The San Francisco call., 1898-03-09
RACAN ARMS
 FOR BATTLE The School Director Pre- parinq to Strike Back
 at Stanton.
Threatens to Have His Accuser Arrested for Attempted
 ExtOrtiOn.
A Letter and Telegram Which, He Says, Will Fully Substantiate
 the Charge of Blacknnail.

School Director Ragan Is on the war path, and declares that before he smokes the pipe of peace eX-Teacher Stanton's scalp will be dangling from his lodge pole.
 The affidavit of the former teacher of mathematics in the Commercial Night School, as outlined in yesterdays Call, in which he accuses the School Direc- tor of having sold him the position for $500, which he did not pay, and then, when the Grand Jury began it's in yestigation into the affairs of the de- partment, offered Stanton $500 to go to Australia, giving him $60 in gold and promising to send the balance to Van couver, is the cause of the uprising, and Dr. Ragan will attempt to have Stan ton punished for attempted extortion.
 With this object in view Ragan sum- moned his attorney, J. J. Dwyer, yes terday, with whom he discussed the matter, and as a result Dwyer secured the services of two other lawyers, whose names Ragan declines to make public last night, to assist him in the case. The three lawyers will confer with Dr. Ragan to-day as to what line of action to pursue, and it is proba- ble that before night a warrant for Stanton's arrest will be sworn to.
 Dr. Ragan, in an interview last even ing, said he had a letter from Stan ton, bearing no address, in which the writer demanded $240 and threatened the director with all sorts of calamities if the money was not forthcoming. This letter was presented to Ragan by Stan tons nephew, who was to receive the money. Ragan asked his caller to lot hn o 1d yRrhn no did so Ragan had friend secreted in the room who overheard the converse ton that passed between Ragan and his visitor Moreover, Dr. Ragan says that last Tuesday he received a tele- gram from Stanton, dated Vancouver. which read: '24O or San Quentin"
 Dr. Ragan is at loss to account for Stanton fixing upon $240 as the amount of his demand. but scouts Stanton s exclamation, which, he says, is devoid of particle of truth.
 c. w. Welch, secretary of the Board of Education, is indignant at the use Stanton has made of his name, and ve- hemently denies the charge that he acted as the o-between between Stan ton and Ragan. MT. Welch says he first met Stanton in a business way in 1895, when Stanton was teaching school in Vacaville. He did not see him again until he came to this city d Welch for a letter of introduction to Ragan and Welch wrote few words on a card Afterward Stanton told him he had used Welch's name with all the Directors, to which Welch made no ob- lection. One day Dr. Ragan told Welch that he had appointed Stanton as a substitute teacher That was the only time they had talked about him.
 Both Ragan and Welch state that Stanton has an unenviable record in Vallejo, where, they say, he was strongly suspected of having set fire to a store he owned in order to obtain the insurance money.
 E. c. Fitzpatrick, the principal of the Commercial Night School, who is now under suspension on charges, which Stantons affidavit is intended to clear him of, is reluctant to discuss the mat ter He said, however, that one night Stanton went to his residence and told him he had been forced by Ragan and the others to make the first affidavit attacking Fitzpatrick, but that he had come back to right the wrong he had done He then gave MT. Fitzpatrick a written statement which Fitzpatrick took to a notary and Stanton acknowl- edged it. This Is the affidavit that has been brought against Dr. Ragan.