The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-29
GIFT TO THE RAILROAD.
County Supervisors Accused
of Misappropriation of
Funds.
THE CHARGES AGAINST DUNN.
1t Is Claimed the Evidence Was Not
Enough to Hold Him - Bart
Cavanaugh Indicted.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, June %. - The
long-expected report of the Grand Jury
was handed to Judge Johnson of the
Superior Court this evening, and it has
equaled the expectations of all who have
been predicting that it would prove sensa.
tional.
Thirty-two accusations have been found,
and the most of them are against the
Board of County Supervisors, which body
is accused of gross frauds and the misap-
preparation of funds.
The principal point made against the
county board is that, unwarranted by law,
it caused to be paid to the railroad COM
pany the sum of $4,000 as the county's
share for the building of bridge across the
Sacramento River. 1t is claimed that the
evidence brought before the Grand Jury in
relation to this deal was to the effect that
board paid over this money without any
assurance as to what kind of bridge was
to be built. 1t is said that there were no
plans and specifications, and that the rail-
road company could have erected any kind
of fimsy structure and complied with
what contract there was.
Eugene Gregory. at one time Mayor of
Sacramento, and one of the most promi-
net citizens, is said TO have had hand in
engineering through this gift to the rail-
road company. Several months ago Mr..
Gregory went East. but to what part of
the East it is said none but his most init
mate trends seem to know. 1t is presumed
that he had an inkling of the action that
the Grand Jury was to take, and, although
the firm of which he was the head has,
since his departure, made an assignment,
Mr.. Gregory has not been heard from.
Another sensational charge is in the i'm
plication that the Board of Supervisors has
stood in with county officers to allow depu-
ties extra money out of the county treas
ury, when the law provides that heads of
departments shall pay them out of their
| salaries.
Bart Cavanaugh, the Republican 'boss,"
has been indicted on five different counts,
each of which comes under the purity Of
election laws. 1t is alleged that the evil
dence showed he was guilty of having used
money at the polls in the interest of rail-
road candidates.
One of the matters that the Grand Jury
claims to have investigated is the Biggy-
Dunn matter. In its report the jury says
it has looked into the charges and has
Just how far it looked into this affair can
not be learned.
1t is said that number of those who
have been attacked by the Grand Jury have
sought counsel in the matter, and that the
courts will be called upon to determine as
to whether or not it is a legal body. The
proposition is that H. M. La Rue, who was
foreman OF the Grand Jury and who is also
a Railroad Commissioner, cannot legally
act in both capacities.
The report goes on to state that the
Board of Supervisors has in many instances
in the discharge of its official duties, under
the pretense of policy and expediency,
willfully and knowingly violated the plain
provisions of the law in appropriating
large sums of money.
1t says: Upon examination of their
records we find that on the 5th of Decem-
ber, $685. the board passed a resolution
appropriating $4,000 to the Central Pacific
Railroad to aid the construction of a
new steel bridge across the Sacramento