The San Francisco call., 1899-07-20


HVHE exclusive publication in to-day's
Call Of the celebrated secret con
tract between Coroner Mehrmann
and Nessrs. Blair, Mccarthy and
Clark created as much consterna-
ton among the politicians as If some one
had exploded dynamite on Broadway.
Additional revelations regarding the re-
n-arkabIe county campaign of last fall
are being made hourly. and a most in
tric4ta Yet pretty series Of political con-
erf-act.s have been unfolded. Apparently
n rtg..u last August. when Coroner Bald
vrfr and DR.. Mehrmann were fast friends.
4 little deal was agreed upon by which
NIehrmann was to receive the support of
Baldwin and in return Baldwin was to be
given a fair share of the autopsy work
Of the NorgUe. A little later it developed
that Dr Tisdale of Alameda wanted
something, and it was suggested that he
be appointed physician to the County Jail.
DIT Baldwin was after that place ana II
was supposed that he had sufficient votes
in the Supervisors to appoint him. DIT.
Tisdale was to have all the autopsy work
In Alameda but this was not considered
sufficient for him by his political friends.
Finally Or. Mehrmann was elected and
several months passed by without Dr.
Tisdale receiving any autopsy work in
Alameda or DR.. Baldwin any in Oakland.
Then the Supervisors mixed up in the
quarrel over patronage ana II Is said that
the Coroner NldQe SOME Lilttl4lk ilIAiSAlt te'A y
remarks about VIII Church Whlch pro
voked lively discussion with DR.. Bald
win. one thing led To another until the
Supervisors suddenly discovered that DF.
Mehrmann was oVercharging the county
in the matter of fees. Then the storm
burst and reached its climax with the
publication of the secret contract to-day,
following on Dr. MehTmaun $ ten thou
sand word arraignment OF the Board OF
Supervisors.
Dr. Mehrnann positively denies that he
ever received money, but freely admits
the existence and the signing OF the con
tract He denies That ne ever thrGaieilet
to smash Undertaken MCCarthys head if
he divuIged the secrets Of the deal.
M MCCarthys version Of this incl
dent Is as follows:
One morning" he said, Il re-
ceived a telephone message before
breakfast, asking me to go to DR..
Mehrmann's Office. 1 declined to go
until I had had my breakfast, al
though the doctor told me that the
business was of the greatest i'm
portance We went into room and
the doctor shut the door. He then
held out his fist and said, If any one
of you - fellows ever breathes
word of this contract business I will
blow your heads Off
- Sit down, DOCTOR I said, you
wouldn't blow the head off a fly. You
are too much of a coward We'll,
you bet that somebody will get licked
if this thing gets out Keep calm,
DOCTOR I said, I am a pretty able
fellow myself, and if there is any
licking going to be done I am not 60
ing to be the fellow that will be
licked
Il then told him that instead Of
ouarreIing we had better get down
to business, and he promised me that
I should have one-third of the busi-
ness of the Morgue if I did not squeal
and that if I did squeaI the conse-
quences would be most alarming. l
told him that he could not prevent me
from squealing if I wanted to, and
that if I felt inclined I would go out
on Broadway and bawl out the whole
proposition.
This interview is denied totally by Cor
Oner Mehrmanu.
publication of the following statement:
1 do not deny that p business contract was
entered into 10y me for the furnishing of
Morgue such as consider d Morgue, as l had
gone through the campaign on the platform
that I would get public Morgue from the
This contract was entered into after having
been advised by good .eSai authority that THIS
county could not furnish public Morgue
had refused enter into any proposition with
said that I imported undertakeTs from sacTa
uento TO take the MOrguc- then thought Of
either Brown or Mccarthy the latter OF whom
l considered my friend at the time.
desire to deny emphatcally that / was
5000 $1,000 or any other sum for placing the
Mcrgue. There IS nothing in the contract
which in any way compromises any or those
Il 'ss was agreed that the expenditures Of fitting
T1frnE ENrrl
not To- 10 be less than 5000 This was the con
sideration Of value on my part, as stated IN the
eunnated had Mccarthy played fair on the
proposition. The arrangement on IHe paIt Gt
the uudeTtakerS something like this: Blalr
and Clark were TO each pay Nc. arthy $90Jg for a
was to receive $1,000 cash The other 5000 each
sls6y5 towaagd Whc6 Mccarthy was to SUB
scribe 5000 when the time came for this
deal u he put through Mccarthy insisted on
55 BAR @ G5 ana car l ' reus@d 70 o0 come down Tg
saying $1,000 was the agreement and that $1,000
take $1,000 with a SI2 900 pool. Then the other
two withdrew together and when Mccarthy
i9f 80 him. a. il STAND =" boys, ''ey ~0u'on "s'sn
per me TO death by saying that accepted 5000
OF the new hrn and that / got $1,000 from
Brown has lived up 10 my proposition to fur
nish me good MorGue as we'll as his space
As for the Supervisors being asked to take
the contract off my hands I know nothing
threatening Mccarthy il IS fabrication made
out O: whole cloth. When Mccarthy and his
associates met IN my office and could not agree
told them frankly they could do as they
. pleased with their contract Never at any time
was there any secrecy on my part. Mr. Brown
was the first ono to know Of these negotia-
tions with Mccarthy. When January l ar
lived and he had no preparations made for the
Morgue I considered as did Blair and Clark,
that there were relations between US.
A threatened expose OF this contract has been
used as a means thwart my report made
Monday before the Supervisors. Had aught
to fear I might not have made my statement.
As late as Monday party went to my attor-
ney and said l had better go slow.
have not accepted a dollar in the whole
inch gun to fire, and 1t is loaded with slugs:
Discussing the matter to-day James L.
Mccarthy said:
Il signed the contract in the presence
of Mr. Clark and DR.. Mehrmann. There
was clause In II agreeing to pay Coroner
Mehrmann $4,000 for giving US the Morgue.
Dr. Mehrmann said he did not want the
consideration named in the contract. Mr..
Clark has the contract in his possession.
tEFDG q orly a hA