The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-22


Labor Commissioner E. L. Fitzgerald had
received the nomination for Public Ad-
1ninistrator from the Democratic party IN
this city. It is abhorrent TO them to
think that such man should be selected
TO handle the estates of widows and or
phans.
Here is a demagogue. a carpet-bagger,
the alleged friend of labor utterly ais
credited among his own people and yet
he is taken up by "Hefting" Boss Phelan
and his committee of one hundred.
Do the people of San Francisco want a
repetition of the case of Troy Dye, one
time Public Administrator in Sacramento
When business was dull, this gentle
savage. who ultimately suffered death
upon the scaffold, went out and killed a
man so he might administer his estate
Mr. Fitzgerald now appears on the
Great Register of Alameda County and
also upon that of San Francisco. When
he registered in this city he made oath
to many untrue statements as to residence
and previous registration, and thus rem
dered himself liable to punishment Tor
felony. His registration in Alameda
County has never been Cancelled.
Representative men of Oakland have
many unpleasant things against him
They would like him TO explain the part
he played in the contract marriage
whereby Shelby Martin was tricked into
Thier.
They would like him to explain his con-
nection with the cup contest scandal
during the AIidwinter Fair. People are
asking If he betrayed Alameda County, in
which he lived, and how the $500 paid by
SoIanO County men was divided.
VIII he tell of the firms held up W on
various pretexts by the office which he
has occupied during the past three years?
1t is an open secret that representative
men of the Democratic party have gone
TO A NJ Lawrence of the Examiner since
this nomination was made and warned
him not to come out in support OF this
mans candidacy for the office OF Public
Administrator. They laid before him
long list of offenses and threatened to
make them public. They were asked not
to take such severe remedial methods on
the ground that their publication would
3eopardize the entire Democratic ticket.
That he is man who has no apprecia-
ton of the solemnity of an oath Is shown
by the reckless manner in which ne mas
violated the registration laws. On the
21st of February, 1896, he appeared before
O. C. Woodsum, Deputy County Clerk OF
Alameda, and registered, giving his place
OF residence as 221S Dana street, Berke-
lev. He then made affidavit that he would
have resided in Alameda County ninety
DAYS and in the precinct thirty days next
preceding
election. He swore that his postoff1ce ad-
dress was at that time Berkeley.
Ignoring all these matters, which are
OF record he again registered in this city
on August 5, 1898, making his aIndaVlt De
fore j. w. Rose, Deputy Registrar OF vot-
ers Mr. Rose is a prominent member of
the Building Trades Council and mas
often fought Fitzgerald's battles on its
floor This registration is in direct opposi-
ton TO State law, which makes it fell
ony, and speaks in no uncertain terms re-
garding the crime and its punishment
uhe State law READS:
Registration Who Entitled To-No per-
sons name must be entered by the clerk
unless:
another county, showing that such registra-
ton has been Cancelled, ana upon proof, by
the affidavit of the party, that he is an
elector of the county in which he seeks to
Fraudulent Registration-Every person
who willfully causes, procures or allows
himself TO be registered in the Great Reg
lister OF any county, knowing hiInsen not
to be entitled to such registration, is pun
ishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand
dollars, or by Imprisonment in the County
jail State Prison not exceeding one
year or by both. In all cases where, on the
trial Of a person charged with any offense
under the provisions of this section IT ap-
pears in evidence that the accused stands
registered in the Great Register Of any
county, without being qualified for such
registration the court must order such reg
istration TO be Cancelled
Section II has, among other provisions,
The following:
ANY person making a false oath with
gpect to residence, provided for in this
section. shall be deemed guilty Of perjury,
and on conviction, punished accordingly.
When Mr.. Fitzgerald appeared before
the Deputy Registrar he sWore ne was not
registered in any other county In this
State. He swore he had resided in San
Francisco five years. He swore he had
resided in the precinct in which he was
then being registered one year.
His San Francisco registration was
made on August 8, and yet at that time
and at the present time his name was
and is upon the great register of Alameda
County and has not been cancelled. This
is in direct opposition to the state law
which thus brands him ~ perjurer
Mr.; Fitzgerald, If iY an explaining
mood, might tell of the work he did as
go-between in arranging the details OF
the contract marriage between Shelby
Martin and Miss Valeria Hickethier. Ac-
cording 70 Miss Hickethier he bought the
the preliminaries. He also thoughtfully
provided the witnesses to the alleged
She explained in the newspapers of
June "a 1895, the parts played by herself
and Mr.. Fitzgerald at the time as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Martin signed that contract in good
faith and he cannot resort to any plea that
he was under the influence of liquor.
We had been keeping company for some
time and finally agreed to get married. Mr.
Martin did not want the affair made public
we should be married by contract and that
the matter should be kept a secret Mr.
Fitzgerald informed Of our Intentions
and he purchased the wedding ring 1 now
wear on my finger four days before the
contract signed. Mr.. Martin told me
he would provide in the Galindo
Hotel believe where the ceremony
could be performed. He changed lis mind
afterward he thought to secure rooms
at the hotel might cause some comment
On the morning of March 81, $780, l told
Mr. Martin that l was going to San Fran
cisco and would return on the o'clock
boat in the evening. That morning he had
the contract made out the typewriter
He said he would meet in the evening
When / arrived in Oakland with my friend
Mrs. Bostwick we were met by Mr. Martin.
He escorted me to rooms be had provided
in the Maison Piedmont. surprised
that he should take to a French res
taurant, but I thought he knew what was
best, he wished the matter kept secret.
Mr. Fitzgerald and the lawyer both
there. The contract signed in their
presence. Mr. Martin then placed the we'd
ding ring my finger and accepted as
his wife.
1 want to say right here there was no din
ner and no carousng do Lot believe
were in the more than 20 minutes.
Mr.. Fitzgerald Is mistaken in regard to q
dinner. We did not have anything to eat
at all After the contract was signed
believe Mr.. Fitzgerald said: Let 1s have
q bottle Of wine" bottle OF champagne