The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-10
THE new GRAND JURY,
1t Is Asked to Investigate the
Methods of the Solid
Eight.
K. M. SMITHS OPEN LETTER.
Clerk Haley's Record
in Objective Indictments
Found.

The Grand Jury held long session yes
| terday afternoon. The Deputy Sheriff at
| tending received instructions to exclude
| newspaper reporters from the outer room
where witnesses await the pleasure of the
| jury.
| John A. Hosmer, Assistant District At
torney, attended the session yesterday, but
| declined to divulge the names of the wit
| nesses examined.
The methods of the Solid Eight in re-
gard to the granting of a franchise to the
Southern Pacific Company in preference to
other bidders are likely to receive atten-
ton in consequence of the following open
letter:
To the Honorable Grand Jury Of the City and
County of San Francisco GENTLEMEN: The
twelve Judges of the City and County OF San
Francisco have regularly and carefully selected
| you out of large number of citizens to act in
capacity of Grand Jury. Your high standing
as citizens, your character and integrity were
the principal qualifications which caused you
to be chosen; possessing such requisites and
| merits, you commanded the respect and full
confidence OF the entire court that you are tit
and proper persons to diligently and fearlessly
inquire into any and all public offenses against
the people of the State.
You can do no greater service to the public
than to inquire into the divers ways and cir
cuitous means of eight public officials, men,
bers of the Board OF Supervisors OF the City and
County of San Francisco, som etimeS called
honorable to wit:
Joseph King Supervisor First Ward.
Peter A. Scully, Supervisor Second Ward.
Charles f. BENJAMIN, supervisor Third Ward,
AlphOnse Hirsch. Supervisor Fourth Ward.
Edward G. Hughes. Supervisor Sixth Ward
Christopher bunker, supervisor Seventh Ward.
Alfred Morgenstern, Supervisor Ninth Ward.
Edward l.. Wagner, Supervisor Twelfth Ward.
| desire to call your attention to but one of
the disreputable, unlawful and fraudulent acts
of the said local legislators, a crime committed
on the 9Th day OF July, 1895, when the said
majority mem bers OF the Board OF Supervisors
gave to the Market-street Railway Company
seven miles of the public streets, not Tor the
purpose of constructing street-railway there
on, but with the object and intention of keep
ing the greater part of said streets out OF use
by any competing company, and to crush out
opposition and enable it to more fully monopo-
lie the streetrailroad business large
territory of the said City and County.
1t is quite needless to state that the Board OF
Supervisors are constituted by law guardians
OF the property interest OF the City and County,
and govern and control its revenues. That the
law expressly commands said officials, when
disposing of the property-right OF the munich
pality, to secure the highest price therefor.
You will find upon investigation that the
said public officials willfully disregarded the
law, betrayed the public interest and acted as
guardians of the property interest of the South
ern Pacific of Kentucky; that instead OF endeay-
oring to sell the privileges hereinbefore men
toned for the highest price, as the law requires
the said mentioned Supervisors have joined in
the fraud and with the object and intention of
preventing any bidding according to the law
they are endeayoring to sell the said privileges
at the lowest price for the term OF half CEN
fury; they have refused to require yearly
revenue, as other companies now pay, which
during the time would amount to thousands
| of dollars, and in behalf of the monopoly they
| have caused to be advertised the resolution OF
| i tention TO sell, in such manner and form
| dictated and ordered to them from Fourth and
| Townsend streets, so that the privilege and
franchise is of great value to the Market-street
Railway Company and unacceptable and value
less to any person, company or other corpora
| ton; that by reason of their misconduct and
neglect of official duty the law declares that
| they are guilty of misdemeanor and malfeas-
| ance in Office.
Your attention is also called to a decision
rendered by the Superior Court of said City
| and County on the 9th day of August, 1895,
| wherein the court says when constituting the
| law under which the Supervisors are now
| acting, ''if the eight members of the Board of
| Su pervisors have Deen guilty of any willful or
corrupt misconduct In office, they must be pro-
| ceeded against as provided by other sections
| of the Penal Code, beginning with section 755,
which section provides that accusations may
| be presented by the Grand Jury against
| municipal officers for willful or corrupt mis-
conduct in Office"
| An outraged and patient people now expect
| you to take action, and demand that their
| faithless servants be compelled to answer
before the bar OF justice. Respectfully yours,
K. NJ. SMITH, 112o Market street.
| The jury further considered the conduct
| OF Ponce Judge CampDell IN dlsmlsSlng the
| case against two men who were arrested
last June for inficting cruel wrong on
weak-minded girl. Evidently testimony
| was presented to the jury tending to show
| that crime had been committed, for late
| in the afternoon two indictments were
| found. The persons against whom in
| dictments were returned are John Kline
and Martin Hynes. Warrants have been
issued for their arrest
A report gained Roadway yesterday to
| the effect that the Grand Jury would con-
slider the alleged frauds growing out of the
working of the Hale & Norcross mine
under the management or III. NJ. Levy. In
reply to inquiries Jere Lynch said during
the afternoon that he had not been before
the jury. Inquiry at the office of the Dis
trict Attorney did not elicit the informa-
ton that the mining case had been con-
| sidered.
Facts coming to light yesterday show
that the jury is preparing to make a
thorough Investigation of the manage
ment. of the County Clerks office under the
administration of Haley. Special inquiry
| is being made regarding the failure of
Haley to comply with the law bearing
| upon the collection of the inheritance tax.
!