The San Francisco call., 1896-03-28
OFFICER ROURKE'S NERVES
Rest and a Quiet Beat Prescribed
for Them by Chief
Crowley.
His Services Highly Commended by
Captain Lees-Mrs. French Was
Very Angry Indeed.

Captain Lees yesterday investigated the
item published in yesterday mornings
CALL to the effect that Mrs. Rose NJ.
French intended to bring cha ges against
prominent police official and an officer
of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children for having attempted to dis
credit Mrs. French's efforts on behalf of
the prosecution in the case against Cap
tain Lane and for having obstructed the
prosecution in its efforts to secure a con-
viction.
Captain Lees said that the affair had
been satisfactorily explained. Carroll
Cook had called upon him and told of a
visit made to his Office by a woman named
Wilson. She was stranger to the lawJ er
and suggested to him that she would in
terview the children who were to appear
in court as the complaining witnesses, and
If they should tell different story on the
stand she would contradict 1t under oath.
Mr.. Cook had called his clerk to overhear
the interview in case that there might be
a sinister plot behind the woman.
Cook at once hunted up Policeman
Rourke and told him what had happened.
When the woman was described to Rourke
he said that be had seen her in conversa-
ton with Mrs. French, and the revelation
made to him by the lawyer caused MIN to
against him.
Captain Lees added that he was con-
vinced that Rourke was an honest, faith
full and industrious officer and that Mrs.
French was an honest, well-meaning
woman. There was no suspicion in the
minds of the police authorities that either
of them had neglected the duty with
which they had been intrusted.
The captain was asked why Rourke had
been removed from his old downtown
beat to one in lonely part of Hayes VAL
ley, and he replied that the officer had
oyerworked himself on the Lane case by
hunting for evidence and following up
clews day and night III consequence of
which his nervous system had been shat
tered. 1t was he who had discovered and
reported the first evidence against Lane.
In order to allow Mr.. Rourke all the op-
portu nifty possible to work up the case
Officer Graney was transferred from Hayes
Valley to Clay and Washington streets,
from Kearny to Battery, the beat patroled
by Rourke, while Rourke and Detective
Byram were detailed TO look after the Lane
case.
With Lanes acquittal Rourke's detail
ceased and Chief of Police Crowley, desr-
ing to give him a chance 10 recuperate
from his arduous labors, requested Captain
Whitman to give him quiet beat, and
Rourke was sent to Graney's beat in
Hayes Nalley, Where there are no drunkS
or toughs or he llthy beggers, and where
the midnight song of the homeless dog
might soothe his shattered nerves.
Mr. Rourke declined to be interviewed
on the matter. He said that what he had
to say had been told by him to Captain
Lees, and that he (Rourke) desired to have
the subject dropped. When asked as to
the condition of his nerves he replied that
they were all right.
Mrs. French was in a non-communica-
tive mood, and was very angry because
The CALL had published the story. She
fatty refused TO talk any further.