The San Francisco call., 1898-01-08
Talk of Presenting the Matter to the Grand
 Jury.
Fifty-Six Firms Represented at a Meeting to Consider the
 Grievance.
BUSINESS MEN ARE FIRM.
They Resolve to Resist Fraudulent Denaands-An Ultinaatur4a to Be
 Submitted Monday.

The Bulletin is digging its own grave If Brothers doubts it let him read the headlines in his paper of last evening In bold type the merchants who re- fuse to be robbed are held up to pub lie derision in such language as this: Men Who Refuse to Pay Their Bills Confer, Want to Compromise Their Accounts With the Bulletin" But the Taper Does not Desire to Enter Into a Compromise of any Nature"
 While the proprietor and business manager were seeking the friendly in- fuence of the Merchants Association to prevent a Grand Jury investiga- ton of the Bulletins fraudulent prac- tices the untamed steeds that are per Inftted to roam on the pasture of the Pickering estate were engag ged in cast ing insults at honorable merchants who had assembled in an orderly man. ner to protest against downright rob- bery. The notion that men of char acter, who were stigmatized as men who refuse to pay their bills" must resent the public insult seems not to have entered the head of the proprie- tor. The grave digger is at the head of one department of the paper and bunko propensities permeate the other end. The poor old man Brothers is between the devil and the deep sea He knows not which way to turn. He offers 10 surrender the money fraud ulently collected from the merchants and recede from all demands for money yet unpaid on the forged con- tracts, yet he does not seem to have sufficient control of property which he holds in trust to prevent a wrecker from destroying it.
 Fifty or more business men of un- challenged integrity come forward and assert on their word of honor that they were charged outrageously for the publication of reading matter which the agents and the proprietor of the Bulletin distinctly stated should be published absolutely free of charge. yet the paper with stupid effrontery gives the lie to these reputable mer- chants and sneeringly auudes to them as men who refuse to pay their bills. Two days ago the old Bulletin could have saved some shreds of its former good character, but the conflict of ir- responsible bosses in its rnismanage- ment is placing it beyond power to re- deem itself from contempt
 There was a great deal of i'll feeling among the merchants who were pres - ent at yesterdays meeting because Business Manager Boyle divulged the proceedings and some one distorted them in a. report in yesterda y's issue. There were fifty members present :. and six letters of sympathy and regret were received" said a prominent bunl1oed merchant.
 All reporters were ruled out and all present were asked to say nothing about what occurred. In face of this the Bulletin prints a distorted insult unfair of oil cured A committee of three was ap- pointed, out of courtesy, to confer with the paper. The editor says he will give whatever money we pay to char ny, but that is not the thing. We do not propose to be beaten.
 The Bulletin has said that 300 in Vltations were sent out and that about twenty people attended the meeting. The facts are that eighty-two were sent out, fifty attended and six sent In letters of regret. Some of the others admit that they were deceived and have kept out to keep from the pub Iiclty Of being branded by the sheet as refusing to pay their legitimate bills. think the result of the continued in suits of the paper will be to drive all present to refuse to pay cent of the unjust bills. l do not want my name mentioned, for l do not want to have to commit battery on some fellow for.
 
 Caught with the spells of robbery In its possession, the Bulletin now agrees to make restitution Brothers did not attend the meeting of the Mer- chants Association at the Mills build ing yesterday, but sent an apologetic letter in which he agreed to settle with individual members and refund money unjustly paid. The business manager was present, and the way he was s-questioned by the victimized merchants was a caution.
 Fifty merchants attended the meet ing and the discussion lasted for two hours and a half. The Call was men tioned frequently and highly com 1nended for its course in protecting the mercantile community from the raid ing schemes of the twilight thief Thursday evening the Bulletin sought to blacklist a score or more of the firms seeking redress and thus prevent large attendance of the wronged merchants. The threat proved a boomerang. It was regarded as adding insult to injury and caused increased interest in the meeting.
 Dld the merchants show any signs of weakness under the Bulletins threat?" was asked of one member of the association who was present.
 Not the slightest" was the reply. 'On the contrary, they showed more strength and evinced a firmer deter 1nation to fight the Bulletin to a fin- ish. The business manager was in an awkward position. He was sharply in- terrogated, and when he tried to laugh down the tumult of indignation the merchants were angry indeed He was confronted by the men who were robbed and those from whom the paper had sought to fraudulently obtain money. He was compelled to describe now the bunko game was worked from the inside and how many men were employed in the execution of the fraud. At hrst ne declined to state the num- Der of sharpers employed. but finally confessed that eight men were hired to do the job.
 It was decided to name a committee to represent the victimized merchants. This committee next Monday will sub-