The San Francisco call., 1898-01-04
DENY THAT THEY
 ARE PROSECUTING
 DIRECTOR WEBB,
Cbeney and Cline Tell of Their Attempts to ReiD-
 state Miss Owen.

LOS ANGELES, Jan. S.-w. A. Cheney. the attorney prosecuting the case against Walter l.. Webb before the Board of Education, is a member of the League for Better City Govern ment and is one of the gentlemen who interceded in behalf of Mae Owen to have her reinstated. This is Mr. Cheney's statement of his connection with the affair:
 ''I was retained by committee from the League for Better City Govern ment. I cannot tell you who com posed that committee. I am not at liberty to do so. They are the regular executive committee. I see no reason for stating who they are. I don't know as it would make any difference. These gentlemen stated they had been instructed to secure counsel, and came to me to see if l would act in the matter. This was the first had heard of it. I had no connection with it be- fore this. It was simply a matter of business with me-
 Are you Mir. Cline's attorney or the attorney for any corporation with which he is connected?" was asked
 II have been the attorney for a num- Der of companies for many years. among them the Los Angeles Light ing Company" answered MT. Cheney w. B. Cline is the president and gen. eral manager of this company.
 Are you not or have you not been the attorney for Mir. Cline person. ally?" continued the representative of The Call.
 That I must refuse to state. It is not r17xy rA,- q am counsel"
 Did you ever, singly or in company with any other person or persons, go to MT. Webb to intercede for Miss Mae Owen, in order to have her reinstated as a teacher?"
 T went alone to the Board of Edu- cation itself. It may have been a board meeting or a committee meeting. l went in reference to the matter con- corning Miss Owen"
 Did you ever see MT. Webb alone on this matter?"
 II never had a conversation with MT. Webb in my life, certainly not on that matter. There were several pres ent at the meeting referred to. I can't tell you who were present. My recol- lection is that three or four members were present. MT. Webb was there"
 Did MT. Webb take any active part in the discussion? ?'
 My recollection is that he did He stated to me that Miss Owen had been marked poor whereas from members of the board I had heard that she had been marked fair I went there to find out why they were going to re- move her and to try and induce them to dc her justice. She is not a friend, should say, but an acquaintance. and not an old one. I went to the meeting of my own volition as soon as heard of the situation. I had talked with MT. T. E. Gibbon about it, but dent recollect if Mir. Cline spoke of it. can state emphatically that I am the regularly retained attorney for the League for Better City Government don't represent any individual nor have been approached to represent any individual or scheme
 w. B. Cline spoke freely of his con- nection with the affair.
 T have spoken to MT. Webb but once in my life.' began Mir Cline.
 That was in an open meeting of the teachers committee of the Board of Education, when MT. Webb. Mr. Conrey and MT. Bartlett were present appeared before that committee in