The San Francisco call., 1905-02-04
DECISION IS UNANIMOUS
NOT TO FIND TRUE BILL
Continental Building and Loan Manager Is
Virtually Exonerated.
Gavin McNab as a Witness Clears the
Minds of Jurors

cusers. witnesses and judges have de-
parted for the city, but in the mean
while purveyors OF rumors are not idle.
nor is District Attorney Seymour of
Sacramento, nor County Detective
O'Neil.-
Bright and early this morning De-
tective O'Neil, armed with a search
warrant, arrived at the State House.
K and Tenth streets, where Senator
Emmons has apartments. Producing
his warrant of authority the detective
asked that he be permitted to search
the hotel safe TO determine whether
any of the marked bills were concealed
therein. The hotel proprietor complied
without protest and for half an hour
the detective searched every nook and
corner. but without success. He brought
TO light 500 in gold that belonged to
Senator Emmons, but as the detective
was looking for bills only, the coin was
allowed to remain where it was.
Senator Emmons arrived shortly
after the detective concluded his labors
and said that he was glad the action
had been taken and hoped the detective
would search his room, for he would
find nothing there and this would add
some weight to his contention that he
is innocent.
After searching the safe the detec-
tive continued on his quest of the bills.
AS to whether he succeeded in finding
any of them is not known, but it is be-
lieved that he did not Word went out
tonight that since the consummation
of the alleged bribery not less than
thirty detectives have been securing
the city in search of the bills, with
what success is not known. a rumor
is also in circulation to the effect that
one of Harry Morse's men trailed one
of the accused Senators to q San Fran
honlr "a offpr he roNpiVnd
the bills. and gathered in the entire lot
after the Senator had exchanged them
for gold. This story, like the rest,
lacks confirmation.
MANY RUMORS AFLOAT.
The theory is voiced tonight tevery
one is looking for a theory to which to
pin his faith) that some of these bills
are in possession Of the prosecution,
but that it did not present them dur
ing the presentation of its case in
chief, having a weIl-defined object in
view The statute relating to bribery
directs that any legislator so accused
shall be compelled to testify, but that
any statement he may make shall not
thereafter be used against him, except
as a basis for prosecution for perjury.
1t is the intention Of the prosecution
it is said, to permit the accused Sena-
tors 10 take the stand, permit them to
QenN Win all the Fenemenc6 IneX are
capable Of that they took the bills,
then present the recovered bills, to-
gether with witnesses that saw them
passed by the accused, and demand
warrants for their arrest on charges of
perjury, in addition to those on charges
of bribery.
There is some criticism here as to the
methods used by Corbin and his advis-
ers to entrap the Senator's Some say
that officers of the law should have
been posted to arrest the boodlers the
minute they took the bills and estab-
lish their guilt through the simple
process of searching them. But these
critics do not bear in mind that the
purpose Of the prosecution was to
catch four, not one of the alleged brib-
ers. Had that plan been followed out
the first man to take the money would
have been arrested, the alarm would
have gone out and the rest would have
escaped even the suspicion of guilt.
PLANS ARE SPOILED.
The prosecution had this end of the
case well cared for, it develops, but the
sudden action of the Senate in issuing
warrant for Corbin on contempt pro-
ceedings spoiled it's plans. 1t was forced
to show its hand too soon, and the de-
tectives posted to follow the movements
of all the accused found themselves
without a JOD, because IL was apparent
that after the exposure the accused
though they may have been burdened
under the weight of marked bills, would
take care to see that they remained un-
passed while the excitement lasted.
Monday night the hearing will again
go on, with half hundred character
witnesses present. This means that a
tiresome session awaits the trial COM
mittee.
When the people generally learned
through this mornings Call that SEN
ator French had assaulted Detective
Tichenor any sympathy for the accused
Senator that may have remained de-
parted. All are inclined to support
Tichenor's theory that French, if inno-
cent, should have assaulted Joseph S.
Jordan, because the testimony estab-
fishes the fact that it was Jordan who
told Tichenor he had paid French the
bribe money. Tichenor was simply re-
peating Jordan's story, and If French
feels he must fight 1t is agreed that
Jordan should be the object of his