The San Francisco call., 1896-03-27
CHARGE OF CORRUPTION
Mrs. Rose M. French Makes an
Accusation Against a Pc.
lice Official.
a PLOT TO TRADUCE HER.
DR.. Ollie Is Interested in the Case,
and Will Present It to the
Chief.
a PLOT TO TRADUCE HER.

Serious charges against prominent
police official will be preferred by Mrs.
Rose NJ French when Chief Crowley re-
turns.
The charges will give the details of an
alleged plot whereby the accused official
designed to so change the evidence against
Captain Lane as to secure his acquittal
This was for the primary purpose of
bringing about the aged mans re-
lease, but the secondary motive,
it is claimed, was to throw suspicion upon
Mrs. French's probity. She also claims
that an officer of the Society for the Pre-
venton of Cruelty to Children is impl1-
Gated in the plot.
The lady's charges will be corroborated
by a woman who is said to have been en-
ployed for the double purpose mentioned
and by two members of the police fe<ce.
The woman who will give corroborative
testimony, Mrs. Wilson, says that she
was assigned the task of weaving a web of
damaging evidence to show that Mrs.
French had sold out the prosecution in
the North Beach case. 1t will be remem-
bered that Mrs. French was in the en-
ploy of the Police Department as
a special aid in securing testimony
for the prosecution in those cases. 1t
was her duty to get the statements of the
children and to prevent their being inter-
viewed by others. An effort was made by
an officer of the Humane Society to de-
prive her of this custody, with the result
that he received severe reprimand from
Chief Crowley.
Soon after this occurrence, the state
ment goes, the accused official engaged
the Wilson woman 10 make Mrs. French's s
acquaintance, if possible, and to be seen
with her in public, especially at court.
Later she would be called upon to testify
that she and Mrs. French were acting
in collusion for the suppression of evidence
for the prosecution, for which they were
to receive large sum of money. The first
step in the plot was the meeting between
the two women, which was to take place
in corridor of the City Hail. Mrs. Will
son was to accost Mrs French and engage
her in conversation on some pretext as long
as possible, and while she was thus engaged
Chief Crowley's attention was to be called
to the meeting. This encounter was to
give color to the story the women would
tell later. Chief Crowley was not in his
Office at the time, but one of his repre-
sentatives was summoned and the ques-
ton raised as to what was the occasion for
their protracted conversation.
Unfortunately for the plot the woman 8
courage failed. She hovered near Mrs.
French like bird of i'll omen, but did not
speak to her. When she was summoned
to appear before the prime mover
in the plot and gave her report
he said it did not signify whether
she had spoken to her or not,
SO long as the purpose of her being seen
within talking distance was accomplished.
She was provided with a. list of questions
and answers in reference to the plan to
"sell out the prosecution" and instructed
to memorize them, which she did.
She was not called upon for this evil
dence, presumably because a well-known
attorney pronounced it game and refused
to connive in it.
Mrs. French learned of the plot by accI-
dent few days ago, and secured the
woman's statement in the presence of two
competent witnesses. She expects to pro-
duce the witness in person for the little
court-martial it is expected will be held in
the Chiefs office.
DR.. Ollie, an active member of the Civic
Federation, is interested in the case, and
n cicti - ;oe