The San Francisco call., 1898-04-06
Demand for Repayment Was . Backed Up With a Gun.
EEK EMPLOYES TESTIFY.
Gardner Tolls How the Mayor Did the "Rush" Act With
 Him.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,

90S Broadway, April ,.
 More of the petty dealings of the Mayor and various employees of the City Hall ware told to the Grand Jury to-day by Chief Fair, late of the Fire Department, and Charles l.. Gardner, late clerk to the; Chief of Police.
 The story of Gardner Is to the effect that many months ago at Mayor Thomas suEgestion. or at least with his cognl- zance. Gardner circulated d subscription :. list. at the City Hail for money with which to pay the expenses of Mayor a Thomas' contested election The contest was. brought by eX-MayOr Davfe, and was :so1newhat expensive, and the idea pre- walled that if several of the employees at thes City Hall whose heads depended on the: pleasure of the Board of Public Works. were to subscribe to this fund and relieve the Mayor of the financial end of the contest. they would thereby be se- cured in office.
 .. Gardner says that he received some en- couragemeut among the employees, and also that at first ex-Chief of Police Lloyd encouraged him to go ahead. Janltor John Wilds. the AfrO-American representative at the City Hall, was also interested Tn .. circulating the petition for subscriptions. After a few days, however, Chief Lloyd decided that it was not q dignitied pro- ceeding. and advised his clerk, Gardner,
 
 to have nothing more to do with it. The subscription was then abandoned.
 Another story is being told to the CT feet that when Mayor Thomas made his appointment on the Board of Health. IL was understood that only members or the regular school should be appolnted, III fe- turn for which the aLOpaths were 10 as sist the Mayor in paying his Dill 10 Dr. Small, who brought him through severe illness during the campaign of last spring. This story has been repeatedly Contradicted by the Mayor, but Is now being told with great vIsor, and VIII no doubt reach the Grand Jury officially, as it has already done informally
 Gardner also says that the Mayor, on some occasions, tried to borrow money from him. In one instance Gardner says he had just received his pay, and the with success. He rushed up to Gardner and wished the loan of S25, just for a few hours to help him meet a bill Gard ner says he compiled, and 1t IS not mn possible that he may bring sult against inc Mayor to recover the small loan.
 Ex-Chief Fair also tells story to the Grand Jury regarding the Mayor aI- ,. tempt to borrow from him. But his story eg ReIl as Gardner's. loses much of its 70 force. from the fact that neither or them would admit the truth or the runlorS months ago when they were in once once. Less than two months ago John WIGS distinctly denied that he had ever seen or heard of any subscription list in any body's behalf at the City Hall. e.
 The reported attempt at brokerage TOT positions in the Police Department was again before the Grand Jury to-day. J. S Fox the boxing instructor or the Re- liance Club. and who is an acquaintance of Harry Thomas, was Tn the Juryro0In, room. He was supposed to know. why Police Officer Mckinley was appointed, but he emphatically denied that he knew any thing about the matter. He said he had spoken to Harry Thomas in regard to . Mckinley and had told the latter to go 10 the City Hall and see the Mayor him. self. He denied having told anybody that appointments Were worth $500, and also that he had ever told anybody of know ing an officer to have given cent for his position.
 : The stories of loans and subscriptions have ali been discussed around town for 2. months, and from the evidence so far taken there does not appear to be much legal foundation on which to base crim- inal action. although there can be no doubt that many of the rumors are based on transactions that carry with them moral guilt and cannot fail to leave a stigma as deep as if 0 criminal conVic- tion had followed. There are reports con corning bribery in connection with the nickel-in-the-slot machines that were suppressed by ordinance some months ago. It is openly stated that the sum of $SJ0 was paid to a cel tain official at the City Hall for protection for these ma chimes, and that when it was seen that . the purchased protection could not be de- fivered, the man who paid the money took his gun to the City Hall and de- manded its refunding within two hours, and 1t is said that the money was paid back within that time.
 All of these stories no doubt have some foundation and point to a system of cor ruption and cheap politics under the pres ent administration. Beyond enlightening the public upon these matters 1t is not likely that many of the charges can be sure legal punishment for the offenders
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