The San Francisco call., 1905-02-20
WHITMAN STILL
HAS A CHANCE
Should He Be Deposed as
Chief He May Return to
the Position of Captain
COMMISSIONS QUANDARY
Police Board at Loss to
Understand Inference in
Report of the Grand Jury

Report of the Grand Jury
Even if George Whitman is removed
from Office as the head of the Police
Department by action of the Police
Commissioners there is doubt in the
minds of his friends-and those who
have given the legal situation in his
case some study-whether the verdict
will mean his permanent separation
from the force. When Whitman was
appointed Chief by the board that
superseded the Poheim- -Reagan-Dr
house regime he was not seeking the
position. He was a captain by rank
and satisfied with the position that
had been assigned to him.
Ex-Commissioner Newhall, it is said,
first made the proposition to Whitman
to take command of the department,
but Whitman replied that he did not
think it would be a good move for him
to make as he was getting along very
nicely in his capacity of captain and
that the worry and trouble attaching
TO the chieftancy would more than off,
set the difference in salary. Whitman
had done fair and impartial service In
the position of captain, according to
the ideas of Mr.. Newhall and his col
leagues on the Police Board, and he
urged Whitman to accept the offer,
even if he should elect to retain the
position for only a brief period.
Then it was that Whitman stipulated
that if he accepted the responsibilities
of the head of the Police Department
he should not lose his opportunity of
retiring to the most modest position
of captain if he saw fit to do so. In
this way Whitman has never rendered
an official resignation to the board and
IL the Judgment of many this means
that he has all along served simply as
a substitute Chief.
The charges of "incompetency and
derelction of duty as Chief of Police
not competent to be a captain. The
natural conclusion under the circum-
stances is that should the Commission
ers remove him from office. and his
contest for reinstatement should fail,
he still has the department to fall back
upon with the rank of captain as his
goal.
ELLIS FATE IN BALANCE.
Sergeant Thomas Ellis trial will
come to a finale this evening, when
sentence will be passed upon the ac-
CuSeQ OIlCeT. ElllS has IdQ COllSluCf-
able support in his fight for retention.
The uncertainty of the Grand Jury re-
pert and its evasions in the matter of
failing TO present definite evidence of
just where the fault for the corrup-
ton in Chinatown may be placed has
caused the Police Commissioners to
study very seriously as to whether
Ellis should be made the scapegoat of
the nasty scandal or not. The pack
age of money that Ellis turned over to
the Grand Jury was in its original
covering of paper and it is not known
to any degree of certainty whether it
was taken by Ellis at the instigation
OF the grand jurors for the purpose
of acquiring evidence against the real
boodlers or whether it was surrend-
cred by the accused sergeant because
of inability to stand UP against the
severe cross-examination of the in
quisitorial body tending to establish
his guilt.
1t is reported that ex-Chief of De-
tectives John Seymour told Ellis that
the jurors had evidence that tended to
ipcriminate all members of the China
town police force and that it was
known that the corruption fund was
passed along the line from the patrol
men. to "the high Office" whatever
that may have meant. Ellis, so the
story goes, was told to act as if he
was in on the old policy of graft that
has been in vogue for twenty-five years
in Chinatown and to get possession of
the mysterious sack. that for years
had been known only in astral form
and not in actuality so far as the pub
lie and the press were concerned.
SERGEANT EVADES QUESTIONS.
Ellis is said to have followed in
structions, but he caused a pang of
sincere regret among the grand JURORS
after having delivered the goods" he
failed to be a party to proving that
the sack reached any one in particular
other than minor officers of the police
force. OF course it went somewhere,
but who got it Ellis couldn't or
wouldn't tell and the jurors said,
well, we have part of the evidence
be took it, and we will condemn him
and go after the other fellows in spite
Of the protection that he is trying to
afford them"
Following this came the report of
the Grand Jury in abbreviated form,
as was outlined in The Call the morn
ing prior to it's delivery for publication
that afternoon. The report was an alb
stract of a mass of shorthand and
lcnghand notes taken by the Grand
Jury stenographers and reporters and
contained an inference that the sack
had spilled it's golden contents in the
laps of other than men who wear the
blue cloth and the silver star. The infer
ence was resented by the Commission
ers and they postponed Judgment upon
Ellis: until tonight, hoping to gather
further information as to just what the
Grand Jury is driving at.
-s-s
n