The San Francisco call., 1906-10-12
RE ETRACTS CHARGE
OF CORRUPT|O
Expert MACMILLAN Branded
as a Liar and Perjurer
by City Attorney McElroy
COUNCILMEN ANGRY

OAKLAND. Oct 11=Cfty Attorney ].
E. McElroy, before the street railway
committee of the City Council, tonight
publicly denounced c. S. Macmillan. a
former deputy county assessor of Ala
media County and former city expert,
as liar and slanderer and COM
PEELED him to retract a charge that the
City Attorney was on the private pay
roll of w T. Kelly, general manager
of the Oakland Traction Consolidated
McElroy declared that as MacMuIlan
had made his charge under oath, he
as a city official, If he did his full duty
would have his accuser arrested on
charge of perjury
MACMILLAN appeared before the street
railway committee of the council in
support Of written charges made by
him that the City Council and other
public officials had failed to- compel
the Oakland Traction Consolidated to
live up TO the requirements of the law
in the operation of its cars. and also
that all contracts awarded by the city
to- the Piedmont Paving COMPANY were
void because City Treasurer Charles
d. Bates Jr. and Deputy City Treasurer
r. B. Ayers and their immediate rela-
tives constituted the Piedmont Paving
Company and that contracts were
therefore awarded to the company in
violation OF the law.
When called upon to substantiate his
charges regarding the Oakland Trac-
ton Consolidated. Macmillan, having
first been placed under oath, said:
Gentlemen, the Oakland Traction
Consolidated already owns the City
Council. the Board of Public Works
and the Superintendent OF Streets and
his assistants, and the corporation is
now aIter the Assessor, and Will prob
ably get him.
The corporation has been granted all
KINDS OF illegal favors by the officials
OF this city, regardless of the rights of
satisfied. and viii not grant the public
which supports it decent service.
Further, I want to tell you now that
your City Attorney. J. F. McElroy is
and has been since he was elected to
the office he now holds. on the private
pay roll OF w +. Kelly, general man
ager OF the Oakland Traction ConsoH-
dated.
Macmillan was interrupted at this
point by Councilman Meese. who sprang
to his feet and demanded to know
whether Macmillan made that state
ment under oath. Before the latter
could reply, however. City Attorney Nc
Elroy. who had been standing in the
anteroom unseen by his accuser, forced
his way into the council chamber, and
confronting Macmillan, asked him to
repeat his accusation Surprised at the
sudden appearance of the City Attor-
ney, Macmillan hesitated, but finally
stammered a repetition of his accusa-
ton. The City Attorney replied hotly:
Mr.. MacMullen, I want to tell you
right here that you are a most in
fernal liar. Never since I have held
the office of City Attorney of this city
have 1 ever received a cent from Mr..
Kelly, the Oakland Traction Consolf-
dated nor any representative of that
corporation Neither did [ ever re-
ceive cent from that corporation be-
fore assuming the office I now hold
You are man who should be treated
as one of the thugs who are troubling
this city. You are worse than mere
bodily assassin; you are an assassin of
character. If I did my full duty
should request the Chief of Police to
jail you on a charge of perjury.
Macmillan attempted TO excuse him
self by declaring that he had gained
his information from hearsay. and the
City Attorney then demanded that he
retract the charges he had made, and
this MacSIullan finally did
The charges against the Piedmont
Paving Company We're then taken up,
but Macmillan showed no desire TO
press them, and the charges against
both corporations were finally ordered
filed
Affdavits were fled showing that
neither Bates nor Aver hold stock in
the corporation.
President Fitzgerald OF the Council
announced tonight that he intended to
oppose the ordinance providing for the
appointment of two additional detec-
tives to the police department and
would present to the Council as sub
stitute an ordinance providing for the
appointment of twenty more additional
regular policemen.