The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-12-04
Though His Typewriter Is Now Silent Colonel
Dan Burns Is Still Ills Can
didate.
Interesting Chapter From the History Of the WouldBe
Statesman That Shows the InSilCerity Of Ills
Newspaper Friend and HS Own
UnWOrth

Mr.. Gale. who succeeded Reynolds, assist.
ing. The matter grew worse and worse.
Burns testimony:
met Mr.. Reynolds in San Francisco and
requested him to come up here (sacramento)
l the nrst opportunity he had
Reynolds went, and with the diffidence
which thieving subordinate would natu-
rally be expected to show in the presence
of an injured and indignant superior, sug-
salary Of a clerk while helping to trace
his own stealings IN the books. Mr.. Burns
consented.
The manner of these consultations be-
tween the innocent Secretary of State and
the wicked deputy is Of interest. Burns
testimony:
I said to Reynolds: This evening you can
we will start In on these books and make a
systematic examination from the very com
Mr.. Gale to do with this matter?'' I says:
Mr.. Gale is deputy in my office. and cam
him to be present while this investigation is
going on" He said; - Are you afraid to
get Of these
unless there m Is sos6Gd with vi you that S.
You can 60 to hell with your examination"
and he went out into the other office.
Mr.. Burns then revoked Mr.. Reynolds
appointment as clerk. Burns investiga-
tion revealed shortage of about $4,000;
when the Controller took hold of the ex-
animation, after Burns retirement. it
grew to over $31 900. After reciting his
deficiency in his Office, Mr.. Burns related
on the stand how he proceeded to tamper
with the official records in his charge as
a State officer. Burns testimony:
took the blotter and cash book and I
marked OFF certified copies right alongside of
where the entries were. Knowing that 1 had
tals very feW az at Ss @ 4
could not raise the money | would use the
fo1 shed Of ba PAPER ap Pa h as
an amount sufficient to take up the contract.
Of fhe Condition Of the Of the
office. Had I presented that bill to the State
then existed it would have Immediately at
tracted attention to the affairs of my office.
mediately, and, as I knew at that time, would
have ruined financially one Of my bondsmen.
Burns went on to say that to save his
bondsmen was his controlling motive in
falsifying the records, and proceeded:
took the memorandum cash book and
changed these figures or amounts. I did not
change any figures, but where there would be
to him deputy Gale) after the stn day of De-
cember some time-it must have been three
or four days afterward.
He made an excursion to Woodland to
raise money and was unsuccessful Burns
testimony:
When came back took this book to Mr.
Gale and told him to make the entries in the
cash book as had indicated them there.
Q.-That is the amount that is represented
by the figures that you wrote upon the margin
of the blotter?
A.-Yes. sir
The fees thus abstracted were paid into
the treasury on ballot paper account.
Mr.. Burns professed on the stand never
to have examined the books of his Office
or looked at the cash book up to the time
a perfect innocent in the hands of his
baleful deputy, who had charge of all the
books. attended to the sale and even
drew his superior's salary for him. Mr..
Burns is not generally supposed to be a
trusting, unworldly man.
| After Reynolds had been discharged, but
while he was still in the office finishing
up his books, he wrote the following
timid note to his superior:
Sacramento, State Of California,
Department of State
Dan-I have got the minutes written up to
July l. Had no time to write up the cash
on and it Will take at least four days to fin
ish up and leave everything clear. I will come
thing. Yours, TOM.
Here's another:
SAN FRANCISCO, August l. 1882.
oh, Dan-If the newspapers know anything
an item of it wish you would get John Shee-
han to write good article saying have
resigned to accept the superintendency of a
mine in Placer County, etc., etc, and that T
, intend to henceforth reside in Placer. The
papers here would copy it and then they would
not say had come here to. I would rather
that nothing would be mentioned. but in case
you see there must something be said fix 1t up
} that way. Yours in haste, TOM.
Mr.. Burns confessed that he never went
to see the Controller about the sad state
of his Office until the Controller sent for
him.
have You had with Mr.. Dunn ithe Controlier)
with relation 10 this matter, Mr.. Burns?
A.-Altogether?
A-Never but one where we have discussed
the facts OF the case.
That was the occasion when the Con-
troller sent for him. Reynolds was dis
charged or resigned in July, 1882. Burns
term expired In January, 1888. Yet this
troller Dunn had sent for him.
MP s Dunn Dun that YOU had had conyersatlon s ssf IN
Eagle ati Hotel and state that You had sad: said:
Tom, / hear that they examining our
PSOks 70 Which Mn Resnoda Teped no. every
cent that was received was turned to the
Saaf Sut that heia is an @ And You replied: we Il
that is all am satisfied, for you are the one
that kept the books and ought to know?''
Alt is substantially correct When met
Reynolds it was in the presence of another
stsn o.NThen You You did not know at that time that
there was anything wrong with the books?
o.-stiI you used the expression that you
were satisfied If that Clerical errors) was all
A.-Well, would have been very we'll satis-
fed If there had been nothing but clerical err
rors there and no omissions. have never de-
MED that there deficiency. 1 have never
denied to anybody that there was deficiency
there. but have not gone around the country
saying there was.
Mr.. Burns testimony showed that he
had made incorrect sworn reports. He
also testified that he had never inten-
, tionally rendered the Controller any SER
vice. in the investigation, and that he
..never disclosed to him the facts he
knew concerning the condition of affairs"
The reader must bear IN mind that all
: citations from the court records quoted
In this article are taken from Mr.. Burns
sworn testimony The statements of
other witnesses have not been used Here
| Is q recapituiation Of his offenses while