The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-02-24

a good story, and I want to sell it to you
for 800. L don't want you to pay for it
unless the story is a good one" told
MIN 10 wait for me fifteen minutes as [
would be back in fifteen minutes: he said
no, ne would go out and would be back
In hfteen minutes. He then walked out
l then conferred with Mr.. Martin and
others and ascertained who this man was;
ascertained that he was holding posi-
uon on the water front and satisfied nv
sell as Tar as could that he was a re-
npale man Oh, by the way, when he left
me told him l would meet him in fif-
teen minutes in my own Office. In fifteen
minutes l went up, and the office boy
said Livernash was inside waiting for me.
called up Mr.. Martin, the business man
ager OF the paper, and told him to bring
f me sten,oggrapher up. The stenographer
ward He, Livernash, started in to tell me
ABOUT the story again, and he said that
before he gave me the story he wanted
me 10 enter into an agreement with him
proved satisfactory and of enough fmpor-
lance to be published that l would pay
s Sd 1 I9r IL put IT. after investigation,
would be under no obligation to nav for
1t at all. He said he wanted that agree
ment made out in the name of his wife
tora MN tnat l would not do that; that
l wanted no financial dealings with
women. he said, II am in financial
trouoIe II 1t Is known that the money is
coming CO. M e, to ne it will be attached. and
L
those circumstances I have no objection
10 nxing It SO that your wife will be pro
tected in this matter
We then called the stenogranbar ond T
dictated statement in substance +o tb,s
erect, that Mr.. Livernash called at such
ana SUCH time and made a Statement
5nat ne had Important information to
dispose OF to The Call, and if the story
was worthy of publication it was to he
pub1shed over his signature and that we
would pay him 500, and If after investi-
satlon IL could not be substantiated the
story was to be returned and nothing
pald Tor 1t. After that was written ouf
ne SAID there were too many words in II
he then dictated an agreement, which
was printed In the paper afterWard He
dictated that himself, which l signed
During the conversation he showed no
excitement whatever, and the onIv time
that he showed any feeling was when he
at the hands of his brother and the tTaat
ment his sister had received when she an
pied Tor employment to the managing
editor OF one of the papers here. And that
as / could discover
asked him how long 1t would take to
get the se story ready, and he said: Il will
said: No, you won't send it back to me-
bring this yourself" He said: at don't
know whether can get off, for the rea-
son mat l am married to a German lady
and she doesn't like me to be out late at
night, and she may not permit me to
come" l said: Then this settles the
,Sa thing You have exacted prom
Use that this story shall be published as
you write it, and you must bring it back
yourself, as there may be some obiec-
tfonable things in there that cannot be
PPu pup ned / insist upon your coming
PACK mere with the story yourself" He
SAID that he would come If it was a. pos
sible thing. He said: eff I can get away
from my wife l will come back myself
and If can't l will send it by one Of NV
L &c fr;o o.,
He said: "A man by the name of Allen.
who is little deaf" l said: ..Give me
your signature SO I will know the story
is from you. L don't want some one to
ring in some bogus news" After that he
told me the story would have to be illus
trated and would occupy about three
pictures to go with it. asked him how
| was to verify this statement, as it was
to be published the next morning. He
said: There will be no trouble about
that. My sister and wife know all about
this" / said: I'm that case l wish YOU
would have your sister and wife sign the
statement. That will be evidence enough
to me that they know about it," He said !:
it, "Oou'
He then asked me what the prospects
were for his sister getting employment
on the paper. He spoke Of her literary
ability. being a much better writer than
her brother, and that he would like the
privilege Of bringing her around to intro
duce her. l told him 1 could not offer
much encouragement, but was willing to
give her an opportunity, and If she
showed literary ability, no doubt she
could get on the paper. AT no time during
the conversation did he show any signs,
as | have said before. of being excited or
under the influence of liquor 1t was the
first time 1 ever saw him, and the last
time.
Coroner Hawkins-Is that all YOU know
about the case?
A.-Now, after he left went over to the
editorial rooms; and 1 can't tell the lapse
of time exactly, but it was not very long
before the office boy rushed in and said
to me that man was dead. 1 said, what
man%' He said, 1.-THE man that was in