The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-04

now in jail, named Henry Pipenberg
Four years ago Donley was found guilty of
burglary and was sent to San Quentin.
The chief evidence against him was that
of Pipenberg. Now it is claimed that
Pipenberg put up the job" on Donley
and that Banks had an old score to work
off at Donley's expense. Mr.. Schaffer is
working hard to bring the matter home to
Banks, and has already taken the initial
steps with the Police Commission. Banks
bears good reputation.
~ know Schaffer is trying to break me"
said Officer Banks to-day, ''and it is all on
account OF my reporting some of the
Broadway gambling joints while Schaffer
was Chief Of Police. After did so he had
no use for me and he shifted me from one
beat to another for the purpose of annoy
ing me.
Another reason for Schaffers displeas-
ure is because / would not work for him
last November when he was running for
Sheriff. Ever since he was let out of the
commission he has been working on this
affair, and he has said things on the street
that are absolutely false. He has talked
about me writing to the relatives of pris-
oners asking for money to square certain
cases, but he has no proof. Everything he
refers to transpired more than four years
ago and during that time he has filled
term as Chief of Police, and / think he
AdfS dbtSAncu W IL luCH. IL IL
simply scheme to pay off political
grudges, and as soon as | heard of the mat
ter reported it to Chief Lloyd"
Police Commissioner Peirsol SAYS he
does not know exactly what Schaffer is
after. IA few weeks ago." said the Com
missioner, she called on me and told me
he could give me the addresses of some
people who would make affidavits that
would land some officer or officers in San
Quentin. / asked him what he meant
and he said that he would give me the ad-
dresses of these people if / would 60 and
take their afhdavits. l replied that /
would do nothing of the sort, that it was
such affidavits, and that if he had charges
to make he must present them to the
board formally. | told him that if they
were of a serious nature they would be
publicly investigated, but that l could
have no secretive dealings with any one.
81 believe [ further told him that he
shou'd first consult Chief Lloyd on mat
tiers connected with his men, and then
come to me. Schaffer did not specify to
me the particular officers to whom he had
reference, and did not ask him, not wish
ing to be mixed up with anything that was
not fair and aboveboard. A man called
on me recently, saying that Schaffer had
for the taking of dispositions by me. Such
conduct on his part was unauthorized"
Chief Lloyd is indignant at what he
terms an unfair method of trying to prefer
charges. II heard of this matter several
weeks ago. said the Chief, "and as it con-
considered it my duty to investigate it. l
am convinced that if Banks or any other
officer had been guilty of corruption Mr..
Schaffer would not have allowed it to lie
dormant all these years. He filled out a
term as Chief of Police, and l am con-
WINGED that If he could have brought
charges in good faith against any officer
he would have done so.
THAT he has not done so is, in my mind
conclusive proof that he has no case. Such
things help to disturb the discipline of the
department and should be stopped. My
investigation of this matter and what am
told of the testimony on the case of Donley
go to prove that whatever Banks did he
did under the direction of his superior
officer
Captain Fletcher says that when Pipen-
berg went on the witness-stand he swore
that no inducement had been held out to
him by Banks to betray Donley, but that
he first told the officer that Donley had
solicited his (Pipenberg's) aid in carrying
out the burglary for which Donley was ar
rested and sent across the bay for fifteen
years.
Mr.. Schaffer declares that he is not work
ing in the dark and says ne has enough
evidence in his possession to secure par
don for Do1ley.
1t is stated by members of the Police De-
partment that Pipenberg has been tam
pered with. and that he is ready to sup
port Mr.. Schaffer's statements. Should
this be so he would be met with his testi-
mony, which Officer Banks is now having
transcribed for use if occasion should arise
Pipenberg has been convicted of vagrancy
and is now serving term for battery on a
woman. He has frequently acted as a
stool-pigeon for the police, and when DON
ley was convicted there were some grave
doubts as to whether Pipenberg or the
prisoner, against whom there were prior
convictions, was the most unreliable.