The San Francisco call., 1899-03-16

The only subject of conversation in the
City Hall yesterday was the practices of
Police Court clerks in accepting bonds in
discriminatory and the issuance of orders
of release outside the court hours. I'm
der the law clerks of the Police Court are
authorized to accept bonds in any sum
up to and including $1,000. While this law
is often the means of relieving many per-
sons of the disgrace of imprisonment on
petty charges, the wide latitude of the
consolidation act permitted many abuses
of the system. The Police Department
complains bitterly of this practice. They
assert that their endeavors to enforce the
vagrancy act are almost completely
vitiated by the Police Court clerks, who
issue releases for prisoners, whose friends
have a political pull, before they are
booked at the City Prison.
Jack Rice, clerk of Judge Conlan's court,
feels aggrieved because the newspapers
published the fact that he went to Ingle-
side track to accept bonds and release
gamblers as fast as they were arrested
by the police. Rice declares his action
was perfectly legal and not unusual
enough to subject him to any criticism.
He says he went TO the race track to
oblige his friend, Henry Ach, who inform
ed him that raid was to be made. Mr.
Ach furnished all the bonds and orders for
releases and he signed them when re-
quested to do so. Rice further asserts
that under the law he is obliged to accept
bonds when the sureties swear they are
worth the amount of the undertaking. and
that his refusal to accept bonds under
those circumstances would render his
bondsmen liable to a suit for damages.
There is no law, written or other
wise, which compels a court official
to discharge his duties at a race
track Or in the back room of a saloon.
The articles in yesterdays papers had
one salutary effect on the Police Court
clerks. None of them wished to run afoul
of their masters the Board of Super
Visors, and the 1ngleside attorneys were
informed that they would be obliged to
come TO the City Hall to secure the lib
Grafton of any more gamblers who might
be arrested. For the first time in many
months the warrant clerks were in their
offices after II o'clock. They received in
formation from members Of the Board of
Supervisors that Rice's assistance to the
gamblers was liable to get him into trou-
bic and perhaps cause his discharge. Po-
lltical positions with large salaries and
little work are hard to get, and the Po-
lice Court clerks may now be depended
upon to respect the orders passed by the
Board.
Judge Mogan, at the request of Chief
Lees, made an order fixing the bonds for
the five men arrested yesterday at $500
each. The Chief took further precautions
to block a repetition of Tuesdays farce
by ordering the desk sergeants not to
liberate any man brought in from the
track without an order from himself.
The lawyer employed by the jockey
club expected a big raid yesterday after
noon and the associate counsel remained
at the City Hall with bondsmen and kept
in touch with the Police Court clerks A
]
1t was arranged that as soon as an ar
rest was made at the track the name of
the prisoner was to be telephoned to the
City Hall and a release would be imme-
diately obtained. So yesterday afternoon
the peoples employees were waiting
around the cheerless corridors of the City
Hall to assist the gamblers in their en-
deavors to violate the law and keep out
of jail.
! Henry Ach, attorney for the 1ngleside