The San Francisco call., 1898-02-03
WEBB THE
 I TARCET FOR
 THEIR SPITE Pecksniffian Report of. the Los Angeles
 Grand Jury. Poisoned Shafts for the
 Perse cuted School
 Director. While Felonious Acts of Self Confessed Boodlers Are ... Winked: At, ] END=:oF THE BIG FARCE. : Coat of VWhttewash for Braly and His :. :.'.., :. Accon2plices-Despicable -. :. Retaliation.
While Felonious Acts of Self
 Confessed Boodlers Are -.:s- .: >. :. Winked* At.
ENDO OF THE BIG FARCE
Coat Of NWhftewesh for Braly and Hi: Acconapiees
 = -: :. Retaliation.
spe 7iaI Dispatch. to The call.

T report of the Grand Jury. filed to-day, is found another bit, of evidence show ing that School Director Webb was sin gled out for: persecution. With no evi- dence against him but the testimony of two self confessed. perjurers and bood- lers. the Grand Jury brought in an in- dictment against Webb, which the court: set aside, as the. offense alleged was not a felony. Then the Grand Jury brought in an accusation. against Webb, on which it was. sought to re- move him from office on the. ground that he had taken bribes from eIn- ployes of the school department On this charge he was acquitted by a jury. which returned verdict of mot guilty in less than twelve minutes after the case was submitted. It was. thus ~conclusfvely shown that the Grand Jury was. entirely unjustified in taking the action 1t did against Webb:
 School Director .Braly. a member of the League for. Better City Govern ment, stands to-day. a .seH-confessed offender. against the laws of the State. The acts that he committed, and there. are four of them that were brought to light in only a cursory investiga- ton, are acknowledged to be felonies by the District Attorney and the. mem. bers of the Grand Jury. The District Attorney advised the Grand Jury that felony had been committed by. Braly and the members of that body had no reason to believe otherwise: The. evil dence was of a documentary character. was conclusive. and was readily avail able at any an all times, being part of the records of the city. and of the county. of Los: Angeles.
 Not only was no indictment returned against Braly, who as president of the Southern California Savings Bank shaved the warrants of teachers and vendors to the. School Department. but Ibe Grand Jury was so considerate of Asls feelings that these illegal and fel- onious transactions were not even re- ferred to- Braly thus has the tacit ap- proval and consent of the members of the Grand Jury for hrs felonious acts. These same felonious acts have either been entirely ignored by. the syndi- cated Times Herald Express, or they have been defended by the masterly inactivity of the League for Better City Government. whose action in ref erence to these, same felonious acts meets with the highest admiration of Braly and his friends.
 The men who comprised this remark able Grand Jury. which received its are the following: W. J. Washburn (foreman), David Bayles, Frank P. Boynton, Robinson Cahill, O. Cass, J E. Courtney, C. M. Davis. Milton Frazier George H. Frost. Harrison HuIIer, Elon Hart, E. M. Kel1ar. John KeneaIy, Russell Kingcade. s. N. Lan- don, Frederick ". Partridge, c. H. Pike and Charles Prager.
 Why no more indictments were found in connection with the School Board scandal is explained in that part of the Grand Jury's report which treats of the School Board investiga- tion. This is as follows:
 We have consumed much time and ex- amined many witnesses, looking into the abuses lying in and around the Board of and our public schools. It early developed that there was sys- tematic plan of blackmailing teachers and ianitors. and under threats of q loss 1 of their position considerable sums of money. were obtained. So serious was the condition, that we have done our utmost to bring the guilty parties to justice. We found; however. our way blocked in almost every direction by the law, which appears to be peculiarly adapted to shield wrongdoers in this department. The ac-
 
 Is usually a felony, but we were advised z a recent amendment to the law ex- Snpting members of the Boards of Edu- cation and placing of offenses of the :a above nature by the above officials in the category of misdemeanors. thus re- moving them from the jurisdiction of the Grand Jury. The punishment for a mis- :demeanor Is so slight that a corrupt school director would have no hesitancy fin extorting money from teachers or :en- ployes under his charge, especially when d. cyaNf a l1ll teachers and employees can be found who are willing to pay for such positions. : Also. by reason of the above e-mentioned amendment, several persons who: made WilIfuI. deliberate and afterward self confessed nIisstaten1entS of facts in re- lation to these offenses were relieved from a charge. of perjury. In the hrst case of this kind we found an indictment hui it was not presented: because we were advised that by reason of our hav- ing no right to conduct the investigation the evidence. given was not material. and therefore the indictment would fall. : We also started an inquiry into the purchase of supplies by the Board of but this was stepped by our dently contemplated that purchases shall be made from the lowest bidder, no pen atty was attached in case they are not so made. and should the Board of Edu- cation purchase lead pencils at $1 each, fhe public has no redress unless it can be shown that a portion of the money went into some officiaFs pocket:
 We most. earnestly recommend that the laws be SO amended that these evils end dangers be removed as far as possible from our public schools. The importance which the commutltty. attaches to the education of our children may be meas, qred by the amount of money we expend in that direction, almost one-half Of the entire expenditures of the county being Tor the support of the public schools. The required of the teachers are high and the salaries liberal But few Short years are allowed a child to equip himself for his battle in life, and he is sgtitled to every facility for so doing: sShe Is put in charge of an incompetent teacher, he is handicapped in the begin hing, and there is no parent who would aot infinitely prefer that money, should De abstracted from his pocket rather than that his child should be fllched of his opportunities to make his way in the world,
 What then. shall we say of a man who | lnder the guise of patriotic and gratuit- 'us service to the community. depart