The morning call., 1893-04-27
SMITHS BONDSMEN
Clerk Stevens Before the
Finance Committee.
PERTINENT QUESTIONS ASKED
Prosecuting Attorney Reed Says so
per Cent of the Bonds of the
Police Court Are Worthless.
PERTINENT QUESTIONS ASKED

There was great deal of the corruption
in and about the police courts laid bare at a
meeting of the Finance Committee Of the
Board Of Supervisors yesterday afternoon.
The occasion was the investigation OF
James Stevens, clerk of Police Court 2, who
accepted straw bondsmen in the case of
Clinton r. Smith. the bonds being accepted
in a saloon late at night and the sureties
subsequently turning out not to be pos
sessed of any property at all, one of them
being an eX-convict.
When the committee met SuperyIsor
James presided, while Supervisors Denman.
Kennedy and Hutton turned the judicial
sDit
Among the witnesses were Clerk Stevens
Police Judge Campbell. ex-Jndge Robert
Ferral. Prosecuting Attorney Reed and
Captain Lees. Attorney Frey, who gave
the bond, was sadly wanted, and although
he had been served with subpoena, and
promised to attend, he failed TO put in an
appearance. Detective Hogan who inyes-
tgated the case. also failed to appear, but
it was due to misunderstanding of the
time of the meeting.
Clerk Stevens was first sworn, and when
examined SAID that he had been called for
about 10 O'Clock at night by Attorney Frey
and driven to a Third-Street saloon. where
he examined the sureties to tile bond and
signed it. He thought the sureties were all
right, but had been imposed upon. Hs be-
leved the saloon he went to was a respec-
table place
Denman-I don't think YOU or ara So
innocent as not to know what kind of
place 16 Third street is. 1t is not place TO
hold court.
Chairman James asked if it was d custom
TO awaken clerks in the middle of the night.
The witness replied that it was. He simply
did 1t to oblge people and make friends
Clerk SteVens-1t was gilt-edged bond,
if the people oaly owned the property.
Supervisor kennedy-l have no doubt of
that.
Captain Lees was next examined. and held
that il WAS the duty of Police Court clerks
to accept bonds IN the night time for the
protection Of citizens who have been
arrested accidentally. He believed that
Stevens had acted all right. but had been
Denman-Would you not be suspicious
about accepting bond in place like Nc
Manus' saloon?
Yes. would have driven down to the
Police Court and had it made out there"
ExJudge Ferrai stated that he had had
while on the bench considerable experience
with bonds. He knew very few OF the men
personally he examined, yet very few of the
sureIies he accepted turned out wrong.
Police Court clerks always accepted bonds
in the night time. and 1t was impossible for
them TO know whether the men told the
truth.
Kennedy-,Then it is merely a matter of
form.
The witness replied that the men swore
to the bond, and were ans werable as per-
jurers.
Police Judge Campbell took the stand and
said that the regular practitioners in his
courts were more reliable than uptown
lawyers. When civil lawyers came into the
police courts they made mistakes and had
to be watched.
Kennedy--Some uptown lawyers object
to 60 10 the police courts, do they not?
es, and when they do they do not know
how to Try case" was the answer.
Judge Campbell spoke of Stevens as being
reliable and conscientious clerk, who had
been deceived.
Prosecuting Attorney Reed was a sort of
a dynamite witness ana he went off sud
denly.
He first said that he thought Clerk
Stevens was conscientious in the discharge
OF his duties.
No questions were asked him.
Finding thar no one proposed to draw him
out he proceeded to explode himself, to the
dismay Of those in favor of the present
police court system. He said: II would
like to say word about this bond business
without rejecting IN Mr. Stevens. Some
thing ought to be done to break up the per-
niclous system now in vogue. | know that
bonds are taken there, and the men have to
pay for them. The place reeks with pro-
fessiOnal bOndsmen. Defendants are fieeced
right and left. and il they do not pay the
eXtoTtioTists are cast into jail again until
they pay Up. Fifty per cent of all the bonds
accepted are fraudulent.
"1hes cases are notorious and common
talk. 1t was So during the last administra-
ton. When we started to look after some
of tue straw bOndsmen of last year the
bonds had all been distracted and could not
be found"
Everybody looked at Prosecuting Attorney
Reed, but be continued mercIlessly flashing
the corrupt system which prevails in the
police courts and earnestly advocating
reforms.
81 was in favor of certain changes" he
said but they were too strong for me.
Take the assistant Police-court clerks, for
instance, they do no work. They are per-
feclly yalueltss. and their places should be
abolished. In their stead we should have a
warrant clerk, who should have an assistant
for each court whose business it would be
to look after the bonds and certify to the
sureties."
The members of the board listened to
Prosecuting Attorney Reeds remarks with
profound attention, and the chairman stated
that it was the object of the board to break
up the pernicous system which now pre-
walls.
Attorney Frey was called, but he did not
respond.
Detective Hogan, who investigated the
case. was called, but lie did not appear.
Captain Lees stated that he had the bonn in
question and was a necessary witness. Cap
tain Lees stated further that il was his be-
lief that the signature of Morrison. one of
the straw bondsmen. was the same as the
writing in the body of the bond. The pre-
sumption was that the same man wrote
both. This would show how Stevens had
been imposed upon by Frey.
The hearing was adjourned until next
Saturday. when Detective Hogan and At
toTneY Frey will be examined.