The San Francisco call., 1904-10-27
GRAND JURY
INQUIRY TO
Be SW WEEPING
Ruef, Dodge and Levy
Under Fire at
One Time.
Herbert SChmitz and Works
Board Also to Receive
Attention To-Day.
Assessor Said to Have Placed Too Low
a Valuation on Former Mayor
Phelan's Building.

The session of the Grand Jury this
afternoon promises to be full of in
teresting developments. The foreman
and the secretary have been bending
their energies to have an attendance
of all the nineteen members. and each
faction is expected to muster it's
strength.
The charge that Abe Ruef made use
of his influence with the Board of Pub
lie Works to compel the company
owning the 10-cent showhouse known
as the Baldwin Theater to give up 40
per cent of it's stock to him will be
taken up again. The witnesses that
have been subpenaed in this case are
w. S. Leake, Theodore Rothchild,
Charles Leonhardt Jr., Herbert
Schmitz and Inspector Fitzsimmons.
Leake was one of the promoters Of
the theater. but sold out his interest
when Ruef became q stockholder, be-
ing forced to do so, 1t is alleged, by
the pressure the latter was able to
bring to bear. No discriminating evf-
dence was adduced against Ruef at
the last hearing, and it remains for
the testimony to-day to make out a
case. If one is to be made
Rothchild held the stock owned by
J.eonhardt and participated in the
meetings of the directors. Leonhardt
will be re-examined in regard to a
statement made at the meeting of the
Grand Jury last Thursday that pres
sure was exerted from some quarter he
did not name to obtain a block of
stock in the company.
Herbert Schmitz, president of the
BOARD of Public Works, is to be grill
ed still further as to his official deal
ings with the Baldwin Theater, par
ticularly as TO the enforcement of reg
ulations in building and also to ex-
plain why the company has not paid
its license.
Inspector Fitzsimmons of the Public
Works Department will be called on
to explain why he stopped work at
the theater when it was being fit
ter UP.
NORRIS LEVY ON THE TRACK.
AS sequel to the Ruef charges the
Grand Jury has turned its attention
to reports concerning Morris Levy's
connection with the saloon adjoining
the theater. Manager w. q. Tiffany
OF the showhOuSe is a half owner Of
the saloon. and Levy, who is secretary
to the Public Works Board, is said to
have sought to branch out in the sa-
loon business now that promoting of
fights is rather slow.
1t is admitted that Levy tried to
purchase an interest in the saloon, but
that the deal fell through because of
the death of John Sroufe, partner and
father-in-law OF Tiffany. So the ex-
PLANTATION to the Grand Jury this aft
ernoon will be that Levy does not own
any interest in the saloon whatever.
John f. Merrill of Holbrook, Merrill
& Stetson is the executor of the Sroufe
estate, and a subpoena was served on
him yesterday
The next matter to claim the at
tention Of the Grand Jury will be the
case of the Election Commissioners.
over whom there has been much see
saving.
I'VE will certainly present an ac-
cusation against the Commissioners
Tomorrow" said a juror yesterday.
I'VE have been advised that it is not
necessary to have twelve votes to di-
rect the District Attorney to proceed
against public officers to remove
them from Office. BY a majority vote,
and that is already assured, we can