The San Francisco call., 1899-05-09
SUPERVISORS
REPROvEO BY
GRAND JURORS
Coin and Liquor Are
Too Free.
LAWS CLEARLY VIOLATED
FOREMAN HENsHAw SENDS A
WARNING.
Avs CLEARLY VIOLATED
FOREMAN HENSHAW SENDS A
WARNING.
The Board Eats Humble Pie, Sees the
Error of Its Ways and Prom
ises Quick and Lasting
Reforms.
Oakland Office San Francisco Call,


9OS Broadway May s.
Some very pronounced violations of the
law have been discovered by the Grand
Jury in the Investigations at the County
Infirmary It has proof that on election
day inmates of the intirmary were fur
nshed with liquor: further that DR..
Clark, who can come from the County In
firmary TO Oakland and return for two
bits, has been permitted to charge for
seven times this amount and has been
allowed to be equally generous to himself
when crossing TO San Francisco. The
third fragrant violation of the law was the
employment by the Supervisors OF
county employe as an election officer.
Unlike former grand juries, especially
the last but one, this Grand Jury does not
/ propose to bring in a hundred indictments
based on gossip or with no hope OF OBJ
tanning convictions for through its fore
man it has administered the following
mild castigation to the Supervisors:
OAKLAND May > 1S99.-To the Honorable
the Board Of Supervisors Of Alameda County,
Cal-Gentlemen: The Grand Jury has
Quested me in its name to suggest that in the
past your honorable body has committed GER
tain irregularities more or less deeply touching
the matters intrusted by law to you. These
matters are designated as follows;
First-That you have allowed liquor 10 he
given to the inmates election day, the inn
propriety of which must be apparent TO you.
! secondhand you nave allowed an e1lFlOAe OF
the county TO act officer OF election, an
act clearly in violation Of the law
Third-That YOU have allowed as expenses to
the Superintendent of the lntirmary 8 %
trip TO San Francisco and 81 so a trip TO Oak
land when. we understand it, this allow
ance should be limited 10 the actual travelling
} expenses Of that officer which certainly must
! be much less than these sums named 1t is OBJ
T vious that the effect of such liberal allowances
can only be to put premium on such trips
and to induce the superintendent TO make many
] Of them. to the neglect of his official duties
The Grand Jury feels that these
( are matters Of oversight and not Of intent. and
! that when called to your attention an end will
be put 10 them for the future. II IS with that
I view that 1 have been instructed to write this
letter, the Grand Jury only desiring from you
/ an expression TO that effect. and we only await
some expression from your honorable body be
yours, WILLIAM G. HENSHAW Foreman.
/ o. WHIPPLE, Secretary.
The Board of Supervisors. having been
duly spanked by the Grand Jury, at once
/ forwarded the following very humble
reply:
W. G. Henshaw, Foreman of the Grand Jury
/ Dear Sir: Your esteemed favor, under date
7 Of May 2 1899, addressed to the Supervisors Of
In reply I am directed by the Board OF Su-
pervisors to say that we have in open session
/ this day, made an order changing the rules Of
government at the Inirmary as outlined in
/ your first request
+ As regards the second clause Of your commu-
nication will say that we shall be very careful
7 IN future that no emDloye OF the county is
named upon any election board, and finally re-
I EdTulNB the tllTu ana !aSt clause, nave 10 say
that the proper committee has this matter In
charge and has already reported the same cor
reCted.
Trusting that we have fully answered your
desires. and thanking your honorable body for
the confidence expressed, we remain yours with
respect J. r. TALCOTT, Chairman.
The following resolution was also passed
by the board:
Resolved, That the rules and regulations in
force at the County Infrmary be amended
that no liquor shall be furnished to any inmate
or employe anywhere upon the hospital grounds
on the day Of any primaries or general election,
unless prescribed by the resident physician.