The San Francisco call., 1896-05-15
The Saloon-Keeper Declares to
Lees That He Has No Back
Rooms.
VISIT OF DISCOVERY
Sworn Statements of Notary Justin
Gates and DR.. Peel as to Her.
bert's Story.

the $50 gold piece which he says he left
with Saloon-keeper Hesse as a means OF
quickening the interest OF certain detec-
tives in its recovery caused an interesting g
and exciting day at the police headquar-
tiers yesterday.
Captain Lees, who pledges his faith in
Detectives Bee and Harper, did a lot of in
terviewing and developed conflicting
direction of the wind.
Detective Bee is away on q vacation, but
Detective Harper submitted that he did not
know Saloon-keeper Hesse, never was in
his saloon and certainly never received
any money from him for looking out for
Herbert's watch, or for any other purpose.
Harry Herbert denied the essential
points of his story OF the day before with
regard to the $50 piece; declared he never
gave Hesse any money at all, but that
Hesse had told him that he knew Bee and
Harper and Lees personally and would
speak to them about his (Herbert's) case.
Then Hesse took his turn, and decla ed
point blank that he did not even know
Bee or Harper, had never seen Harper in
his life previous to that morning and that
neither of them had ever been in his sa-
lOOI. as lOT OdCh TOOulS, IneTe was not q
back room to his saloon.
All of this was very interesting, not to
say confusing, to the several parties to the
controversy. While Hesse was repudi-
atng acquaintance with the detectives,
Herbert, as he afterward confessed. stood
in amaZement, and then Herbert himself.
while repudIating the $50 story of the
night before, furnished his share of enter
tainment TO the newspaper men present
Captain Lees sent Sergeant Colby to
Hesse's saloon to look into the question
OF the back room. Hesse was not in at the
time, and his barkeeper was busy explain
ing TO the sergeant that there was no back
room, when CALL reporter opened door
in the rear of the saloon and revealed
back room.
Now it should be stated just here as dis
t1nctly as may be in the midst of all this
confusion that there is no evidence what
ever of any wrongdoing on the part of
Detectives Fee or Harper or any other of
Captain Lees force, except the unsup-
ported statement OF aloon-keeper Hesse,
as given yesterday. THE CALL is far from
being disposed to give that statement any
more weight than belongs to it, as coming
from man who confessed to offering the
detectives money, himself believing the
offer to be in the nature of bribe. Nor.
be it kept in mind, does he even saw that
he offered the $50 referred to to any de-
the $50 from Herbert with the purpose of
giving it to Bee and Harper-and adds
that he has not since seen either of them
Mr.. Hesse's statements and counter
statements are so sweeping that they en-
barrass him. He says much, and is will
ing to swear that he said nothing. This
does more than bring upon him suspicion.
He says that Herbert gave him $40, and
denies that he said it. He saws that he
was accustomed TO invite detectives into
the back room of his saloon, and not onlv
denies that he said it but declares that he
has no back room. Now, that was the
step too far; that is ''the lie with circum-
stance" He has back room.
Captain Lees was greatly wrought ND
over the matter yesterday. as he had a
right to be. He did not believe that his
officers were guilty of wrongdoing. "If
| did, he said yesterday, ''if Hesse's state
| ments were corroborated in any wav, the
| officers referred to would be under suspen-
| sion at this moment. But L have known
these men long time. They have been
serving with me for twenty years; they
bear an uninterrupted record for probity:
they do not drink; they do not frequent
saloons; / never heard of either of them
going into saloon.
"That reputation cannot be overturned
by the off-hand allegations of voluble
saloon-keeper, who perhaps wants to make
| itappear that he knows something and who,
called upon to reiterate his statement to
me, denies it. This matter may be brought
before the Police Commission, and these
men will be required to make good their
statements or explain why they thus
lightly attack men of good standing,
Harper and Bee have regulations to lose."
Seen shortly after his interview with
Captain Lees, Harry Herbert said to a
CALL reporter: 81 denied the statements I
made to you about having given Hesse
$40 because, as / told you last night. I
don't want to get him into trouble. /
have business relations with him all the
time and do not wish to disturb them,
They tell me that l have simply been
'fimned' out of the $50. Well, perhaps.
l can't help it."
But Captain Lees was somewhat dis
posed to doubt the truth of THE CALLS re-
port of the several interviews published
yesterday. That is to say, he was rather
disposed to give credence to the denials
OF Saloon-keeper Hesse and of Harry Her
bert. Now, here are some affidavits in
line with The CALLS report. Notary JUS
tin Gates was present when Harry Herbert
talked over the affair with the reporter,
when he (Herbert) explained why he
lated, leaving out the name of Hesse in or
der not to get him tHesse) into trouble.
Following is an affidavit of the notary:
SAN FRANCISCO, May IA, 1896.
!, Justin Gates, Notary Public, swore Harry
Herbert to an affidavit on the night of May I3,
1896. The affidavit was signed by Mr.. Herbert
and myself with my official seal, and which
was published in THE CALL of this date is
correct. In addition to the statements made
in the said affidavit of Mr. Herbert the latter
spoke very frankly and openly regarding the
fact that he had paid Saloon-keeper Hesse $50
to be turned over to Detectives Bee and Harper
to spur them on in their efforts to recover the
watch which he claims was stolen from his
room on Hyde street last Sunday night The
affidavit was signed and sealed in my pres
ence and that of three witnesses, immediately
outside of the Hyde-street house in which Mr.
Harry Herbert lived.
(Signed) JUSTIN GATES.
Subscribed and sworn to before me this 18th
day of Nay, 1896.
NE w. SMITH,
Notary Puplic in and for the City and County
of San Francisco, State of California.
Here is an affidavit of DR.. M. C. Peel a
friend of Harry Herbert, to whom he told
his story.
SAN FRANCISCO, May A, 1896.
I'M. c. Peel, make all affidavit TO the facts
here appended: On the 18th of May 1896
Harry Herbert told me that his watch and
some money had been stolen from his room on
Hyde street during the night of last Sunday