The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-29
North Pacific Railroad
Employees Placed IN
der Arrest.
Accused by Sausalito's Land
Company Of Stealing Liquid
Property.
Why the Electric Light Plants
Boilers we Empty on Sew
eral Occasions.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAUSALITO, Dec. 2S.-The dove Of
peace no longer hovers over Sausalito
for the breeziest sensation that has
ruffied the calm spirits Of the town
people for some time came to light to-
day, and war to the death has been
declared between the Sausalito Land
and Ferry Company and the North
Pacific Coast Railroad.
superintendent N. NJ. Grover of the
Land and Ferry Company swore to
criminal complaints against Master
Mechanic Thomas of the North Pacific
Coast road and Edward Franklin, an
employe of the railroad at its shops
near here.
The charges allege that Thomas and
Franklin tapped the water pipes of
the Land Company and stole the wa
ter; that they did this without the per
mission or consent Of the Land Com
pany, and that at the time they well
knew that they were doing an unlaw-
full act.
Such are the allegations of the COM
plant which Superintendent Grover
swore to, acting under the instructions
of Commodore c. H Harrison, presi-
dent of the Sausalito Land and Ferry
Company, who in turn asserts that he
is only following the course laid out
by the directors of the Land Company
The railroad authorities are indig-
nant, and President ]. B. Stetson and
superintendent J. H Shoemaker of
the North Pacific Coast road say in
positive terms that the suit is induced
by spite and that there IL no truth in
the charges
1T is an Infamous lie," said Superin-
tendent Shoemaker this evening, and
we pay for every gallon of water we
take from the pipes of the Land and
Ferry Company. The water which
they allege was taken was used to fill
the tanks on the hill above the railroad
shops and is used for fire purposes.
Thomas obtained permission from
Grover of the Land Company before he
used the water and there was no
stealing whatever. We intend to make
it hot for these people now"
While the denials of the railroad peo-
pie are emphatic the story related by
the Land and Ferry Company is inter
esting.
It seems that the electric light plant
which supplies Sausalito's homes and
streets with illumination was closed on
the nights of November Is, 20 and q.
for the reason that no water could be
obtained to run the boilers. The E!ec-
trio Light Company received its supply
from the Land Company, but on those
nights the pipes were dry and with the
absence of water came an absence of
light.
This situation caused no end of wor-
ry to the Land Company's people, and
they set out to investigate, learn
ing, as they claim, that Thomas and
rlx1iF1 or oh
to the pipe and drew the water for the
use of the railroad.
NJ. NJ. Grover, with two assistants.
camped on the night of the 25th of
November near the railroad shops and
kept an outlook They claim that the
employees of the railroad came to the
pipes late in the evening and tapped
them. Grover laid in wait for three
nights. He intimates that over I2O 900
gallons of water has been taken in this
manner from the pipes by Master Me-
chanic Thomas and those acting under
him in the employ of the North Pacific
Coast Railroad.
The matter was brought to the atten-
ton of District Attorney Martinelli by
c. H. Harrison and NJ. NJ Grover They
said that on November %. Grover
placed Franklin under arrest for tam
pering with the water pipe Frank
lin was taken before Commodore Har-
rison, where he said that he was act
ing under instructions from Thomas
Thomas has acknowledged giving or
ders to Fra nklin, but said that neither
superintendent Shoemaker nor Presi-
dent Stetson Of the railroad COMPANY
know anything about the tanks being
empty.
The next night Grover again caught
them at the same act. Commodore Har-
rlson lectured the men and they prom
ised not to do it again. However the
very same night Grover found the hose
attached to the pipe for the same pur
pose. Upon Growers oath the war
rants for the arrest of Thomas and
Franklin were issued and placed in the
hands Of Constable John Cannon for
service.