The San Francisco call., 1897-04-25
CORRIGAN IN A
TIGHT CORNER
Confessed Under Oath That
He Had Seriously
Blundered.
A Great Iojustice Was Done
Messrs. Spreckels and
Leake.
II Was All About an Obligation for
$4,000, Which the Turfman
Seeks to Ignore.

Had Edward Corrigan, turfman and
sport, been possessed of the true instincts
of q gentleman who is not 10th TO acknowl-
edge when he has committed an error, he
would have stood up yesterday morning
and proffered an abject apology to Adolph
B. Spreckels and w. S. Leake. the late
president and secretary, respectively, of
the Pacific Coast Jockey Club.
The opportunity for this was presented
20 him, and 1t would undoubtedly have
been received with good grace, but Corri-
gan either did not appreciate the situ-
alton, or, what was more apparent did
not want 10.
Nevertheless, while under oath, and
while under the presence of a series of di-
rect and unavoidable questions hurled at
him by Attorney Garret McEnerney, this
Mr.. Corrigan was compelled to confess,
practically, that he had been articulatlng
through his chapeau when he made a
statement recently to the effect that
Messrs. Spreckels and Leake had con-
spred TO rob him of $500.
CORR gan has had great many business
ira ansactlons with Mr.. Spreckels during
the past two years, chief among which
was the borrowing of money from the
young Millionaire. But all this ended
recently, VIII en- Messrs. Spreckels and
Leake with drew from the Jockey Club in
order TO let the Chicago horseman run
things in his own peculiar way. and since
then Corrigan has not had many kind
things to say about his former associates.
At all events, during the setting-up
process Mr.. Spreckels found that Corrigan
still owed him $2500 on promiss ory note
executed on the 81 of February, 1896, and
he formally apprised the man who IN the
East Is known as 1.-The master of Haw-
thorne" of the fact.
ACorrigan refused to redeem the obliga.
tion and in consequence suit was begun
TO recover the amount.
This proceeding had the effect of caus-
ing Corrigan TO lose his temper and to
forget as we'll his pretensions toward up.
rightness and integrity. In his angry
moments he proclaimed that he had
thought all along that he had been deal
ing with gentlemen, but found himself
mistaken. More than this he made re-
marks which we're printed in a morning
paper, from which the inference could be
drawn that Mr.. Leake, with the knowl-
edge and consent of Mr.. Spreckels, had
juggled tLree promissory notes and like
mum ber of checks in such a manner as to
deprive him OF $500 due him.
But these gentlemen were given a speedy
and positive yindication yesterday morn
ing. when, by mutual consent and on an
order of court, they met with Corrigan at
the Office of Attorneys RothchiId & Ach
for the purpose of giving depositions.
Mr.. Spreckels was first sworn, and in re-
sponse TO Mr.. Ach's questions said that on
February 3, 1896. he loaned Corrigan $500
and received his note therefor. He paid
the money over in the form of check on
the Nevada Bank. On the 10th of March
OF the same year Corrigan wanted some
more money and Mr.. Spreckels loaned
him $4,000, again giving a check on the
Nevada Bank and again receiving prom
lssory note, and once more, on May 81,
1886. Corrigan borrowed 5000 more.
This time the check was drawn on the
California Safe Deposit and Trust Com
pany, in favor OF a Mr.. Summeriield, but
was indorsed payable to bearer" All
three of these checks were produced by
Mr. Spreckels before the notary who took
the deposition, and the cancellations
showed that they had been paid over to
Corrigan. Thew all bore the latter's Sig
nature, too The promissory notes for
; $40, 900 and $4,000, respectively, Mr.. Spreck-
els did not possess, as he had turned them
over 10 the horsemen when they were re-
deemed, but he did have the unpaid note
for $500 and promptly exhibited it. This
amount he said was still due.
Then Corrigan was sworn. He wa. in.
clined at first to dodge a direct admission
that the signatures the checks were
demands for a positive answer finally
ment.
Now, MIR. Corriean, you received all
of that money those three separate