The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-02
SOME ONE DECIDEDLY At FAULT.
Question of the County Form
ing an Abstract Company.
Supervisor Hanley Flatly Contradicts
Several County Officials.
A Deputy Admits That He Was Paid by
the Abstract Company to Stay in
the Onice = What Ham
ley Says.

court house officials, to the effect that
the employees of the Los Angeles Alb.
stract company were allowed to enter
the court house on Saturday. the legal
holiday, to the exclusion of other alb
stract companies and citizens.
1t was also stated that the deputies in
charge OF the recorders Office upon that
day had been paid by the abstract COM
pany for the privilege of entering.
COL +. E. Hewitt, tax collector, who
wac considerably annoyed by the mat
ter, was the first man seen by the re-
porter. He said:
at is untrue that the privilege was
sold. As understand it, the Los An
geles Abstract company applied to the
board of supervisors on Friday for per-
mission for certain employees of their
company to enter the recorders Office
on the following day for the purpose of
doing come important work. They
offered to paw the deputy days wages
to stay in the Office during Saturday.
There is a rule that no one is allowed
inside the court house on legal holt
dav without the permission of the su-
pervisoTs.
This rule applies only to the entrance
of the building. Anyone once in the
building has right to enter any office
that is to say, had been in my Office
on Saturday when Mr.. Raney came l
should have certainly granted him per-
mission to enter my Office, but my au-
thority doesn't go far enough to allow
anyone inside the courthouse; that is
the prerogative of the board of super
visors."
Colonel Hewitt then took the reporter
to County Recorder Bray. Mr.. Bray
declared that the whole business was
misunderstanding. He said:
mo one is allowed in the courthouse
on legal holiday without the consent
OF the board of supervisors. The Los
Angeles Abstract company, believe,
obtained this permission on Friday, and
paid for Mr.. Marchant's services az
deputy. Anyone could have come in
with the came permission. l consider
one citizen has as good right as an
other to enter our Offices"
Exactly" interrupted Colonel
Hewitt. and" continued Mr.. Brsy.
my deputy had no right to allow Mr..
Rsney or any one else to enter the court
house, only the supervisors could grant
that permission"
Mr.. Bray then called Mr.. Marchant,
the deputy in charge ON the day in
question.
Mr.. Marchant said: 1.-THE Los An
geles Abstract company went to the
board OF supervisors on Friday and
asked permission to work in the record
er's office on Saturday, Offering to pay
me for my services. | consider that my
time was my own, Saturday being a
legal holiday. When Mr.. Raney asked
admittsnce wac out and Captain Welch
was in charge. Mr.. Raney telephoned
him and was told that Captain WEIGH
had no authority to admit him without
an order from his chief or from the
supervisors"
County Clerk Ward was seen, and
stated that there had been no such
thing ss favoritism. He eaid that he be-
lieved there had been some mistake,
and that the Los Angeles Abstract com
pany had somehow misrepresented
things. He corroborated the statement
OF the other officials as to the necessity
of obtaining permission from the board
of supervisors before gaining admittance
to the courthouse upon legal holiday.
By this time the reporter came to the
conclusion it might clear things up to
see the supervisors, 30 Supervisor Han
10y was found and asked the following
question:
Ibid the Los Angeles Abstract COM
pany obtain permission from the board
to work in the courthouse on last Satur-
day?"
mo, sir" was the emphatic answer.
'Was there any understanding to that
effect, between the company and the
board 2"
81 believe that the representative OF
the company came in on Friday and
made some sort OF an application, and
said they would pay the deputy if he
would keep the Office open; he said that
the company had always been in the
habit of doing the same thing, on legal
holidays, and I replied: We'll, if you
always have done so, why do you come
to US nowT That was the end of it, as
far as / know"
And this was as far as the reporter
could get, and when the court house
was left the matter stood thus: Mr..
Raney had declared that the door
keeper had shown him list OF names.
saying that none else would be allowed
in the court house except the people
named on his list, and the list was
signed "by order of the board of super
visors, ETC."
Mr.. Hanley on behalf of the board of
supervisors, denied all knowledge of the
order.
MR.. RANEY STAYS WITH 1T.
The reporter then made his way to
Mr.. Raney's Office and asked him for a
second statement.
Mr.. Ranev declared that he went to
the court house on Saturday and was
refused admittsnce by the doorkeeper,
who showed him let OF names, at the
same time informing him that the par
ties on his paper had paid to go in, and
that he (Mr. Raney) could not enter.
Mr.. Raney took copy of the paper,
which was gs follows:
THE following parties are entitled to
admission to the county clerks Offices;
also to the recorders Office and tax col
lector's office"
Then followed list OF names, and the
names of the deputies in charge of the
different offices, the paper concluding as
follows:
Positively no others; by order of the
board of supervisors and officials of the
offices of recorder, tax collector and
county clerk
Mr.. Raney went on to say that he
then saw Mr.. Hsnley who told him he
had no authority to give him permission
to enter; Captain WEIGH of the record