The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08
Efforts to Establish the Identity
Of the Solid Fights
Broker.
GRAND JURY DISCLOSURES.
Facts About the Payment to Martin
Gallagher of SIPS for a Permit
From Supervisors.

The session of the Grand Jury next Mon
day promises to be highly important. 1t
is known that some witnesses held in re-
serve will be called, and testimony may be
produced to establish beyond the shadow
of doubt the identity of the Solid Fights
agent.
1t is possible that Martin Gallagher, who
received $125 from Langdon, as disclosed
in the testimony of the latter last Friday,
may have figured in other transactions,
but he is not accredited with the sagacity
required for the management OF important
legislation. According to the testimony
the money which be got from Langdon
was returned, which was an exhibition OF
weakness that an out and out boodier can
never tolerate.
At the session of the Grand Jury last
Monday night, John D. Spreckels gave the
information which led to the investiga-
ton of the pawn ent of money by Langdon
for a special privilege. Mr.. Spreckels
received a hint that John w. Bourdette
knew that money had been paid for spe-
cial privilege. Shortly afterward Spreck-
els and Bourdette met and the former re-
quested the latter to make known the facts
in the transaction. 1t is understood that
Mr.. Spreckels agreed to give Detective Cur
tin point or two on another matter, II
Langton and Bourdette would tell what
they knew concerning the suspected brib
cry of Supervisor.
The statement which Mr.. Spreckels made
to the jury in relating conversation with
Bourdette, which was then fresh in his
mind was to the effect that Langdon told
Bourdette that he Langdon) had to pay
d a. 80 ~, t{n~n
ton in a building on Stockton street.
Hearing this from his client Mr.. Bour-
dette, the lawyer, went to Supervisor Dun
ker and said that the money must be re-
turned.
1t appears that Dunno & Co., who keep
a saloon in the neighborhooC, did not want
Langdon's opposition, and accordingly set
about to prevent Langdon from getting
permit to put in wooden partition. The
privilege was tied up for several days, and
then Langdon put up $125, which was sub
sequently returned.
In his testimony before the Grand Jury
last Friday Mr.. Boufdette says he did not
connect Supervisor bunker with the trans
action. In an interview yesterday he
said:
"Langdon wanted to open place on
Stockton street and was about to make
some alterations in a wooden building
when he encountered the opposition OF
Dunno & Co., who keep saloon near by.
| found that he was entitled under the
law to permit from the supervisors to
make the oranges provided the alterations
did not increase the risk of fire. As the
building was of wood the proposed wooden
partition would not increase the danger,
and SO / advised him. He told me then as
an incident that he had to put up $l25 for
the privilege. He did not say to whom or
| for whom the money was paid"
ftn of hn a
| Friday Langdon said be paid the money
! $l25-to Martin Gallagher, and had since
received that amount in return.
The Grand Jury will call Martin Gala
| CHER as a witness next Monday, and may
| succeed in getting more information on
| the subject.
| 1t is gratifying for the jurors to observe,
| as a result of their Investigations, that
! money paid to boodlers for the ostensible
purpose of fixing the Board of Supervisors
| is being returned. 1t is also noted with
| satisfaction that the character of street.
work is greatly improved. Some bad jobs
which would have been accepted If the
Grand Jury had not interviewed have been
torn up Better work is being done, and
material called for by the specifications is
being used.
1t is lust possible that the booksellers
will conclude that contribution Of $500
| month is too much to pay for legal SER
vices" when no cases are on the court
| calendar and no litigation is anticipated.
| Langdon refuses absolutely to talk. He
admits that money was given by him to
| Contractor Gallagher, and that he got it
| back, and that the money was to hasten
| the work, but he refuses to say anything
| more.
II don't intend to say anything" he
said. This is an affair OF my own. and
don't wish to be quoted. It's of no public
| interest, anyhow"
| Mr.. Groom. the secretary of the Grand
Jury, SAYS that none Of the testimony
| given Friday tended to inculpate Super
visor bunker. Mr.. Langdon, he declares,
did not mention Mr.. Dunker's name.
"Langdon told about the work he was
| having DONE" said Mr.. Groom Yesterday,
'.and said that the contractor, Mr.. Gala
! CHER, had come to him and said he was
afraid that the work might be stopped by
| the Fire Marshal. He thought that it
would require SIPS to keep the work going.
This Langdon says he demurred to paying,
but finally handed over.
| 1.-The work kept on and after three or
| four days Langdon said Gallagher returned
| him the SIPS, saying he could not use it.
And then, two days later, two days after the
| money had been returned to him by Gal
| lagher, the Fire Marshal stopped the work.
"Langdon then told about seeing -Bour-
dette. He said the lawyer advised him
| Ln6J ne cOulO not De stopped auu toiu Hill
| to keep right on as when the fire risk was
not increased the Fire Marshal had no
voice, he said. Mr.. Bourdette saw the
proper officials and the work was COM
! pleted.
you see," Mr.. Groom added, LANG
! don didn't say WORD about where the
money was to go. He gave it to the con-
| tractor and the contractor gave it back be-
! fore the work was stopped.
"And Bourdette did not claim that any
money had been given to bunker either.
He told how he became interested In the
case, and then said that after he had found
| the decisions he went to see the Fire Mar
| shall and met Mr.. bunker.
ITO Mr.. bunker he said that somebody
had taken $125 from Langdon to insure
| the latter from interference in altering his
| building. He then advised the Supervisor
that the money had better be returned.
"But all this time the money had been
given back to Mr.. Langdon. So Mr.. Dun
ker was not affected in any way, and, be-
sides, Mr.. Bourdette did not claim that the
| money was returned after he had seen Mr..
Bunker"
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