The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-25
OFFICIALS IN THE DEAL.
The Grand Jury Likely to Re-
turn a Number of
Indictments.
UNIQUE METHODS PURSUED.
The Scalps Said to Have Been Cast
Into Stove With False
Bottom.

| 6OILOms
SACRAMENTO, May 24.-The Grand
Jury of Kern County has for some time
| been engaged in all investigation of the
alleged frauds in coyote scalp claims, and
1t is stated has obtained evidence that may
result in placing many influential county
officials behind the bars.
A confidential agent of the Grand Jury
has appeared before the Board of Ex-
amlners and requested that certain docu-
| mentary evidence said to be in, the possess
sion of the latter be forwarded to the
Grand Jury of Kern County, to be used in
the trial which will follow the indictments
| by that body.
1t is rumored that hundreds of coyote
scalps received by the county officials,
after having been purchased by the State,
found their way into the hands of certain
outside persons and were again resold. 1t
is also rumored that after being repur-
chased they again passed out the back door
| and were taken to other counties and re-
| sold.
There has been a keen detective en-
| ployed on the matter for some time, and it
is claimed that very damaging evidence
has been procured against those county
| officials supposed to be interested in the
| deal. There is no room for doubt but that
the report of the Kern County Grand Jury
will result in indictments that will shock
the entire community.
| PROMINENT MEN IMPLICATED.
Startling Developments VIII Follow the
| Grand JurU's Report.
| BAKERSFIELD, CAL, May 24.-It is
almost impossible to give any positive
facts about the coyote scalp fraud in this
county, though rumors are plentiful and
have been since the Grand Jury undertook
the investigation of the matter and names
OF various prominent persons who have
been connected Herewith.
The jury has been in session now since
| last fall, off and on, and one of the first
matters looked into by it was the coyote
frauds.
AT the time the scalp appropriation bill
was before Governor Budd the jury sent a
strong protest against his signing it, alleg-
ing that barefaced frauds had been COM
mitted and stating that an investigation
was in progress.
Singularly enough, however, Senator s..
G. Smith, representing this and San Luis
counties, also a member of the Grand
Jury, took a special trip back to Sacra-
mento after the Legislature adjourned and
made an argument to try to convince
Budd that he ought to sign the bill.
Budd was somewhat sarcastic in his re-
marks to Smith in reply, but neglected to
sign the bill.
Since his return home Smith has been
known here as 'Coyote Smith,
In consequence of this action Senator
and Grand Juryman Smith, when the jury
undertook the Investigating of the coyote
business again recently, as they had
! promised Governor Budd, was politely
excused from attendance on the sessions
while the matter was under discussion
What the Grand Jury has discovered has
been kept most profoundly secret, but it is
pretty we'll understood that three features
of the business were investigated with
more or less startling results.
| One was the receipt of a large quantity
of scalps at Caliente from points in Ari-
zona and New Mexico and their subse-
quent hauling to Bakersfield by team and
distribution among those engaged in the
| frauds.
| The names of the persons engaged in
this. business are whispered, and it is pretty
positively known that at least three of
them will be indicted. One is a well known
| merchant in town, and two others-father
and son-are or have been office-holders.
| Another feature that has been investi-
gated is a queer story about a sort of
double back-action stove that is reported
| to have been used in the burning or pre-
tended burning of scalps upon which
bounty had been paid
| According to report this stove had two
doors so arranged that when scalps were
put in an apparently hot fire they passed
| through unscathed and came out on the
other side all ready to do duty again as
often as might be thought prudent.
| Another story that was investigated was
as to the midnight burial of certain lots of
| scaips out at the racetrack and their sub
| sequent unearthing and use, the latter
| having been witnessed by parties hidden
| in the brush, whose suspicious had been
aroused.
These are but portion of the interest
ing stories afioat about the matter. When
the jury adjourned the other day it was
subject to the call of the foreman, and in
the meantime trusty agent was dis
| patched to Sacramento to investigate
coyote records on file there and report
back, so that there might be no mistake in
putting blame for fraud where it legiti-
mately belongs.
The report of that agent is waited with
great interest, as indictments are expected
| to follow. At first some twenty-five per-
sons were implicated, and it was intended
| to indict them, but a cog slipped some
where, and now the indictments will be
! limited to about six.