The San Francisco call., 1896-01-25
An Expert Appointed to Ex-
anime the County Clerks
Office.
INDICTMENT OF PETER F. LANE.
Testimony of Two Girls That Were
Long Kept Out of Sight of
the Police.

The session of the Grand Jury yesterday
afternoon was prolonged until o'clock.
Several extended conferences were held
with Assistant District Attorney Hosmer,
and the information was given cut that
the Grand Jury is getting ready for i'm
portant business.
On the testimony Of two little girls
Lizzie Desmond and Emma Marchand-
Peter f. Lane was indicted for an attempt
to commit a grievous assault on the Des-
mond girl. The Indictment was presented
in Judge Slack's court by seventeen of the
jurors. On motion of District Attorney
Barnes the bail of Lane was fixed at
$4,000.
According to the statement of Sergeant
Rourke the girls who were examined as
witnesses yesterday were kept out of sight
at the time Lane and his associates were
arrested, and were not found until few
days ago. 1t is supposed that influences
friendly to Lane induced some one to
conceal the whereabouts of the girls.
Among the witnesses called yesterday
were Oliver Eldridge and ]. j. Groom,
foreman and secretary respectively of the
Grand Jury which adjourned sine die De-
cember "a last. They were called to rem
der whatever assistance they could In an
Clerks office, which is about to be insti-
tuted. The Jury particularly desired the
experts report on this Office, but the fact
was disclosed that the late Grand Jury did
not pursue the investigation of the County
Clerk office beyond an examination of the
amounts secured for inheritance tax.
All the expert reports made to the last
Grand Jury were presented to the present
one by Mr.. Eldridge.
The Grand Jury committee on County
Clerk and Justices clerk consists of G. S.
Laumeister, j. J. O'Farrell and Alpheus
Bull Jr. For some days they have been
making inquiry regarding notary certifi-
Gates. The investigation proper was begun
by the entire jury yesterday afternoon.
The first witness called was L. G. Carpen-
ter OF the Evening Post, who has been
diligently pursuing the subject since last
July. He was inside for long time, and
told from the beginning the story of the
discrepancies in the return of money re-
ceived on account of notary certificates
from month TO month. He answered all
inquiries propounded to him and was i'm
pressed with the belief that the Grand
Jury comprehended the case.
When Mr.. Carpenter was excused, II. f.
Morris of the County Clerks office, who
was recently suspended, pending the in
vestigation, was called to the door by Mr..
Laumeister. A short barley ensued. 1t
was uHQeTSLOOu IHdI MOTIFS was Wiling TO
testify if the Grand Jury so desired. The
hour being late he was not called in.
Among the spectators in the anteroom
was Harry Piper chief deputy of the
County Clerk.
The jury deliberated for half hour, and
appointed t. E. Atkinson to make an ex-
pert examination of the County Clerk S
office.
Ennco Cano, after patiently waiting for
three months, managed TO get hearing
before the Grand Jury Yesterday. He sus-
poets that a number OF jewelers. have con-
spired to ruin him IN business, and fancies
that rich men influence leading lawyers to
have nothing to do with his case. He
fancies also that the Bulletin was induced
to publish his own picture to embellish a
graphic history of Jake Rudolph's career
as a lamb.
Judge A. B. Treadwell was on duty
again with twelve Italian witnesses. He
wants only eleven people indicted for as
saulting his client, Martini, and claimed
that the jury, pleading pressure of bust
ness, declined to hear his case, yet heard
Cano, who wanted 200 men indicted.