The San Francisco call., 1897-04-17
THAT '96 ROLL
WAS NOT STUFFED
Result of the Inquiry by
the Grand Jury Into
Census Matters.
How Director Waller and Mar.
shall Wardell Jumped at
Conclusions.
The Indictment of Dr.. F. II. Stable
for Emb zzl ment Was Filed in
Court-Bail Fixed at $4,000

| we'll 8 court yesterday afternoon and pre-
sented an Indictment charging DR.. +. H.
Stable, ex-superintendent OF the City and
! County Hospital, with embeZZement. On
motion of Assistant District Attorney
! Hinkle bench warrant for the arrest of
! DR.. Stable was issued and the bail in the
case fixed q $1,000. The indictment voted
upon last Tuesday and presented 10 the
court yesterday is the outcome of the in
vestigation concerning DR.. Stables man
| agement of the hospital. The testimony
submitted to the Grand Jury was to the
| effect that DR.. Stable purchased expensive
| furniture to equip his quarters at the City
institution and then upon his removal
from office took away 10 his own residence
furniture which belonged to the City.
An investigation of a charge that the
school census roll of 1896 had been stuffed
was begun by the Grand jury yesterday
afternoon. The charges or insinuations
emanated from School Director Waller
and James Wardell. the present Census
| Marshal, out the investigation was de-
manded by W. W. Bausman, the Census
| Marshal from 1892 until 1896
Waller and other newly fledged mem
! bers OF the Board of Education join ed
| Wardell in a superficial inspection of the
| roll OF 1896 and jumped at the conclusion
| that II, 80 school children between the
ages Of 5 and II years could not have been
| actually enrolled. According to WardelPs
| testimony names obtained by sending out
| blanks to the schools and names obtained
directly by the deputies in the progress OF
canvassing were duplicated.
Considerable hubbub was made in the
| Board of Education and also in one of the
morning newspapers over this discovery,
| but when the Grand Jury sent, at Mr..
| Bausman's request, for the field block
| book, the comparison book and canvass
ing book of 1896, the sensation was quickly
| exploded. 1t was shown SO concluslveiy
that only additions had been made an d
| that no Implications had been entered,
that the Grand Jury at once decided that
the inquiry should be laid on the table
| until Marshal Wardeil completed the en-
rollment for 1897.
| Wardell presumably found the name Of
John Blanks family twice on the roll and
| Jump ped at the conclusion that there had
peen stutfing. Mr.. Bausman told the
| Grand Jury that it frequently happened
that Deputy Marshal would go to a
| house and get the names only of the chill
dren attending school. He would return
his list with two children accredited to
| Jonn Blanks residence, No. 1000, on
street So-and-so. In regular order John
Blank would get, through one OF his chill
dren attending school, the return blank
| sent to the schoolhouse, and would prob
ably enumerate TWO more children of the
family not attending school, or four in
all. In due course OF time, when the re-
turn blanks were classified and block ID
| for comparison, the deputy's report for
that block, street and nCmpe would be
compared with the return blank, and the
record would be corrected by adding two
children" to John Blank, 1000 street So
and-so.
The combined Wardell and Waller in
tellect was not equal to a comprehension
of such an accurate but sim pie method of
enumeration and therefore the cry OF
fraud was raised.
Wardell made a poor showing when
que, toned by the Grand Jury yeste rday.
The fact was brought out that he has
sixty-eight deputies TO assist him, whereas
Bausman had only forty-eight in 1896
According to the last registration and
vote of San Francisco, and in proportion
| 10 the known population OF the City, there
| should be at least 76, 600 children between
the ages of and II. Even this is far be-
low the proportion found in many coun-
| ties of the interior.
The number reported in 1S96-that is.
II, ,S22-indicated only an increase of 1900
over that of 1895. In 1888 the numb of
census children enumerated was 60, 317.
Following the rule that the population
| should be four and one-half times more
| than the number of census children, the
enrolment OF 1892 names in 1896 indi-
Gated populatio OF 323 1919.
| Every one familiar with the growth OF
San Francisco knows that the enrolment
| is below rather than above the actual
number OF children entitled to enrolment.
1t is regretted by the Grand Jury that
statements have been sent broadcast to
the people of the State that the San Fran
| cisco school authorities had stuffed the
rnlI in nrdn N nh III fnF
share of the State school money than the
actual mum Der of children warranted.
San Francisco annually pays into the
| State treasury very much larger sum OF
money on school tax account than is re-
ceived in return by the process of appor-
| tionmen:. The law which requires the
census to be taken between April 15 and
Both OF each year, may give ample time
for enrolment of school children in rural
towns ips, but the time is not adequate
for canvassing the City and making the
proper recount.
1t was disclosed in Mr.. Bausman's testi-
mony yesterday that iorty deputies would
be sufficient provided the Census NJ irshal
had authority to engage capable and ex-
perienced deputies. As the patronage is
now distributed each director in the Board
of Education hands the Marshal list of
so many persons to be employed, and
many OF the men on the lists so furnished
are ignorant or inefficient.
1t was distinctly brought out by the in
vestigation yesterday that Ex-Marshal
Bausman was paid certain sum per day
for his work and that his com pensation
could not be increased by stuffing the roll
II is the opinion of the Grand Jury that
Wardell, with his sixty-eight deputies,
should 20 to work diligently and enroll
all the children between the ages of five
and seventeen. If the work can be done
as it should pe no less than 76 600 child rem
will be reported. That number would in
dicate the population Of San Francisco to
be 342. 600.
In the Eastern States population is reck-
oned by multiplying by six the mum Der of
votes cast. Should San Francisco ADOPT
this ratio a population of 10000 could be
claimed.
Aurelius E. Bucking ham, chairman of
the committee on tax coll ector and
license collector submitted a report yes
terday to the whole BODY of the Grano
Jury. Expert Robert Collymore shows
that in the years from 1884 10 1898, inclu-
slve, there were sold Il, ,597 pieces of prop
erty at delinquent tax safes and 5o46 were
redeemed during that time. leaving 775l
pieces OF real estate in ax-buyers' hands
IL is suggested that the tax sales con-
tanned In fifty volumes be condensed into
one volume. 1t would be a great saving
on the wear and tear Of the books; also
time and labor
The report cites that the generaI.tax
books are not in good condition. and rec.
ommends that the Board of Supervisors