The San Francisco call., 1898-04-04
Much Is Expected of the Grand Jury Now
 at Work.
Harry Thomas Folly Should Not Cloak Serious
 Crimes.
Removal of Lloyd and Fair Was Evidently a Popular
 Action.
Oankland Office San Francisco Call
 QnQ Rr0a d uraN ra,-i1

Not for many months has this county been so interested in it's Grand Jury as it is just now. For two months that body has been probing into all sorts of scan dals but so far nothing has come of it. The indictment of Harry Thomas is not the result of any work of the Grand Jury, being simply a charge growing out of choice of stories told the jurors by man who committed perjury. It is time some thing dropped-that is, if there be any thing to drop. The indictment of Harry Thomas has not appeased public opinion, because no one planes him for the long and growing list of scandals at the City Hall Although he has tried to borrow hundred here and there, no one credits him with buying and selling Boards of Health and Councilmen or with raising corruption funds. Proof of the fact that either Harry Thomas or Robert Nc Kenzie tried to borrow money is not of much value and will not purify People f'e want to know something definite. They want to know if Woodward was bought and who bought him; if Henne- berry received any inducement to hand in so many resolutions; if policemen bought positions on the force; if allopathic doc tors put up a fund to pay the Mayors doctors bill and capture the Board Of Health: who is responsible for the water rates ate % after July | These are the ques- tions the public is asking and which they would like answering.
 The grand juries of the past four years have been expensive bodies to this coun- ty. The actual payment of salary and mileage to jurors is but small item con- pared to the thousands of dollars that have been spent in prosecuting lndlct- ments with no beneficial result. lndict- ments were returned against the Board
 for a county funds; nearly a score of indict- rnents were issued against County Au- ditor Whidden; one was brought against Denuty Tax Collector Ernest Mayrlscn; and another against Supervisor Roeth What has become or them all WIlhUut exception all the charges nave Deen ulS- Tissed by iuries in the courts MT Roeth, who was acquitted on Friday, mas aFerTeo right along that his indictment was noun ing but political persecution ana the yer 5;e+ would seem to justify his assertion. Wevertheless MT. Roeth has had to pay not less than s750 for attorneys fees, ana the countys expense has not been less '' Tt is a notorious fact that there Is some foundation for MT. Roeth's charge tha. that political grudges are carried out II .in5 county through the medium of the Grand Jury The jurors are innocent of any hand in the injustice, but they are Dound to listen to the plausible stories toio them under the ban of confidence and to act accordingly When the cases come into conrt and are heard openly on their mer- it's 1t is seen that they are based on found to subvert the ends of justice by other methods. Judging by the verdlcts of jurors all the officials indicted by Grand Juries for years back nave oeen ea subiected to injustice. Whether thls De so or not. the public has its own opinion.
 lust now, however, the outraged public would like to learn who are the guilty parties and to have them brought to Jus- tice in such a manner that charges against them would stick. No one with any knowledge of things they are expects to see Harry Thomas go to San Quentin on the strength of Robert McKenzie's story. If foolishness and impolitic actions and bad judgment were crimes, Harry Thomas deserves life time sentence. but Harry is not the responsible party for the corruption at the City Hall. It may have been very wicked for him to borrow money from a prospective candi- date for a policeman's star, or to make use of messenger to aid in his borrow ing, but such actions are not going to rob water rate payers of quarter Of mill lion during the next twelve months, and the comparative peccadilloes of the Mayors son should not be permitted to divert public attention from the crimes of others.
 Rarely have such important changes been made in the municipal departments with less comment than those made last week at the City Hall Outside of few disgruntled politicians not protest has been heard. Messrs. Clement and Thomas have been somewhat criticized for the re- moval of Chief Lloyd. It has been argued that he was an efficient officer. Three years ago when he was appointed chief by Populst Board of Works he knew absolutely nothing of police duty and was appointed solely for. political reasons. Captain Fletcher. who has succeeded Chief Lloyd, has been over twenty years on the force, has always been a stanch dence of everybody in the city and is the natural and logical man for the place MT. Lloyd has certainly been amply re- paid for his political services and cer- tainly has nothing to expect from the Re- publican party.
 It is believed that project is on foot to remove Street Superintendent Miller This would be grave mistake, especially with all the street work now in progress, and Mayor Thomas will do wisely to heed the advice of the merchants, so forcibly expressed by the Board of Trade and Merchants Exchange. MT. Miller's poli- tics is an unknown quantity, but it is said he is Republican. Certain it is that politics has never entered into his depart ment Chief Lloyd and Chief Fair were extensively partisan in their politics, but such is not the case with MT. Miller. His
  merchants of Oakland, almost unani- mousIy, indorse his official course; it is indsputable that MT. Miller is the right man in the right place, for Oakland's merchants are not always partakers at love feast.
 A lady sent me letter few days ago asking if something could not be done to provide woman attendant at the Morgue for female cases. The need for such was made painfully apparent last week when a young girl committed sui eide and was taken in charge by the Cor oner. No fault was made with the man. ner in which the girl was handled, but when the ladies visited the remains and inspected the wound woman attendant would have seemed more appropriate. The case cannot be argued, but the sug- gestion is obviously worth consideration.
 It is hardly likely that public park will be acquired, or that new City Hall will be built during the present municipal administration. The Solid Six will reor- ganize the Council tomorrow night and they have taken good care to put them selves in positions as regards committees for themselves No matter in what form anything may be attempted for the next year, 1t will fail to meet with the appro- val and confidence of the public. Fancy the Solid Six being intrusted .y the peo- pie of Oakland to spend half a million un- der any circumstances. With Heitmann