The San Francisco call., 1905-02-07
BEGINS TRIAL
OF SERGEANT
TOM ELLIS
After Long DELAY
Police Board
Acts.
FAN-TAN EXPERTS
Chinese Testify
to Gambling
Raids.
CHIEF TAKES HAND
FAN-TAN EXPERTS
CHIEF TAKES HAND

The long deferred trial Of Police Ser
geant Ellis under the charges preferred
by ex-C Commissioner Hutton, that Ellis
allowed gambling in Chinatown and
that he warned the various gambling
clubs that were paying for police i'm
munity that a Police Commissioner
was about to make visit, began be-
fore the Police Commissioners last
night.
The proceedings started with the
reading of the charges of Hutton
against Sergeant Ellis. Several Chi
nese witnesses were then placed on the
stand to testify as to gambling in Chi
natown. With the examination Of the
Chinese the situation changed from
trial of Ellis to the placing of Chief
Whitman on the defensive.
Several Chinese said that they had
been told by representatives of the
Eight Statesmen Society that the mon
ey collected for protection was turned
over to the Chief of Police. The last
witness, Long Hong Poo, testified that
Attorney Grant L. Carpenter told
twenty Chinese of the Educational So
ciety that a Police Commissioner was
going to make a raid. This testimony
favored Ellis case and pleased Chief
Whitman. q
Hutton tried repeatedly to make the
witness say that he was the only Chi
naman notified by Carpenter and that
the notification took place just prior to
the raid, but failed.
The delayed session began with a
reading of an answer by President Po-
helm to the severe criticism of the Po-
lice Commission by the Grand Jury,
and then the case of Sergeant Ellis was
called.
Hutton was the first witness to take
the stand after his charges against Ell
lis had been read. He was questioned
in turn by Chief Whitman and Attorney
Richard Mogan for Sergeant Ellis, and
he retold the story of his visits to the
Chinatown gambling den. He was fol-
lowed on the stand by Irving McAfee.
formerly a messenger boy, who testi-
fed to his delivering the note sent by
Hutton to Ellis making an appointment
to meet for the purpose of visiting the
dens.
Lee Sing, the third witness called,
testified that a Chinese named Wong
Yu telephoned the house at $40 Wash
ington street that a Police Commis-
sioner was coming and that they would
do we'll to close the place. The Chinese
who received the message was Chin
Box Cal, one of the Eight Statesmen Of
Chinatown.
At the time the telephone bell rang,
Lee Sing said, he was gambling and
stood about ten feet from the phone.
After Chin Box Cal had finished talk
ing he gave orders to close UP and stop,
as Police Commissioner was coming.
On cross-examination the witness
said that representatives of the Eight
Statesmen who collected the money
had said that 1t was for the> Chief of
Police. Whitman then asked the wit
ness why he did not say that in his
previous testimony. Lee Sing replied
that he had not been asked the ques-
ton. Isn't it fact" continued Witt
man, that Carpenter and the China
man who is the head of the Educational
Society told you to change your testi-
mony Sand that since last testifying
you have cooked up evidence?"
NO. replied the witness.
The next Chinaman was Chin Fay,
gambler, who has been living at the
Educational Society for four years. He
told of the payment of protection
money at II Ross alley, where the price
was S. for each fantan table operated
This witness also said that he heard
that the Chief of Police received the
money. Again Whitman asked IL he
was not coached in testifying by Car
penter and again received negative
reply.
The last witness of the evening,
Long Hong Poo, gave the most i'm
portant testimony regarding the warn
ing Of the various gambling dens. He
said that Attorney Carpenter had In
formed him and twenty other Chinese
at the Educational Society that Po-
lice Commissioner was about, to raid
the gambling clubs. This information
was given out between z and o'clock
in the evening, nearly two hours before
Hutton made his visit! Sharp cross
questioning by Hutton failed to shake
the testimony.