The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-26
EXONERATED ON A CHARGE OF
THEFT, BUT NOT RE-
INSTATED.
COLLECTOR WISE UNDER FIRE
E. 7. MCLEAN TELLS How He
LOST HIS POsITIoN-WITH-
OUT REDRESS.

oil lIlN6SIlSdllOl VI LIS olSCIIetIB
at the hands of thesTreasury Department.
10 make sure that his case will be prop
erly presented before the right authorities
Mr.. Mclean has employed Attorney John
L. Dare to look after the matter, and all
the documents relating to the case have
been forwarded to Washington.
MIR. Mclean says that the excuse given
by Collector Wise for his dismissal-that
he took, by force valuable silk shirt
from Chinese passenger landing on the
Mail dock-was mere subterfuge, and
that the real reason was that he is Re-
publican, and that his place was wanted
by some Of the Collectors Democratic
friends.
Among the papers sent to Washington
was transcript of the testimony taken at
the time the charges against the Inspector
were originally made. 1t shows that while
a number of fellow. employees of Mclean s
all Democrats, by the way-testitied that
he had taken the shirt against the China
mans will and in the face of strong pro-
test, the Gilman an himself stated that he
had freely given the Inspector the gar
ment, and had not been deprived of it
against his will.
Mr.. Mclean, when seen yesterday about
The first intimation had that charges had
been brought against me was an article in the
Examiner headed, "a Searcher's Plight. In
spector Mclean Charged With Robbing Chi
nese on the Mail Dock
l at once demanded an investigation and
went on with my work until / received note
from Mr.. Wise, which read as follows:
E. T. Mclean, E1spector Class A. No 9: Your ser
vices are no longer needed. JOHN H. WISE,
Not one word of explanation or reason
After Hung On, the Chinese from whom |
wa. accused of stealing the shirt had told the
Collector that the charge WAS untrue, asked
to be reinstated.
He said that he wanted to take more testi-
mony, but subsequently, on September q
stated In the presence of United States APP
praiser Tucker that / was exonerated from the
charge of theft. 1 again asked to be given nv
position, but he said that he had not yet made
up his mind and that he would send me
letter stating his decision in the matter. Up
TO the present have not received the COM
munication, and do not believe that shall.
The basis on which the charge was made was
the following ANONYMOUS letter, which must
have been received by the Collector about Au-
gust24, about five days before he dismissed me:
SAN FRANCISCO. August 90 1895
Hon. John H. Wise-DEAR SIR: desire to call
your attention to the way E. T. Mclean, one of
your inspectors, steals from the Chinese when he
searches their baggage. Yesterday, when search
ing some Chinese baggage at the Mail dock he
stole two silk undershirts from of their trunks
The Chinaman protested against being robbed,
the other up under his vest. This affair was wit
messed by number OF persons who will vouch for
the truth Of this Make inquiries of James Ma
CURE, rat Norton, George Love, Captain Anderson,
and think Captain Sprague.
AN EYE-WITN Ess
At the investigation, SO called, the following
testimony was given by Special Policeman 7
F. Anderson. 1t is a fair sample of that of the
others who testified against me:
Estate what you know about the affair
A.-On the 22d they were searching some Chi
nese baggage the wharf There were several
inspectors there-Spragup. Barry. nd Mo
Lean. 1t was in the baggage-room, and Mclean
and his back was turned to me. Barry was over in
another corner. Mclean was going through the
trunk of the Chinaman Hung On and found two
knit shirts. He had some talk with the Chinaman
and the Chinaman handed him shirt. When the
Chinamnn had his back turned to Mclean he went
to the trunk and took out the other shirt
Odd you hear any conversation between Nc
Lean and the Chinaman:
A.-Not at that time, but afterward, when the
Chinaman came to look in his trunk and found
that the shirt was gone, he commenced to talk and
to look around for his shirt. Mclean turned and
saw him and came over and tried to stop him from
taking the shirt. The Chinnman said. mo no /
pay money: what for you take my shrts?" With
that Mclean left him and went back TO his search
ing. took the other shirt and said to George
Love, 81 am going to take this for evidence"
took it from under McLean's coat and locked tim
My own statement of the matter at that time
and retterate it now-was as follows:
There were some passengers landed from the
steamer Begic. / searched the baggage OF Hung
On of the firm Of Sing Sang & Co. sent . boy he
longing to him containing shoes to the Appraisers
store and searched two or three other trunks He
paid the duty upon the dutiabe good. In the trnnt.
Ny attention was then called to little knit skirt
value about Id cents 1 asked the Chinaman IL he
would sell IL to me. He said, mo cost much; Won
can have It," | took it over where nv coat was
lying and put it under my coat for safe Keeping nm
til got through with the search L then returned
Anderson run around the corner of the building
with something white in his hand; thought he
f naa tbe Gnaman ba nft me
was no value attached to them. Mr.. Sprague came
and asked me what anderson had taken.
Swered that supposed he had gotten one OF the
shirts that the Chinaman had given and that is
all know about It, / did not steal the shirt from
the Chinaman: did not take 1t with any idea that
l was going to gain something from him; l took 1t
because he said it was of no value and could use
Love and Mr.. sprague. Mr.. Anderson came in; I
did not know what he came in for; did not think
anything about it, The Chinaman had two shirts
and he said could have one and he kept the other.
When Hung On came to be examined he
testified as follows:
Odd you come on the last steamer? Ayes,
came on the Belsic and my baggage was put on
wagon to be searched and this man, Mr. Mclean.
was searching the baggage on the wharf. had
two OF these shirts (showfng shlrts) In my trunk
and Mclean asked me to give him the shirts 1
told him l would give him one and keep che other.
He did not steal them. He did not force me TO give
him the shirt.
Odd you say, "what for you take my shirts
when pay Government duty?' Al did not say
anything Of the kind. What L have stated is all
that occurred.
O. (showing shirt)-What kind OF goods is this
and what is the value? Al think you would call
it cotton thread and the value is about 20 cents in
American money
Q.-How much duty did you pay on the shirts?
Al did not pay any duty. l gave Mclean the
shirt sthrough friendship. I am acquainted with
him from going down to the dock to see my friends
Off. AT the time L gave him the shirt there were
several white men around there. think there
were three or four men there with brass buttons
-searchers. The shirt was so cheap did not think
Mclean would want it.
Hung On was corroborated by R. S. Will
liams, the Chinese interpreter. These are the
main portions of the document sent to the
Treasury Department. have served under six
Collectors, as follows: Shannon, two terms;
Sullivan, one term Phelps, two terms; Sears,
one term, and Hager, one term, In addition to
the time have served under Wise.
II do say IL, my record of seizures has been
good. Deputy Surveyor Ruddells books will
show it.
Ny standing as Republican made me OBJ
noxlous to those in power and this excuse was
made TO GUST me-
II, as Collector Wise stated to me, was ex-
onerated from the charge OF theft, why have
not been reinstated?
Mrs. Van Colt to Address Young Men.
There will be novel service at the Young
Mems Christian Association, Mason and Ellis
streets, next Sunday afternoon at o'clock,
when Mrs. Maggie Van Colt, the noted lady
evangelist, will address the meeting Tor young