The San Francisco call., 1898-10-06

1lbI6 IS Ol1 lli6 III lIl6 INSSOiOOA Q NAAAN~ a document purporting to be lease Of the premises GOT and 509 Stanyan street, at present occupied by Supervisor Law renee Devany as a cyclery, to the city and county of San Francisco for period of two years, to be used as police sta tion.
 And thereby hangs a tale; in fact sev- eral tails-a sort of cat O nine tails, as 1t were-which seems destined to be used at no distant date on the backs of several Supervisors, one School Director and an ex-Sherlf.
 This lease is remarkable in more ways than one In the first place, 1t Is not worth the canCeIed 50-cent revenue stamp which graces the so-ca1led acknOWIedg- ment to the document Why 1t was ever filed is a mystery to all who have seen it. and it is doubtful If even Dr. D. F. Ragan could give a satisfactory eXplana- lion of his great anxiety to have 1t safely filed among the archives of the city
 The lease bears date of September z6, 1898. D. F Ragan being the party of the first part, and the City and County or San Francisco the party of the second part. The terms, which cover two pages of typewriter paper and part or the third page, set forth that the house ana lot to the east side of Stanyan street. Nos. DOT and 509, are to pass into the possession of the party of the second part for a pc riod of two years from October ], 1898, at a rental of $166 per month, said rental to become payable in advance on the 1st of every month. The premises gre to be used solely for police station, ana Is to be altered fitted up and repaired at the expense of the department. Water and gas are to be paid for by the lessee, and in default of the payment or rent when due. the party of the first part may eject the occupant The prlVHege ls given the city and county to remove Ger- tain tanks, etc, at its own expense. me N last page of the lease is given below In full, as it has a prominent part III sup- sp0llent proceedings. It reads:
 In witness whereof the said party of the first nart has set his hand and seal, and the said P4asif PHasitb " and Police. have hereunto set their hands and seals, this 26th day of September, 1898 being thereuntO authorized ana enpO%, cred so to do, by a resolution passed for said purpose 9.C4Hy tcAoN
 Party of the First Part.
 P II. DELANY, (SeaD
 T. A. ROTTANZI, (SeaD
 T. H. HASKINS. (SeaD
 Dr. Ragan, who is not unknown to the people of San Francisco as member of the Board of Education, presented the document at the Recorder's office last Monday October 3, and asked that 1t be recorded. The deputy examined 1t ana handed it back with the statement that the signatures, would have to be duly acknowledged before 1t could go on rec ord Dr. Ragan took the lease, saying he was not aware that an acknowledg- ment was necessary, and after some further conversation, during which he let slip the surprising admission that ex- Sheriff John J. McDade was interested in the property, left the office.
 Ragan returned in a surprisingly short time, considering it was necessary to round up five Supervisors from the four corners of the city and muster them in the County Clerks office. He was not gone more than a quarter of an hour, but when he again presented the lease to be recorded it bore a certificate of acknowledgment to the Supervisors names, signed by Charles r. Curry, Coun- ty Clerk Ragan had failed to acknowl- edge his own signature and the document was worthless. The deputy, however, did not care to have any further trouble over 1t, so he took it and filed it to be ments indicate that the subscribers did not go before the County Clerk at all, but that Ragan took the lease to him and asked him to acknowledge the sig natures.
 Some time after Ragan left the Record CTS office for the second time, Supervisor P. M. Delany rushed in and wanted to know if the lease had been recorded. He was told that it had been, and asked to see the document. It was handed to him When he came to the signatures, his own being at the top, he burst forth into one of the most eloquent ''roars" ever listened to.
 kind of bunko game. This lease is no good. never signed such thing"
 Whats that? asked the deputy in amazement: Do you mean to say that is not your signature?"
 'I never signed that lease" shouted through. Several deputies came up, tn-