witnesses for The
prosecution, was examined. She then
1enieu mat she had ever paid money to