The San Francisco call., 1899-10-15
Accused Of

ST Is due solely to the intercession of
Philip Crtmmins that School Direc-
tors Conlon and Gedge have not
been deprived of their profitable posi-
9 tions on the Supplies and Building
and Grounds Committee Of the Board Of
Education. The same influence has been
eXerted these past few weeks to save
them from inevitable disgrace and to pre-
serve their commercial value as School
Directors, but to that end 1t has not
proved potent. Director Conlon stands
not only accused but convicted Of
about every time-worn. crooked graft
that ever sweIled the income OF an
Department; and the lady-like DR..
Gedge, who has sworn loudly and long
to his honesty, and found much difficulty
IN proving it, is with him. Director Arm
strong, chairman of the Buildings and
Grounds Committee, is running not over a
length behind, although the Finance
Committee Of the board has not yet COM
pleted its investigation Of his official ca
reer.
1t Is due to this same investigation by
the Finance Committee, and the evident
anxiety of that body to keep the truth 1t
discovered from the public, that every
fact and phase of the charges which The
been given to the public. For month
past the committee has been rtgtdly in
specting every account Of the two com
mittees, but fearing that 1t might suffer
by association, by revelation Of the
facts, has, from time to time reported
that all was well; Not until the last
strong and Gedge of all power in their
respective committees, was there an ink
ling to be had of the things that were
under the surface.
The first irregularity which came under
the notice of Chairman Harry Holbrook of
the Finance Committee was that Conlon
and Armstrong had expended in a little
over thirty days S23 900 without authoriza-
tion by the board. The fact that that
amount had been burned up at a time
when the department was working under
! a reduced appropriation and when the
schools were known to be in Well-tur-
nished condition was so remarkable that
more than casual investigation was be-
gun and the startling fact uncovered that
| a generous lump OF that amount was
claimed by Weber & Co., dealers in school
suppIies-a firm of long and oftentimes
unSavory connection with the School De-
partment. In fact, Weber q Co. We're rep
resented by claims aggregating $4,000.
School desks made the largest item IN
the Weber bills. Just why Chairman Con-
Ion and Director Gedge, who signed most
Of the claims, shou4u buy at that time
enough desks to refurnish half the schools
in the department was not a self-evident
fact, so Chairman Holbrook sent George
Walker, inspector OF buildings, out
| through the schools to check off every
new desk that had been put in
Walker returned with his list and he
and Holbrook went at once to Weber &
/ Co.'S, where they demanded the firm s
! son. The Webers, however, had been
! too long in the business with the schools
to be guilty of a break like that. Instead
! they refused, and promptly informed Con
! lon that the department was onto his
! peculiar work.
ConIon then proved his gratefulness by
throwing Weber &s Co. down. Instead of
standing for an inspection Of his requi-
sitions, he hurried to the secretary's office
and pulled both acquisitions and bills off
the file, thereby preventing Holbrook
from making any comparisons at that
end and effectively concealing any dis
crepancies that might exist
Notwithstanding that Conlon's act had
prevented him from proving it, Holbrook
got up in an open meeting and accused
him of contracting bills in excess of his
zation by the board. Relying upon the
fact that he had destroyed all evidence
COnlon coolly denied that he had done any
such thing, and there the matter re-
manned.
The Finance Committee, however, was
convinced that Conlon was grating and
resumed its investigation with even
greater Vigor than ever. Gedge, who had
signed with Conlon all OF the Weber
acquisitions, got nervous, and as chair
man of the Elementary Committee called
in the principals Of the different schools
and attempted to get them to support
and standing for new ones. At the same
time the Finance Committee was making
good use Of Walker. Through him it
came into possession of many of its most
Gedge counted him a friend and poured
into his ear most of his intentions and
all of his troubles. Walker played both
ends against the middle and promptly car
ried the result of these little heart-to-
heart talks to Holbrook
Crooked George as Walker is called
by his political associates was, however.
not all Holbrook's; anything he could get