The herald., 1895-02-18
COL0NELS BERRY AND CRANE
An Ex=San Diegan Defends a Former
C0mpatriOt
Colonel Cranes Fitness to Be a Sanitary
Inspector EiOqnently Set Forth.
Facts in the Case

1 Colonel John r. Berry, formerly of San
! DIEGO, but now of this city, sends the
( following statement TO The Herald
/ "ro ihe Editor OF The Herald:-
With your kind permission will say q
word i'm regard TO an article which APP
/ peared ln your paper yesterday, retlectiug
upon the character of Colonel l.. p. Crane,
wao mas been appointed by Mayor RAIDER
0sanitary INSPECTOR
~ happen to know of the career of
Colonel Crane since he came to California,
and have some very reliable Information
I'm regard TO those certain transactions in
Chicago with which he is alleged to have
had compromising connection. At the
4 lime Colonel Crane came to San Diego,
and during much OF The time that he re
sided i'm Lower California, | was editor
and one OF the publishers of the San
Diego Union, and in that capacity | was
t0lelabY familiar with the career of those
Americans who were unfortunate enough
TO invest their money in Lower California
lands Among these was Colonel Crane.
lie came To san Diego very sick man.
On recovering his health he was in
duced to invest in Lower Calfor-
mia land by the glowing representa-
lions OF the international Company which
WA then exploiting the northern end of
that peninsula. Colonel Crane stayed
wish that Investment as long as there was
~ TlltAiM bl Il illlt VI ItulILllE HnNIllnR
iron lt, but he was finally compelled to
abunion it. and return to the United
States. I ann satisfied that there is moth
ing IN connection with his career in
Lower California that is more blamewor-
thy than the mere fact of business mis-
calculation in making an investment. In
that misfortune he was not alone, nor can
amy reasonable man say that on account
of il he is TO be condemned. Under the
adverse business conditions OF the last
decade many OF the bost and most enter
prising business men of this as well as
other parts OF the country have found the
eide of adversely too strong to pull against,
and have been compelled to succumb to
the inevitable.
I'm regard to the alleged crooked trans
actions in Chicago, | have seeu and read
letters from the officers of the courts in
which these were iudicially investi-
gated, especially acquitting Colonel Crane
OF any and all improper connection with
them / have also seen and read the very
strongest testimonials to the integrity of
Colonel Crane, from the most prominent
business men of Chicago In addition to
this J learned enough about the facts
to be convinced that Colonel Crane volun-
tarily chose to make martyr of himself
and to rest under unjust and unwarranted
imputations rather than to go back upon
unfortunate friends
~ have not seen Colonel Crane since
the article you printed yesterday appeared.
write this without his knowledge, and |
ann not sure that he would approve of my
doing it if | were to ask his permission
to write il, because the same spirit that
has moved him to be a willing sacrifice
for others in the past will probably still
incline him to suffer in silence rather
than make the defense that | know it is
clearly within his power to make"