The San Francisco call., 1906-11-15

Deposed Commissioners and Men
Who Ran Restaurants Testify

In the building at Cough and Geary
streets, which was formerly a convent
OF the Catholic sisterhood. the Grand
Jury was in session yesterday from 10
o'clock until o'clock Investigating the
charge that Abraham Ruef illegally
helped the cause of the French restau-
rants equipped with sleeping apart
ments, before the Board of Police Com
missioners, composed of his appointees.
The witnesses examined were keep
ers Of the restaurants and also the men
who had served on the Police Board
during the time Ruef was acting as
attorney for the resorts.
In the hallway OF the third floor of
the building, which is now used by the
Native Sons for lodgerooms, were S. L.
Constantine, former proprietor of Tor
tonis. which restaurant was closed by
the police two years ago on evidence
furnished by the Walters Union; Max
Adler of the Bay State, Jean Loupi of
the Pup, Joe Malfanti of Delmonico's,
Toni Blanco of the Poodle Dog and Ed
ward Marchand of Marchands; former
Police Commissioners DR.. Joseph F. Po-
helm, Harry w. Hutton, John A Drink
house. Josiah r. Howell and Thomas
Reagan.
]. George Boyne, secretary of the
board, was present with the minute
books of the commission for the years
1904, 1905 and 1906. n. P. Scott, busi-
ness agent of the Walters Union, also
was present. DR.. Percival Dolman, a
personal friend of District Attorney
Langdon and who serves subpenas for
the jury, acted as an outside sentinel
and G. w Hooper as sergeant at arms.
o'GRADY ALONE ABSENT
OF the Police Commissioners whom
Ruef and his Mayor have removed from
office. Alexander O'Grady was the only
one absent. Ostensibly Ruef was not
represented in the lobby. But early in
the morning Charles Haggerty, an Of
fee boy in the employ Of the curly boss,
came TO the hallway and whispered to
Jean Loupi of the Pup. Agent William
Burns interrupted the colloquy and the
lad disappeared.
All day there sat in the corridor
man named Franklin, who had not been
summoned as a witness and who was
a stranger to Burns and Heney. When
the witnesses had departed and there
was no one else left in the hallway but
the newspaper men, Franklin held
tenaciously to his chair and his pur-
pose. whatever 1t was.
The Grand Jury demonstrated at its
first days session that Ii had staying
qualities of high order. The members
were on hand promptly at 10 o'clock
and they continued their hearing with
Z
in the afternoon. They heard the tes-
timony OF many restaurant proprietors
concerning the methods of Boss Ruef
When the midday recess was taken the
jurors adjourned until 3 o'clock and
returned punctually. From till Z
o'clock they were in the lodgeroom
which serves as the jury chambers. A
few minutes after o'clock the last
witness of the day was excused.
HENEY TALKS OF RUFF
Heney began his address to the jury
shortly after o'clock. The walls of
the old convent are not thick and the
voice of the Assistant District Attorney
penetrated into the hallway where the
reporters were gathered. Now and
again one word on which the lawyer
laid especial stress was distinct. That
word was .'Ruef."
At $50 o'clock Heney and District
Attorney Langdonaleft the jury-room
and Joined Agent Hurns in the hallway
II was understood that the jurors were
considering the bringing of an indict-
ment. After the jury had deliberated
for some time Heney and Langdon were
summoned into the room. They re-
I turned to the hallway, resumed their
conference with Burns and then went
back to the jury-room. Later Heney
came out alone and announced. that the
witnesses not already examined should
I be summoned TO appear OF 10 a. m. to-
day, when the investigation will be
continued. Heney put on his hat, gath
cred his codes and went home. Soon
the Jurors followed him, each main
tanning an impenetrable reticence when
! approached by newspaper men.
The witnesses who were not called
yesterday and who will be heard today
are Commissioners Howell Constan-
TIM. Paul Wichowski. N. p. Scott of the
Walters Union and Secretary Boyne of
the Police Commission.
CONSIDERED RUEF's DEAL
The ground covered yesterday was
the deal made by Ruef to act as attor-
ney for the restaurants and the part
played by the Police Commissioners in
paving a way for the legalization of
the places through the taking out of
innkeepers' licenses.
Toni Bianco OF the Poodle Dog was
the first witness called. He was in the
chair nearly three-quarters of an hour,
undergoing a fire of questions based
on evidence gathered by Burns and his
men.
Each OF the witnesses summoned has
already undergone examination by the
Federal detective and the story which
is coming out before the inquisitors
was we'll known in advance by the
prosecutors.
WITNESSES ARE SILENT
One thing impressed upon the minds
OF all witnesses is that they must be
silent concerning what is done in the
jury room, and they. for the most part,
emerge with closed lips. Blanco did,
and so did Adler OF the Bay State, who
was his successor In the witness chair.