The San Francisco call., 1904-07-12
UNDERTAKERS
STILL At War
William Hagan Declares His
Brothers Are Trying to
Have Contract Rescinded
ROW OVER PAUPER DEAD
One Owner of Sunset Lots
Says Force Will Be Used
to Stop BurialS There

There is still trouble between the
Eagans. but William has not been ar
rested for placing the pauper dead in
the lots belonging to his brothers,
James and Joseph. in San Mateo Coun-
". William says his two brothers are
trying TO have his contract rescinded
by the Board of Supervisors of San
Francisco because they want the con-
tract themselves. The two brothers,
James and Joseph, deny that they
want 10 bury the INDECENT dead of San
Francisco at s. so per corpse. but they
CO insist that their brother William
and his partner, Kelley. shall not de-
post The paupers' bodies in their
ground.
On Sunday night James Hagan said
he would have his brother William and
Williams partner, Kelley. arrested the
first thing Monday morning, but he
failed TO make good his threat. He
gives as a reason that the lawyer with
whom he was 20 consult did not come
10 see him at the time agreed upon.
This morning at o'clock the matter
is 20 be taken up and the opinion Of
the lawyer expressed as TO the rights
il the case.
William Hagan was busy yesterday
preparing boxes TO receive the dead
bodies Of the city's poor. He stopped
long enough in his work to say:
sIy two brothers are anxious 10 keep this
matter before the public through the news
papers 50 as 10 prejudice the minds Of the
and cause me 10 fail in getting the permit
70 bury the pauper dead in the ground which
have purchased ana have plated sunny
vale cemetery The tacts Of the case are that
M two brothers and David Kelley fixed up
scheme 70 put in only one bid TO the
Supervisors FOR the burial Of the poor OF San
Francisco and then divide the work The
price was 10 have been SO for each corpse.
adult or child but we learned OF the scheme
and put in our bid for s. so which is enough.
We have gone 10 considerable expense in
ntung up a place for the care Of bodies and
burial Of San Francisco's poor and / intend
L continue my contract with the city. John
Kelley has put up the money with the IN
oerstalding that 1 buy him out when can
After we got the contract from the city my
brothers sent their lawyer 10 Kelley and Of
fcred him $500 20 turn the contract over TO.
item. he refused TO do so and now they
are trying 10 get US turned down in San
Mateo County.
We paid $500 for the lots we have asked
the san Mateo Supervisors to allow TO
use a burial ground and have had the
ground surveyed and the title examined. That
amounts 10 an investment OF $1,000. Yes. part
Of that was paid as attorney fees TO get the
pelmH tnrough the san Mateo SUPERVISORS
and part Of IL for general expenses. The per-
init should come from the Supervisors within
the next nine days and then We can bury in
the lots have bought
No complaints have been made by the neigh
bors regarding the holding Of bodies here, as
I have not heid any aoneer than the law
allows Until the permit is granted for us
L. use the land We bought and have plated
We viii bury in the lots adjoining.
WILL USE FORCE.
James Hagan is waiting to learn
what his lawyer has to say regarding
the opposition firms use Of land be-
longing to himself and his brother
Joseph. He called at the Health Office
yesterday and protested that no per-
mits should be issued. TO the new firm
on the ground that they had no land
in which TO inter the dead Deputy
Health Officer Levy said he would is
sue the permits, as the Supervisors
had awarded the contract to Kelley &
Hagan, and they claimed they had
place Of burial No other complaints
have been received by the Board Of
Health. hence Levy concluded that
the trouble was a family one and that
he would keep aloof from such a row.
When asked as TO the real cause Of
the complaint James Hagan said:
William Hsgsn. my brother. and his So
called partner. Kelley. will not be allowed 10
% D1Fs any % ths city paupers in our lots. even
~ lorce mas 70 be used TO stop them. We have
q watchman there now and he viii see Ia n
that no one is buried in our ground without
sn order from us. Ny brother William saws
there is only a one-inch fence between rs
There is only one-inch fence between our
l5nc and the land adjoining. but he mas not 90
that lsna yet he says he is to get a permit
from the san Msteo Board Of Supervisors He
paid the District Attorney Of san Mateo County
80 70 get his permit to bury the INDECENT
oead of san Francisco in the lots he says he
has bought in the county but the permit has
not been grsnted yet, even if he did pay SIS to
get H. "
II is a fact that my brother Toe did offer
Kelley $500 10 turn the business over TO him
snd be would have taken William in with him
but when the matter be talked over
William and Kelley said $1,000 had been used
ana they wanted that amount. My brother
Joe sald ne would pay that amount provided
the land was all turned over TO him bilf not
otherwise. Kelley was putting I'D ali the
money. Ny brother William did not have anv
the nlorning-thst is nv brother our sttors ~
ana nyself-to decide what steps to take.
JOSEPH WANTS PEACE.
Joseph Hagan says he does not want
any notoriety over the dispute which
has arisen between himself and broth
says about the offer to buy out his
brother William and Kelley. Regard
ing the refusal to allow any more
bodies TO be buried by the opposition
firm in Sunset Cemetery he says:
I think the law is plain enough and good
enough TO handle this matter and I certafnlv
would not consent to the use Of force 10 ure
vent my own brother from burying the dead
although have told him not TO use our ground
for that purpose again. II Il should come 70 a
point where the law could not prevent IL I
would Just let the matter go but / think the
proper way 10 do viii be 70 get an Injunction
The matter win be talked over in the morning
and we viii then decide what 10 do
In the meantime William Hagan. as
a member Of the firm recognized by
the city as the official undertakers. is
gathering the city's dead and preparing
the bodies for burial The barn back
Of 1920 Nineteenth street is the firms
headquarters.
a gentleman Is man made right and i'm