The San Francisco call., 1895-07-19
The Police Will Look After the
RaScalS in the New City
Hall.
AN END TO THEIR SWINDLEs.
Complaints Made From Many De-
partments Regarding the
Fleeced Ones.

their original style of swlDdllng strangers
caused quite stir in Police Court corri-
dors yesterday, as we'll as in the courts
and other departments, too, The exposure
was timely-even more than timely-and
the officials were unit in declaring that
they were pleased to see it. They, too,
had become tired of the way affairs had
been running.
An investigation made by CALL re-
porter yesterday showed that the bunko-
man blight had not only affected the
Police courts, and the cases belonging
thereto, but that the evil extended
through the various other departments of
the municipal government which are situ-
ated in the big manor-house. 1t is some
thing which has been growing ever since
the Police Department and courts con-
nected with the same moved from the old
quarters at Washington and Kearny
streets. 1t was we'll known that the work
of getting STRAW bonds, or in fact any
kind of bonds, was carried on there by
three or four saloon men, who fattened on
the trade.
With the settlement of the courts and
police headquarters at the new City Hall,
however, there was a transformation in
the way of an amalgamation of underhand
industries. The men who before at the
new hall had frequented the corridors and
endeavored to become jurymen, or had
embraced, fguratively speaking, the unso-
phlsticated pilgrim seeking marriage
license or the means to become citizen,
Joined forces with the wolves OF Merchant
street and Dunbar alley when they fol-
lowed the removal of the Police courts and
u 20 fha hall
1t is in connection with the work OF the
Police courts that most of the crooked pro-
ceedines are done. The culpable parties
are men who have for years made their
living through preying upon the unfortu-
mates who play their petty hand in the
game of vice which does not call for a
heavy sentence or a yawning of prison
gates.
Il have heard great deal of this corri-
dor work" said Police Judge Low, when
spoken to about the matter yesterday,
''and l think it requires strict investiga-
ton. All that / can do to stop it | will do.
Every day people come to me and say they
have paid money to fix such and such a
case Why only yesterday there was a
woman told me that she had given $40 to
man who said he was Judge Low. l told
her was the Judge, and she was even in
clined TO dispute it until she was abso-
lutely convinced to the contrary. 1t has
been the same all along the line. l know,
as far as the Police Court Judges are con-
cerned. Who are these fellows? Well, l
wish l knew. l do know this, that many
of them are old politicians who are now
out of the political ring, and having moth
ing else to do, lounge around and rope IN
suckers, as they cali their work. [ only
wish a few arrests were made, and woald
give them the full penalty for vagrancv.
They are nothing more than vagrants, and
should not be allowed to roam around
loose and deceive people the way they do. F."
Police Judge Conlan spoke in the same
strain regarding the corridor workers. He
recalled his own experience as prosecuting
attorney of the Police Court, and said
that he knew there was clique of men en-
gagged in no other business for they could
work in no other business outside of prison
walls) than bleeding" the minor criminal
or his or her relatives for all that was
possible.
Each morning before the Police courts
open the City Hall corridors are crowded
with these human sharks. They have
made themselves acquainted with each
case that is coming up in the Police
courts, and they lie around for the rela-
tives or friends of the person who is
in trouble. Sometimes they travel in
pairs, and a brother or sister who
has come down to do all that is possible
for the accused party is introduced to a
bogus Judge or attorney and with the un-
$50, or even more sometimes is given up.
When the case is called in court the
yielder of the coin is surprised to find that
the Judge or prosecuting attorney Is an
other man altogether. These are only
everyday cases, however.
The evil of the mob of "grafters, -
"macers," or whatever they may be
II f,,r+ nhnc
on every department. of the City govern
ment when there is a chance for per-
quisite.
1--WE have complaints every day." said
genial Harry Piper, who is County Clerk
Curry's chief assistant. "Some one comes
up to the marriage license Office and wants
matrimonial diploma, and when the
usual 81 fee is called for they say that
they fixed that with somebody in the hall,
who said he had a pull on the County
Clerk. When we say that we do not do
business that way they become indignant
until they are convinced that our Office has
nothing to do with their outside transac-
tions. That gang of workers should be
cleaned out of the hall. They are nothing
more nor less than petty larceny thieves"
License Collector Lees Is another official
who has decided objection to the mob
that gathers daily in the Police Court cor
ridor of the City Hall. The eagle-eyed
mem bers of the mob hang around the en-
trance next to his Office and many are the
complaints which are made to him that
outsiders have received money in consider
alton of their receiving free dog license.
OF course they do not get it.
Chief Crowley, when spoken to about
the matter, said that he had heard of it
through reports that had been made. He
had already taken steps to check it, and
had ordered Captain Douglass to see that
corridors were kept free from the bad
characters who fingered around waiting to
give strangers the ''glad hand" while with
the other they reached for what they
thought the victim had in his pocket.
There is one thing in connection with the
crowd if the police go after them in a
thorough manner-they are all well
known. AS Judge Low remarked, ear
rest them for vagrancy." If they have a
"puIl," in the wave of feeling against them
it may not be sufficient to keep them out
of Jail for at least a few months. At any
rate the visitor to the City Hall will feel
much relieved if upon his entrance he is
not met by a smooth-tongued glib man
who insists upon knowing why he came
there, etc.
Mass-Meeting at San Jose.
The Board of Trade of San Jose is making en-
thusiastic preparations for the mass-meeting
OF the Manu- facturers' and Producers Associa-