The San Francisco call., 1905-03-15
CHIEF WHITMAN
ON The STAND
Tells Straightforward Story
OF His Efforts to Stop
Gambling in Chinatown
TRIAL rs NEARLY ENDED
Two More Witnesses to Tes-
tify for Defense and Case
Will Go to Commissioners

George w. Whitman, San Franchises
suspended Chief of Police, was given
an opportunity last night to testify in
his own behalf before the Police Com
missioners and to deny in full the
charges brought against him of incom-
potency and neglect of duty. The Chief
told a straightforward story of the
many attempts made by him to sup
press gambling in Chinatown and
maintained that it could not be done
except with the constant use of large
force of men,
The questions of Whitman attorney,
congressman Kahn, brought out sue
cessively the records made by Witt
man In the force. his efforts to i'm
prove the department and his un-
tlrlng zeal for its welfare. When asked
by hahn almost at the conclusion of
his testimony whether he had ever re-
ceived d dollar from any source for
allowing police protection in China
town, the accused Chief solemnly an
swered: Il have never received doll
lar from any man, white, brown or
yellow. for such purpose, nor have
ever received a dishonest dollar, and
God knows l speak the truth"
When asked by Commissioner Rea-
gan why he did not place more men in
SAiildtOWh IL tllc suppression Oh gam
bling required it, Whitman said that it
was but Justice to the white taxpay-
ers Of the city that they should receive
police protection. This department is
not large enough by three hundred men
to properly police the city and | did
not think it right to leave citizens and
homes unprotected in order to correct
the gambling propensities of Chinese y
Whitman also denied that he had
2Qrapd n mo a arfo o;v,
number of arrests in a given raid, and
in response to question told the Com
missioners that he last spoke with
Chan Cheung in 1901. Chans Cheung
was virtually named as go between for
the Chief in the testimony given in
the trial.
Detective Sergeant Thomas L. Ryan
told of his being ordered by Chief
Whitman to report on the gambling in
Chinatown in April, 1903, and took the
stand to explain his report made at
that time. He was corroborated by
Detective Charles H. Taylor, who ac-
companied Ryan at the time. Detec-
tive Sergeant George Mcmahon testi-
fed to posting the Chiefs proclamation
warning Chinese against paying pro-
lection money. Two more witnesses
will be called by the defense and the
hearing will go on tonight at o'clock.
WITTMAN'S TESTIMONY.
The accused Chief called to the
stand for the first time to testify in his
own behalf. when asked by Kahn as to
his business, replied quickly. Chief of
Police, under suspension at present -
Chief Whitman told of his appointment
to the force as patrolman in 1888; pro-
motion to sergeant in 1888 and success
sively lieutenant and captain in 1895
and elected Chief of Police in Novem-
Der, 1901. ga
During this time Whitman visited all
the cities of the United States equal to
or larger in size than San Francisco
and made a special study of police
methods. The witness said he knew
that San Francisco was better policed
than many larger cities in the Union
The men are cleaner, neater. larger
and better disciplined than those in a
great many cities.
The Chief then went on to tell of the
purpose of his answer to the injunc-
ton restraining the police from raid
ing gambling clubs in Chinatown He
said that he used every possible means
to overcome the injunction and con-
tinue the raids. One place was over
looked in the injunction and was i'm
mediately raided. The following day