The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-04
WATCHING THE
BUREAU CHIEF
Latest Phase of the Chi.
nese Scandal.
FEDERAL SLEUTHS AT WORK
ON THE EVE OF SENSATIONAL.
DEVELOPMENTS.
Belief That Chief Meredith Is Re-
sponsible for the Leakage That =
Has Occurred in His
Office.
FEDERAL SLEUTHS AT WORK
ON THE EVE OF SENSATIONAL
DEVELOPMENTS.

There was much agitation in Federal
circles Yesterday over the publication of
the compromising letters found on the
person of Shew Hon by Chinese inspect
or Lynch and Interpreter Gardner, in
which letters appeared the statement
that Chinese brokers were in the habit
of receiving transcripts of the state
,nents made to the officers of the bureau
by the immigrants on their arrival. These
transcripts were for the use of the Chi
nese witnesses before the bureau. It is.
a plain proposition that If a professional
perjurer knew the story that an immi-
grant had told the Chinese inspectors on
the Mail Dock it would be very easy for
the perjurer to corroborate the 1mml-
grants testimony in every particular, and
thus insure his landing without any dit-
ficulty.
The shorthand reporters for the bureau
are Walter D. Hoyt and Miss Madeleine
Lissak. the latter of whom divides her
the immigration Office Mr.. Hoyt writes
the eclectic system of shorthand taught
in many business colleges throughout
the United States. Miss Lissak writes:
ferent from the eclectic. Mr.. Hoyt says
that at the close of each days work he
locks up his notebook and his trans :;
keys of which are held by Mr.. Meredith.
Miss Lissak often writes in the office of
the immigration Commissioner, next
her notebook in her typewriter desk, and
sometimes has transcript, because the
Chinese Bureau office is closed before
that hour and there is no safe in the Of
fee of the immigration Commissioners.
However, the Government officials now
working upon the case do not believe
that the transcripts were received by
the Chinese brokers from the reporters
desks, and they do not suspect either
Miss Lissak or Mr.. Hoyt of having any
knowledge of the transcripts being re-
mn yrnd
The finger of suspicion which on last
Friday pointed at the office of the bu-
reau, pointed at two men. YESTERDAY the
inquiry had been narrowed down to such
an extent that the finger pointed to
only one man on the Caucasian side of
the conspiracy.
The history of past administrations of
the Chinese bureau has been of such a
character as to call for a reversal OF the
rule of law which regards every accused
person innocent until his guilt be proved:
In other words, the accusation Is PROOF
of guilt until the accused upsets 1t by
proof Of innocence. e..
and perjury as legitimate, and the fur
Their fact that much money is expended
to, secure the landing of Chinese is cor
roborative of the damning Significance
unknown Chow in his letter to TAI Mn
wherein he speaks about the transcript of
testimony to be furnished by 1.-The white
man" Hence the suggestion of Chief
Meredith that Chow may have been
cure clients does not accord with the
facts in the present case nor with the
past history of the bureau.
At any rate, the Government officials do
not think that Chow was making any
false representations in his letters, for
they have caused Photographic copies 10
be made of the Chinese letters, transla-
tons of which We're published in yester-
days issue of The Call. The object of
this scrutiny is to determine, if possible
the identity of the Chinaman who WROTE :
the letters, so that his connection with
the bureau might be investigated.
Hints thrown out by officials, both of
high and low degree, point to no other
person than Chief Meredith himself as
| the one responsible for the leakage. What
| proof they may have for this suspicion
| this time, and, in fact, they have en-
veloped the affair with that mysterious
| glamor which is the one ludicrous char
| acterstic of the manner in which the at
| fairs Of the Government have been con-
Quoted In this city. They decline to take
| the public into their confidence and pre-
| fer to burroW, mole-like, underground
| burying the results in secret dispatches
! and reports to Washington 1t is ex-
peo.ed. however, that within day or
| twe important discoveries will be made
wfSSA even Federal retfcence cannot Keep
| FROM the public ear.
The attorneys, Thomas ID. Riordan, Iy-
| man / Mowry and NJ. M. Foote, who.
| have handled the bulk of Chinese cases.
| for the past year or so. deny all knowl-
edge of wrong doing on the part of tho
| bureau, and, of course, unite IN saying
| that the bureau was never purer than 1T
| has been under the present administra=
ton.