The San Francisco call., 1906-05-26
LETTER WRITER
MEETS REBUkE
]. J. Moore & Co. Fail to
Prove Charge OF
EXtOrtion.
Firm VIII Withdraw the
Charges Against
Firemen.

s.a meeting Of the Board Of Fire Com
rl.ssioners yesterday afternoon every
member WED with his neighbor to de-
Douaoe the conduct Of J. J. Moore & Co.
of II Steuart street for writing e certain
letter OF complaint 10 the Mayor.
The letter bore date Of May u and.
signed by Wee President J. 3. Blair Of
The Moore Company. il charged that the
~rr1 had been unable to get the Fire De
partment 10 aid in putting out a fire that
was eating up 1900 tons OF coal at Spear
and Howard streets. The letter also
charged that the department had refused
10 render aid without compensation.
Before the investigation into the charge
had gone FAR il became clear that the
letter had been written at the instigation
OF Bernard Burns OF the Moore Company.
Pinned down 10 facts he admitted that
some one had demanded money. That
somebody wore q uniform. The witness
believed il was a fireman's uniform The
person who demanded the pay was not
known 70 Burns. who was not sure he
would be able 70 identify the man again.
Burns was compelled 10 admit that he
made 10 complaint 10 the acting chief
Nurphy-whom he had seen often in the
vicinity. Later Burns was also forced 10
admit that he had offered 20 pay Murphy
I services were forthcoming. Murphy
swore he refused pay and that he at no
time refused 20 have men work on the fire.
You are in the position said Comrlis-
sioner Parry. addressing Burns. of hav-
ing written q slanderous letter TO the
Mayor. charging the department with eX-
tortion and refusal 10 attend 10 your fire,
in face Of the fact that you cannot even
identify a member Of the department who
did anything OF the kind. and in face OF
the fact that you yourself tried 10 bribe
the acting chief 10 do extra service for
YOU II is the sense Of this commission
that you owe the board an apology; that
your conduct was unwaTranted. and we
feel that your sense Of justice and de-
cency should compel you 10 repair your
mischief as soon as possible. You. Mr..
Blair. should take immediate action 10
recall your unjust and ill-advised action in
signing 50 false an accusation in so reck-
less way"
BURNS NOT VERY ANXIOUS.
Much against his will Burns said he
would try 10 pick out the fireman who de-
r1anded pay. The board insisted that he
accompany Battalion Chief Murphy 20
clay and East streets and face the men
Director Barrett denounced the complain
ants for coming with so unjust q COM
plant on weak grounds
Vice President Blair said he would make
tify a member Of the department
Chief Dougherty swoTe. as old Murphy,
% that engines and Z worked faithfully on
che FIRE and that the complaining COM
Yary would not even supply its own work
men 20 aid in keeping vehicles from cut
ting the hose 70 pieces when lines were
Fun in aid OF the battle 10 save the coal.
Il vas also shown that the department
worked vigorously as soon as the men
could be got to the fire and that the COM
planning company had admitted the effect
ave service.
after the. Commissioners had grown
weary Of denouncing the spirit of the let
ter writer's the matter was continued for
q week
Following Immediately was the reading
of a set Of commendatory resolutions,
signed by Mayor Schm;tz and the Board
OF Supervisors. The resolutions praised the
firemen Of the entire department for brav-
cry and effective, honest work throughout
the great conhagratlon-
7 suggest that a set Of these resolutions
should be studied by J. J. Moore & Co, a"
said Commissioner Parry.
MUST SUPPORT HIS WIFE.
Chief Dougherty complained that Archie
Jensen OF No. engine had treated his
wife shamefuliy by deserving her during
Illness. leaving her with three children 10
subsist for one month on 50 cents and the
charity Of neighbors- Jensen had now been
on leave FOR three days and had not vis-
ited his wife. who lies III on a mattress.
when she should be in a maternity hes
pital.
The chief was instructed TO suspend
Jensen 4 he fails 10 assign $50 Of his pay
20 his wife forthwith The chief was also
instructed TO notify the offender that he
must hereafter assign at least half his
earnings 70 his wife, and that he will be
oTf no r. "a f,ar-nr7d EVf12r the II
requires shall be given him
Captain J. Sullivan Of engine u was eX-
onerated for sending his horses 10 Emery
vile for water and feed, after they had
been on duty for flfty-four hours without
food and with water but once Commis-
Eioner Parry announced that the driver
who permitted such suffering should be
notified 70 learn how to take care of q
horse.
II was decided TO proceed on Friday
with the trial Of Charles Byrne, who has
been charged for the second time with
drunkenness and neglect of duty.
On complaint that c. T. Lutted exhibited
9 yellow streak by fleeing from the line
of duty On April 19 and remaining away
until April 30, under the pretext that he
was caring for his sister. who was under
the care Of her husband. charges were
ordered fled against the suspect.
The superintendent of engines and ny
orants reported that about 1890 hydrants
were destroyed by fire. and that the cos'
would be from 81 TO $50 hydrant to re-
place the lost ones. He also reported thai
about 500 might be realized from brass
and iron in the corporation yard, which
should be condemned and sold at auction
He also reported that burnt machinery
worth SGs77 had been recovered and could
be repaired
J. @. Hawks put in bill for services IL
helping fremen. His claim was met with
laughter and filed for future amusement.