The San Francisco call., 1904-02-19

OF Thomas L. Brennan, VINO IS dC-
cused of embezzling more than HsS7,-
( 600 from Father P. J. Grey. an aged
! priest, who was for years pastor of
st. Patrick's Church in this city and
who has held various other outside
I parishes. Brennan acted as agent for
the priest, who was infirm from age
and illness, and the defendant is al
legged to have converted to his own use
a deposit in the Hibernian Bank
amounting to the above sum.
The principal witness was Father
Patrick Powers Of Livermore, who had
known Father Grey for many years.
He saw the complaining witness at st.
Patrick's Church in 1899 and at that
time the aged father was feeble and
could barely read, though he was per-
fectly rational Two years later the
witness found him in a small house
on Eagle avenue in Alameda, and at
that time Father Grey could not see
TO read and was unable 10 assist him.
self in any way. The house, the wit
ness said, was not a fit habitation for
a sick man.
The following year the witness
found Father Grey housed in a hut at
Lands End in Alameda. There was
a sign up No Visitors Allowed. He
went around the back way and found
an old woman, who after some per-
suasion, allowed him to see his old
friend. AT that time Father Greys
condition was pitiable IN the extreme
and his accommodations were or the
poorest
In all of these visits he had great
difficulty in finding the aged priest,
as be was being continually moved
from place to place, presumably TO
keep him away from his former
friends. In March, 1903, the witness
visited Father Grey in lodgings at
Bush and Steiner streets and found
him suffering from pneumonia. Wit
ness regarded the aged mans case as
hopeless. Some of Father Grey
friends caused his removal to st. JOS
eph's Hospital, where he lives now.
Charles ]. McCullom and Daniel j.
Buckley, officials of the Hibernia
Bank testified TO having received or
ders signed by Father Grey, authoriz-
ing Brennan 70 withdraw the $37 900
deposit. A draft on the CrOcker-
Woolworth Bank was made out pay
able TO P. J. Grey and when II was
returned it was indorsed with the
names of p. ]. Grey and Thomas +.
Brennan, but neither signature was IN
Father Grey's handwriting. w. }.
+ Thompson of the Crocker-W -Woolworth
Bank, testified that Brennan had de-
posted the draft in HIS own name and
had drawn against il until only S24
remained TO his credit on September
81 of last year, when an attachment
was served on Brennan's deposit in
a suit brought by Father Grey.
The draft on the Crocker-Wool-
worth Bank was introduced in eyi-
dence, but only photographs of the
orders on the Hibernia Bank were Of
fered and the court held that the ori-
ginals must be produced. Accordingly
( further hearing Of the case went over
until next Wednesday afternoon
Edward w. Hess, accused of passing
fictitious checks, came before Judge
Fritz yesterday for preliminary hearing
and at the conclusion his case was
taken under advisement until to-day.
The delay was not due 10 any doubt Of
the defendants guilt, for he freely ad-
mitted his offense, but because the
amounts obtained were small and Hess
had previously borne an excellent char
acter.
The unfortunate man wrote a long
/ letter 10 the Judge, which is one of the
most pathetic documents that has ever
been seen in a police court. In il he
asked TO be allowed TO plead guilty TO
misdemeanOr charges, not so much on
his own account, but for the sake of
his wife and baby, who are suffering
severe privation because Of his incar-
ceratiOn.
He said his crimes were committed
during a spree resulting from trouble
with his wife's relations. He has been
a steward on steamships for many
years and said he devoted all his earn
/ ings TO the support of his wife and
child. He showed excellent recommen-
dations from his former employers. He
said there were three lucrative positions
/ open to him if he We're able to extricate
himself from his present trouble.
! He promised to settle whatever flnan-
cial damage was inflicted by his opera
tions. At present he is without funds,
but he has communicated with his
mother in Germany who, he said, is
/ able and will be willing to help him.
! The letter ended with a touching plea
for the Judge TO have mercy on his wife
and child.
Judge Fritz was inclined to spare the
unfortunate man the ignominy Of a
felons sentence, but the District At
torney objected. Hess will probably
be held TO the Superior Court to-day.
William Tecumseh O'Donnen, better
/ known as ''Bogie," was arrested yes
/ terday morning on Fell street by
Mounted Policeman Johnson and
charged with speeding an automobile
I far beyond the lawful speed. O'Donnell
/ is manager of the Cole Automobile
Company and was out for an early
morning spin in a new machine.
He was before Judge Mogan yester-
day and explained that the mechanism
Of the new auto was somewhat un-
familiar to him and for that reason
X had become keyed up to a higher
speed than he intended 1t should go.
When he discovered that he was being
pursued by half a dozen mounted po-
licemen he became still further rat
tied" but as soon as he could he mas
tered the machine and brought 1t to
a halt.
Judge Mogan dismissed him on con-
dition that he take course in the au-
tomobile school.
/ Olaf Anderson, who snatched a purse
4 from the hands of Mrs. Rosie Z. WoeD-
/ Der on Market street and was pursued
and captured by Policeman Dan Dris-
coll, was allowed to plead guilty by
Judge Cabaniss yesterday to a charge
/ OF petty larceny and will be sent to
( the County Jail for six months. The
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