The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11
Martin Gallagher Will Be Seri.
ously Advised to Tell the
Whole Story.
LILLIENTHALS MAN WALTERS.
Grand Jury Will Take Up Franchise,
Pound Order and Fire Depart
ment Scandals.

were used to prevent the passing of an or
der to extent the pound limits.
Assertions have been made that the
dalrymen, hearing that petition OF prop
erty-owners for an extension OF the limits
had been presented to the board. straight
way proceeded to oppose the petition,
and In their zeal to defeat the extern
sion raised the sum of $500 to intlunce
municipal legislation.
1t is the purpose of the Grand Jury to
ascertain definitely how much money was
raised, and if possible find out If any of the
"boodle" was paid to an agent or attorney
of the Solid Eight. Many witnesses
have been called and some interesting de-
velopments are expected.
Since the last session of the Grand Jury
an important communication, touching
the management OF the Fire Department
in the method of purchasing supplies and
passing upon building permits, has been
placed in the hands of the foreman, Oliver
Eldridge.
The Grand Jury committee on fire de-
partment fire alarm and Fire Marshal
consists OF O. f. Wiley, John A. Ham
mersmith and j. J. Groom. Shortly after
the jury was organized Joseph Gordon
was engaged by the committee to make
affairs. The fact OF his employment was
kept profound secret for long time,
and while he was observed once or twice
IN the anteroom, waiting to speak to Mr..
Wiley, 1t was supposed that his business
was OF a private character. The communi-
cation in the hands of Mr.. Eldridge and
the report which Mr.. Wiley is preparing
NAV constitute an interesting contribu-
ton to Fire Department literature.
The Crane Inrv is not done with Martin
Gallagher. The impression on the minds
OF the members was stronger than ever
yesterday that the witness was withhold
ing something important connected with
the SIPS transaction which the jury ought
to have known. He will be advised for
his own good to, make frank and
straig htforward explanation of the entire
transaction and not reserve anything to
shield anybody. The statements which
he made to Langdon and the testimony
which he gave to the Grand Jury differ so
widely in essential particulars that the
jury cannot ascribe the divergence to lapse
of memory. The District Attorney is
taking especial note of the contradictory
testimony in this Langdon case and there
may be a sequel to the investigation.
1t came out somewhat Unexpectedly in
George Roses testimony last Monday that
the booksellers who contributed $500 a
month for J. H. Dickinson's services ex-
pected him to look after their interests in
the Board of Supervisors. Rose, on ex-
planning the many annoyances the pool
sellers were subjected to, and their final
decision to employ an attorney to take
care OF their interests, mentioned the
ordinance as one of the matters Dickinson
was supposed to adjust. One Of the jurors
asked:
WAS he supposed to look after the
ordinance to prevent pool-selllng down.
town."
The witness replied in the affirmative,
saying that he understood the attorney
was to look after all matters threatening
to obstruct the business in which the pool
sellers were engaged.
"Then, why" said a juror, "shoul9 he
not oppose the Wagner ordinance, which
abolishes poolsslling at the track"
The witness hardly knew what to say in
reply to this suggestion.
Roses recommendation that license of
$500 month should be imposed on pool
sellers was clear and direct. He was asked,
IN order to prevent misunderstanding if
he did not mean to say $500 quarter.
Replying, he said: mo, mean what l
say-$500a month"
In THE CALLS report of Mondays pro-
ceedings, Samuel Whitehead was spoken
of as Charles Whitehead. He testified
that he had rented his premises to Mr..
Driscoll, and had no personal knowledge
whatever as to what Mr.. Driscoll had done
in the matter of paying an attorney.
1t is now obvious to members of the
Grand Jury that John Curtin, the we'll
known detective, should have been called
first in the matter of Langdon's payment
of money to Gallagher. The fact would
then have been developed that Lillien-
that's man Waters was called in ultimately
to Get the permit for Langdon to make
alterations in the building at Stockton
street Waters and Lillienthal have not
yet testified before the Grand Jury.
Langdon was in the liquor business be-
fore he came to this City from Chicago,
and did not want to limit his independ-
ence by placing himself under particular
obligation to any wholesale liquor firm,
but he found San Francisco conditions
such that powerful influence was required
to break the blockade in the Board of
Supervisors, SO he appealed to Lillienthal
d Co. Tor assistance. Mr.. Waters, the out
side man of the firm, was detailed to take
the matter in hand, and it is said that he
ultimately secured from the Supervisors
the desired privilege.
mThe connection OF Lillienthal e. Co. with
the proceedings was not disclosed to the
Grand Jury until John Curtin gave his
testimony last Monday. 1t seems from
these incidents now coming to light that
Langdon had more trouble than q little.
Supervisor Taylor was one of the first of
the board to suspect something out of the
usual line of obstruction. When he got
his facts together he went after his fellow
Supervisors in sledge-hammer style, de-
manding to know why this permit was re-
fused to man who proposed to make
needed improvement and engage in a
business enterprise. So much publicity
was gwen the matter that the permit was
granted.
1t is understood that Judge Sanderson is
now anxious that the present Grand Jury
snail conclude its work and report to him
tive days before the LIST of January, so that
during his term as Presiding Judge of the
Superior Court he can impacel two
Grand Jurlcs. When this jury was i'm
paneled he said to the members that he
would expect them to conclude their in
vestigations by the middle of October.
When that time arrived he expressed sat-
lsfactlon with their work and told them to
proceed further. Now he wants the jury
to finish its work as soon as possible with
out detrlment to the public interest so that
he can impanel another Grand Jury be-
fore his successor, Judge Slack, becomes
the Presiding Judge.