The San Francisco call., 1897-03-13
THAT COYOTE
CLAIMS BILL
Ridiculous Rumors as to
Bribery Circulate at the
Capital.
Men Who Voted for the Meas
ure Are Above Such an
Unjust Suspicion.
Guy Explains That the Beard of Ex'
aminers Has Power to Prevent
Any Fraud.

coyote claims bill came up in the Assem-
bly, this morning for reconsi ieration, but
a reconsideration was refused.
Wright of Alameda said that he voted
yesterday in favor of the passage OF the
bill, 'bur," he added, 81 tel you frankly
that was never so anxious to get out OF
anything in my life as | am to get out OF
this this morning. My reasons are largely
contained in the report of the State Board
of Examiners, which | hold in my hand,
and which is the original report, not
copy"
Wright read several rows of figures from
the report, and stated that he had been
informed that under the provisions OF the
bill the Board OF Exsmlners would not
have time to make sufficient inquiry into
the claims, so that the illegal and fraudu-
lent ones might be segregated. From
Kern County alone there had been sent
coyote scalps in such enormous quantities
that if there had been that number of
coyotes IN that county they would have
devoured everything in the county, in
cIuding The inhabitants thereof, and then
would have been obliged to have eaten
one another in order to keep from slarv-
ing. In addition to those matters he had
heard so many rumors of bribery in con-
nection with The bill that he coulu no
longer give it his support.
Rumors of bribery in connection with
the adoption of the coyote scalp bill are
rife around the Capitol bullding, and all
because of an injudicious remark OF
Wright of Alameda to the effect that he
had heard from rumor that SIS apiece was
paid for some of the votes in favor OF pay
ing the claims. An examination OF the
vote as recorded will show that there is
no truth in the rumor, for the Assem- bly,
men who voted in favor of the measure
are above such an unworthy suspicion.
The vote was as follows:
Ayes-Allen. Arnerich. Austin. Bel
shaw, Bettman; Boone, Breilins, brldg-
ford, Burnett, Burnham. Caminefti, Cut
ter, Dennery, Dibbe, Dolan, Emmons,
Gately, Godfrey, Goff, Goodhue, Guy.
Henry, Houghton. Hudson. Jones,
Keabies, Kelly, Kelsey, Lacy, Landsbor-
ourg. Mahoney, Malcolm. Mulcrevy. Nc
Clellan. McGrath. Pohmann. Power of
San Francisco, Price, RubelI, Ryan, Sims,
Seward. StanzeiI, Strain, Toland, Way
mire, Wrignt-47.
Noes-AIdridse, Canavan, Chynoweth,
| Clarke, Damon. Dryden, Enn S. Foreman,
Harris, Hill, Keesan, Leavitt, Linden
berger, North OF Alameda, Norih OF Yolo.
Power of Placer, SANFORD, Shanahan,
Treacy. Valentine, Coon bs-2L.
The bill confers upon the State Board OF
Examiners such powers as are needed for
intelligent action III he matter. 1t is
Assem- bly, bill 410 introduced by Guy of
San Diego and viii in all probability be
approved by the Governor, as it gives the
Governor and the two other members OF
the board full authority to discriminate
against illegal and fraudulent claims.
Those who know Guy know that he
would not introduce bill to countenance
fraud in any manner. The bill itself
gives the lie to all the rumors of fraud
or bribery. 1t provides that ali persons
having claims against the State for COYOTES
killed pursuant to the law, shall present
those ella ms to the State Board OF Ex-
aminers for approval and allowance within
| three mon his after the approval OF the
act. The Board of Examiners or any
mem ber thereof, or its expert, are given
full power and authority TO compel the
attendance of persons and papers for ex
animation. The bill empowers the board
to administer oaths and to punish wit
nesses for perjury. Two hundred and
| eighty-seven thousand dollars, or so much
thereof a may be necessary, is appro-
priated to pay the claims allowed by the
Board OF Examiners under the provisions
of this act.
Those claims have been before the Ex.
aminers for more than two years past.
Evidence taken by the board was 10 the
! effect that frauds had been conf mitted in
| Kern and other counties, and that coyote
scalps had been shipped from Mexico,
Arizona and some of the Western States
to more than one county seat in Califor-
| MIA, and that public officials had been in
volved in the scandal. But under the law
| as it stood the board was powerless to seq
regate the false from the true, and Assem-
| bly, bill 410 was framed by Guy especially
for the purpose of enabling the Examiners
to reject all claims about which there
hung an odor of fraud and to allow the
legal ones.
Guy when interviewed by CALL COR
respondent this evening was indignant
over the rumors of bribery in connection
with his bill. People who are saying
that there has been bribery IN connection
with this bill don't know what they are
| talking about" said he. 1.-The Board of
Examiners approximated the amount suf-
| ficient to pay legitimate claims. Then
they requested the Attorney General to
prepare all act by which claimants would
be required to present their claims within
| three months after the passage of the act,
and the Board of Examiners would make
an investigation and approve of all claims
they might find TO be Legitimate. False
| testimony can be punished as perjury.
| The board may not use the whole sum Of
| SZo/,UUU, Dut only 50 mECQ t0eIe01 as may
be necessary to pay valid claims.
"As a representative OF people largely
| interested in those claims will not con-
sent to any further posrponemet of the
payment of the legitimate ones. The in
! iegrity of the great State OF California is
at stake in this matter and don't want
this State to set the example of repudia-
! ton of honest debts. Country merchants
| have furnished food and clothing and
| farming tools in exchange for those scalp
certificates furnished by the Boards OF
| Supervisors, and those business men
should not be kept out of their money any
longer. The old law authorizes Boards of
| Supervisors to examine the evidence
namely the coyote scaIps-and to issue
certificates therefor, and then 10 destroy
the evidence. The certificates. therefore,
issued bv the Supervisors are the only
evidence we have of the validity Of the
claims. But whenever the Examiners
| find that the person to whom the certifi-
cate was issued was guilty of fraud hey
| Will refuse to pay the claim"
| The amount OF the appropriation repre-
sents 81, ,523 dead coyotes. This is not an
improbable number when the great area
| of the coyote district of California is taken
] into consideration. But the proportion
| from the southern counties is beyond all
| reason, and it is in this direction that the
| attention of the State Board of Examiners
| will be focused.
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