The San Francisco call., 1899-09-29
SCHOOL BOARD
SCANDAL Up TO
DIRECTOR GEDGE
Grand Jury Probing
Bribery Charges.

The Grand Jury has begun its investiga-
ton of the School Board scandal. Its
session yesterday afternoon was devoted
TO taking the testimony of some of the
most important witnesses against the ac-
cused School Directors, DR.. H. E. Gedge
and j. J. Conlon. Involved in the affair
which has called for Grand Jury inquisi-
ton is the Supplies Committee of the
Board of Education, of which the Direct
ors named and William Kemp are the
members. The accusations are that Gedge
stated to reputable citizens that he had
received $4,000 for swinging a profitable
school contract in the direction of the
firm paying the money, and that he had
given $500 of the amount to his colleague
Conlon, for standing in" on the deal.
kemp's only connection with the scandal
is the horrible howl he has made for be-
Ing overlooked in the division of the
spoils and from the fact that none of the
fitting twenties found a resting place in
his itching and capacious palm
The testimony given yesterday puts the
matter up to- Gedge. Positive asser-
tions were made that he had admitted
paying $500 to Conlon for influencing the
latters vote. While the evidence was not
quite as strong that he had acknowledged
receiving $1,000, the fact of the $500 end of
the transaction stares the accused Direct
or squarely in the face He can not get
away from it. 1t is up to him" to ex-
plain to the Grand Jury where he got that
$500 for what purpose 1t was given him
and why he passed it over to Conlon. He
has supplied from his own lips the mate
rial which suggests these queries There
can be no squlrming or evading the issue:
Where did that money come from?
Who paid it to Gedge?
Why was it paid to him?
Why did he turn it over to Conlon?
District Attorney Murphy was in con-
sultation with the jury in connection with
the case for some time before the wit
determination to probe the scandal to the
bottom, and from the searching examina-
tion of the witnesses there appears TO be
a disposition TO leave nothing undone that
tends 10 throw light on the School Board
crOOkedneSS.
John d. Spreckels, proprietor of The
that information of the Gedge affair had
been brought to him by one of the repre-
sentatives of his paper This information
was to the effect that DR.. Gedge had
told George Walker that he (Gedge) had
received money for his vote on a school
board contract. and that he had paid $500
of 1t to Director Conlon for standing in
with him. Not wishing to do any one
an injustice and not desiring to publish
any matter in The Call that was not fully
substantiated. Mr.: Spreckels sent for
Walker, who admitted that Gedge had
told him of receiving a certain amount
of money and paying $500 of it to Conlon.
Walker supplemented his story with the
statement that he had made the same as
sertions to School Director Harry NJ. Hol-
brook. With this information, Mr.
Spreckels testified, he sent for the man
ager of the paper, told him the story was
correct and instructed him to publish it,
The testimony given by Director Hol-
brook corroborated that of Mr. Spreckels
He had perfect recollection of Mr..
Walker telling him of Gedges admis-
sions
Grove P. Ayers told of a conversation
between himself Walker and Holbrook.
during which Walker remarked that
Gedge was dishonest.
How do you know that? Why do you
make such an assertion" asked Ayers
Because l have received admissions
from, Gedge's own lips was the startling
reply. Walker then went on to detail the
confessions of Gedge that he had re-
ceived bribe money and had given $500
to Conion.
When Walker was called before the
jury he wiggled out of a positive state
ment that Gedge had told him of the $4,000
deal. He denied that Gedge had ever
made such statement to him, or that
he (Walkerl had repeated 1t to Mr.
Spreckels, Mr.. Holbrook and Mr. Ayers
Walker, however, was frank in admit
ting that Gedge had told him that he
(Gedge) had paid $500 to Conlon to infiu-
ence the latters vote.
Mr.. Walkers word is against that of
three reputable citizens as to the $1,000
matter, but they all agree on Gedge's
statements concerning the $500 transac-
ton with Conlon.
The investigation will be continued at
the next session of the ilrV