The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13

LEGATION of the letters of Moses H. Sher-
man These letters deal chiefly with
the affairs of the Los Angeles Electric
Railroad and with the manipulations
that led the McDonalds into the great
venture that subsequently ruined their
bank In the letters published this
morning Sherman introduces two of his
intimate friends and assistants, D. >.
Dorm and A. F. Johns. These men
were supposed to protect Sherman from
the interference that newspapers might
give in the publication Of the inside
facts of the CONSPIRACY. Dorm, as an
adviser of the McDonalds and a friend
of Sherman, was in the directory of the
Los Angeles road, and took not only a
deep interest but vitality important
part in the affairs of the road.
In conjunction with Johns, he guar
anteed that no unwelcOme publicity
would be given to the manipulations
until they had progressed far enough
to insure the success of the scheme. IN
his letters, Sherman, by indirection, in
dicates to what necessity the conspira-
tors were driven in carrying their plans
to completion.
Colonel J. II. Woodard, who was a
bitter enemy of Sherman, was thor
oughly informed on the affairs OF the
road, and, with his knowledge, threat
ened to show that courts, legislatures
and inferior tribunals were broed 10
permit the great conspirator ana ms
associates to enter the Los Angeles
field as competitors TO j. F. Crank ana
his cable road. This threat called 10rth
from Sherman some of the most inter
esting letters in the secret history OF
the Pacific Bank.
The correspondence of NJ. H. Sherman
possesses many interesting ch0racieils-
tics Mr.. Sherman was invariably In
= hurry when he wrote and his pen
Tnanshlp looks as if a spider had peen
diDDed in the ink and allowed 10 crawl
loose on the paper. The letters OF lIls
man. however, are Of vital Importance
in the story of the ruin Of the racine
Bank. After Sherman had seduced
the McDOnalds into building the Los
Angeles Electric Railroad he found II
absolutely necessary TO keep IN their
good graces, not only that he might
blind them to the unWIsdom OF tnelI
first action, but that he might caJole
out of them more funds for his ran
road 1t was his purpose TO create the
impression that he was always over
whelmed with work busting with en-
ergy fired with enthusiasm ana READY
to obey every Whim ana FANCY OF the
foolish bankers. Sherman had many
schemes to fioat and he was very We'll
aware that it is not an easy matter 10
have a great bank behind you.
He must then maintain his nauseat-
ing fattery TO the end. With craft
that was thinly disguised under &c
centricity he fought every investga-
ton that was made of the Los Angeles
Electric Railroad. Every agent that
was sent to inquire into the condition
Of the road was sent away with prom
tses that Sherman had not the remot-
est intention Of fulfilling. me Los
Angeles manipulation then made Reports
TO suit himself and he never lost an OPP
portunity to blGCkguard those who
sought TO investigate his affairs. lie
knew better than anybody else the
wretched condition or the enterprise
into which he had entrapped the Nc
Donalds and in devious ways he kept
that information to himself. His cor
respondence will illustrate his false
hoods, eXaggeTatiOns and assumed IN
dustry II win show how he was Will
ing to do whatever the McDonalds
wished him to do, even to influence the
action of the Bank Commissioners.
AS already indicated in The Call, NJ.
H. Sherman had made his cousin, J.
z. Farnum, manager of the People
Home SAVINGS Bank. This was early
in 1892, shortly after Sherman himself
became a director in the Pacific Bank.
It should be remembered also in con-
nection with Sherman's correspondence
that he was very close friend of Bank
Commissioner w. H. Knight, the
father-in-law of J. E. Farnum. As
another lever with which to work the
opinions of the Bank Commissioners TO
suit his purpose, NJ. II. Sherman placed
a son of Bank Commissioner Dunsmore
in one of the banks in Los Angeles.
No apparent effort was made by Sher-
10 iva MI mic Cl r
A. Gerberding. Another one of the
bank conspirators nrofessed, but did
nothing more, that he was able to I'M
dertake that task In the eccentric
correspondence of Sherman one charac-
ter will very frequently appear. The
very mention Of this mans name af-
fiicted Sherman with something not I'M
like hySteria.
Letter after letter refers to this
nemesis Of the Los Angeles manipu-
lator. "Jayhawker" was the nom de
plume of Colonel J. H. Woodland of Los
Angeles. This man frequently con-
tributed to the Los Angeles Times, and,
possessing a thorough understanding
of the wretched scheme into which
Sherman had inveigled the McDonalds.
he lost no opportunity to expose and
exploit the Vaccinations of Sherman.
This prompted the hysterical excite
ment of the latter. Most Of Sherman's
letters, written not only in connection
with the Electric Railway of Los An
geles but also in reference to other
crazy projects of the southerner. who
is now a resident or this city, We're ad-
dressed to Frank V. Mcdonald AS a
bait to fatter Frank Mcdonald he was
made secretary of the Los Angeles
road AS the correspondence developed
and Sherman's trick in trapping the
Pacific Bank with his scheme became
better known. Frank counseled his
brother to preserve all of Sherman's
letters, as the latter had altogether
too convenient a memory.
As a chapter in the great conspiracy
Sherman and his correspondence sup
ply a great deal Of dramatic material.
As time passed the correspondence will
show that the man who was most di-
rectly responsible for the ruin Of the
Pacific Bank developed from f1atter-
ing suppliant into an exacting dictator.
DORM AND JOHNS PREVENT A NEWS
PAPER ATTACK.
The first letter, although short is in
teresting. Sherman is as usual busy