The San Francisco call., 1905-02-18

req. 1f.-10o lat,
red features of Martin Kelly have been
added to the gallery of accused bood-
! lers, Emmons, French, Wright and
Bunkers. The ex-political boss.of San
! Francisco has been caught in a trap
laid by himself and it is quite probable
that tomorrow Martin will be called
upon to introduce to the authorities
the bondsmen that will insure his ap-
pearance on a charge of perjury now
in course of preparation by District At
torney Seymour.
Martin Kelly's tangle with the bood-
| lers came to light Unexpectedly this
afternoon when he emerged from an
executive meeting of the special inves-
tigating committee that has been con-
sidering the charges against the ac-
cused Senators.
Standing against Kelly is the testi-
pnony of Senator Belshaw. chairman of
the investigating committee. and
Gavin McNab, who say that Kelly told
them without solicitation that he had
been handed one of the marked bills
so often referred to in the bribery in
vestigation by Senator French.
"A week ago last Saturday" McNab
testified, Martin Kelly called at my
office and asked me what his position
would be if he should withhold from
bills that had been handed him by Sen
ator French on the evening of the day
the bribery charges were filed in the
Senate by William Corbin- I ques-
toned him at length and he told me
French had handed him a $50 bill bear
ing the number of one in the published
list of the notes that had been used
to trap the accused Senators. The bill.
he said, had been sent by him from
Sacramento to San Francisco, ad-
dressed to his own home, and that he
still had it in his possession. 1t was
the bill referred to as the Santa Bar
bara bank note.
CALLS ON BELSHAW.
IT did not go much further in my
examination of Mr.. Kelly, but decided
to place the matter Immediately in the
hands of the investigating committee
Last Monday evening / met Kelly in
the Capitol Hotel in this city. I again
questioned him and asked him if he
would not make the statement he had
made to me to a member Of the COM
mittee. He then went to room 81 of
the Capitol Hotel, where Senator Bel
shaw was waiting, and I understand
told Senator Belshaw the facts sub
stantially the same as he outlined
them to me-.
Senator Belshaw took the stand and
Last Monday evening, the 18th
inst Belshaw testified, Martin Kel-
ly came before me in room 81 of the
Capitol Hotel and told me that he had
the Santa Barbara bank note referred
to as among those used to trap the
accused Senators. He said 1t had been
handed to him by Senator French on
the night of the exposure of this affair
in the Senate. After much talk
wrung from him a definite promise
that he would appear before the COM
mittee and bring the note. At that
time he made no intimation that there
could be a mistake about the PROPOSE
ton; he was sure he had one Of the
notes used in the entrapment OF the
accused SenatI-I and to free himself
from any responsibility he said he
would produce the same.
But yesterday, Thursday, he called
upon me at my Office in San Fran
cisco and told me that he had made a
mistake; that he had examined the
note that had been handed to him by
French and that it was not the Santa
Barbara bank note. but a United States
gold note and was not one of those
mentioned as having been passed to
the accused Senators / told him that
some mysterious influence was chang
ing his views of the facts; that he had
told me positively that the note in his
possession was one of those used to
trap the accused Senators and that he
had given me the definite promise that
he would produce the same before the
committee
KELLY MAKES DENIAL.
"He denied that he had told me so
and said that he had stated that he
had been given a bill by Senator
French; that he had not examined it
and did not know whether it was one
of the bills used in the entrapment, but
knowing it's denomination he had sus-.
pected that it. might be and had decid-
ed to unboSom himself, and that if
after examining the note he found that
it was one of those being sought by the
prosecution he would give it up to free
himself of any suspicion. These are
not the facts. however. He told me
positively that he had one of the much
sought bills and promised equally posi-
lively that he would produce it,
In strenuo/ endeavor to swear
himself out on this predicament Martin
Kelly worked harder than he has for
years. Members of the committee affirm
that he drank whole pitcher of water.