The San Francisco call., 1896-11-14
GRAND JURY At TER
ABANDONED TRACKS
Determined That Disused
Rails Shall Be
Removed.
This Measure to Be Enforced
Under Pain of Forfeiture
OF Franchise.
JUDGE CAMPBELL INDICATED
Active Committee Work to Prepare
for the Final Report on De-
cember I.
JUDGE CAMPBELL INDICATED

The Grand Jury yesterday afternoon in.
yestigatei the charges pr cferred against
Police Judge Campbell and exonerated
him. 1t vas charged by A. L. Burrough,
Terrence Pagan and William Miller that
the Judge permitted his political aspira-
tions to influence his course as judicial
officer. The essential point of the COM
plant was that warrant for l.. II.
CoEen's arrest was not served until after
election, although it was sworn out some
time before election day. The complain
ants were heard by the jury and then
Judge Campbell was called in. He con-
vinced the mem bers of the Grand jury
th at the warrant was not sworn out on q
square proposition, and offered to produce
a witness to prove that an offer had been
made by his accusers to settle the case
with Cohen for $6S. which the latter de-
clined to pay.
In speaking of the exoneration, Fred
erick Hobbs, foreman, said it was fully
merited. The fact was taken into consid-
era tion that the Judg had sometimes as
ma ny as one hundred cases a day TO dis
pose OF. In this particular case it was
shown that the warrant was issued a Sec
ond time, that Cohen surrendered him
self, and when the case was called no one
appeared to prosecute him.
Police Judge Conlan may be called be-
lore the jury next Tuesday to explain some
remarkable delay in the case of the People
VS.. Nathan. Attorney Loweuthal has the
case in hand for his client Mr.. Lubbock.
Early in October Lubbock was hit on the
head with revolver. His assailant was
arrested, but the case has been postponed
so often in Judge Conlan's court that the
attention of the Grand Jury has been di-
rected to tue delay.
The Grand Jury expected yesterday aft
ernoon to receive a visit from the Super
vlsors constituting the Street Committee.
1t is the purpose OF he jury to make some
inquiry regarding the condition of the
streets and, therefore, a conference with
the Supervisors was sought.
ID. L. Creswell, City and County At
torney appeared before the Grand jury at
the request OF that body. The subject of
the interview related to non-u used railroad
tracks on the public streets. On many of
the abandoned horsecar lines in this City
the old rails remain to obstruct travel and
dishgure the streets. Obviously the cor
p ralions fancy that franchise may be
perpetuated or some other rights pre-
served by keeping rails on the unused
tracks. The Grand Jury evidently intends
that the rails of abandoned roads shall be
removed. In regard 10 The forfeiture of
franchises for non-use of roads, Attorney
Creswell advised the jury that judicial
proceedings would be required. The Grand
Jury may have entertained the notion that
the Supervisors, having thority to grant
or sell franchise, could revoke the grant
or sale al their pleasure.
There will be special meeting of the
Grand Jury next Wednesday evening to
consider this subject and other matters
pertaining to the public streets.
The committees of the jury have been
very active during the past week. Much
material has already been collected fer the
final report, which Will probably be sub
mitted 20 Presiding Judge Slack as early
as December /. Robert Ha.ht William
Z. Mau and George Jones have visited the
20 ice Department, police patrol and City
Prison; w. l.. Ashe, Harry W. Goodall
and +. P. Farnsworth recently paid visit
to Golden Gate Park; Z. P. Farnsworth.
w. l.. Ashe and d. B. Faktor have taken
observations concerning the management
of the Fire Department; H. S. Hagan. ].
Ross Jackson and E. p. Farnsworth will
have something to say in the report
touching the manner OF conducting the
public schools.