The San Francisco call., 1898-12-10
"GANG" OBTAINING REVENGE
FELONY ACCUSATION AGAINST
 D. H. BRYANT.
Complaint Said to Have Been Filed at the Instance of an Officer Whose Election He
 Opposed.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN JOSE, Dec. SD. H. Bryant, who is charged by W. G. Griff1ths with having fraudulently obtained posses sion of land, was arraigned before Jus tice Kirkpatrick this afternoon. Baii was given in the sum of S3000, with Mitchell Phillips and B. K. Dow as sureties. A hearing will be held Mon day afternoon.
 Bryant is prominent orchardist and his arrest on the felony charge is looked upon as means of revenge for the ac- tive part he took in the fight against the gang" at the last election. He is a leading member of the Good Govern ment League, and waged an especially hard campaign against the reelection of District Attorney Harrington, who drew the complaint and, it is alleged, advised Griffiths to have Bryant ar rested.
 The trouble between Bryant and Grif- fiths, who was formerly a real estate agent here, was a couple of years ago over land and money transactions. Bry- ant caught Griffiths in several shady transactions. A lawsuit followed, and Griffiths and his brother made an at
  Griffiths sold piece of property near Saratoga for Bryant's wife, the latter taking mortgage in part payment. Afterward, to protect her mortgage in- terest, Bryant purchased 920 acres in Sonoma County from Mrs. Sarah J. Miller through Griff1ths. By this means the tangle that had arisen through Griffiths' alleged crookedness was strengthened. Griffiths then secretly filed lis pendens against the Sonoma property and leased the place to c. B. Petray for s400. Judge Dougherty of that county decided Griffiths had no claim to the property. Petray then had him arrested for having obtained money by false pretenses. Griffiths was convicted and sentenced to one year in the penitentiary, but the verdict was afterward set aside by the Supreme Court because of some trivial error.
 The Grand JV~v was not satisfied with this escape of Griffiths. and has taken up the case with a view to in dieting him. Bryant was a principal witness against Griffiths at the former trial, and he was summoned yesterday before the Grand Jury at Santa Rosa to give evidence.
 While Bryant was in Santa Rosa yesterday a warrant was telegraphed for his arrest, but he was immediately released on his own recognizance, a dozen influential men offering to give bonds for his appearance. He returned at noon to-day and surrendered him. self to Sheriff Lyndon.
 The friends of Bryant believe him the victim of political intrigue, through which Griffiths has been induced to charge him with felony.
 When arraigned before Justice Kirk patrick to-day. Bryant asked for a change of venue on the ground that the Justice would be influenced by District Attorney Harrington, and would not give him a fair trial. Bryant told Kirkpatrick this in so many words. The Justice said he could give him a fair trial, but would transfer the case to Justice Gass when it was called for Monday. In answer to questions Kirk patrick said Griffiths swore to the con- plaint yesterday at 11:30 o'clock. Bry- ant says this could not have been, as he saw Griffiths in Santa Rosa yester- day noon. The accused states the warrant must have been issued the day before, but held back until he got to Santa Rosa and was about to go be- fore the Grand Jury. Bryant claims politics is back of the prosecution, and says he will prove this at the trial.
 On Tuesday night Bryant and Grif- f1ths met on the street here and the latter threatened to shoot Bryant.