The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
continued from Page ~, Column

large amount of money in the matter
and that they would not vote In favor
OF it. AS matter Of fact, I had never
heard Of a cent connected with II,
either for the mayor or myself. I told
Mr.. Gallagher that I had no interest
IN the matter, therefore, / didn't care
whether It went through or did not go
through. Subsequently, I received
request from q friend OF mine, l may
as well now state the name. Mr.. G. II.
Umbsen. who stated to me that he
was about to become interested in the
Parkside realty matters out there. TO
have the exclusive control OF them,
and he was very anxious, as were the
promoters of this proposition, to have
this railroad franchise advertised for
sale: they didn't care who got it; they
wanted transportation and means OF
communication. had favored the mat
ter and the mayor was extremely
earnest about il, even to the point OF
suspicion that he had been receiving 9
money for our apparent interest MT
Umbsen stated he was willing to re-
tain me as attorney IN the matter.
told him at first that I could see ne
necessity Of II, but subsequently 10
the same conversation stated that Il
the fee were satisfactory to me ! would
see what I could do in the matter. Mr..
Cmbsen thereafter. within a few days.
paid me a fee, retaining fee. j was
until I arrived here this afternoon un-
der the impression it was $4,000. I
an not now certain, but il may have
been $4,000 from certain calculations
which I have been making. I received
that money and retained ii, no one re-
ceiving anything from il and il being
retained by me as my retainer IN the
matter. Before accepting it. however,
I had had a conference with Mr.. Gala
CHER and had suggested TO him the
possibility Of my receiving a fee 10
the matter and had asked him whether,
II these people were willing TO pay a
small fee, he thought the board would
be likely TO pass the measure He
stated TO me afterward that he had
consulted various members Of the
board and that in view of the fact the
mayor had expressed an interest for
81 that ne thought q comparatively
small fee would be considered. I there
upon stated to Mr.. Umbsen that
thought if I received an additional at
torney's fee OF $4,000 that might
be able to put the thing through for
them.
Q.-What did YOU mean by addi-
tional- Additional to the ten or
fifteen thousand don't remember.
gentlemen. whether ten or fifteen. buS
in addition to whatever ii was if he
! thought could put the matter
through. Shortly thereafter Mr.. Umb-
sen stated to me that with a great
deal OF difficulty he had been able
70 persuade the people interested TO
allow me this fee. I thereupon told
Nr. Gallagher that I had made ar
Tangements TO secure myself an at
torney's fee in the matter and I would
allow him some there over $500 as
his proportion of the fee. Mr.. Gala
CHER estimated what it would re-
ouire for his service in the mat
ter and we had discussed would the
supervisors accept the amount There
UPON the petition for the franchise was
introduced and the necessary resolu-
tions were adopted, after having been
voted upon in a caucus. Sunday night
caucus. I wish to state that at these
csucuses there was never g question
OF attorneys fees or payments or
anything else than apparently straight
proposition as to whether desirable
thing for the city or not. Whatever
matters were spoken of between Mr..
Gallagher and the other gentlemen.
that ] have no cognizance of except
reported TO me by Mr.. Gallagher at va
rieus times. After the matter had
progressed TO e certain stage the Park
side people as represented. sc far as
was concerned, by Mr.. Umbsen, ex-
pressed a desire in order to procure
speedier transportation and quicker IA
cilities 10 reach their block OF land they
were exploiting, to have the road
over which the application for fran
chise had been granted changed from
Twentieth. which was the original ap-
piication. 10 Nineteenth avenue.
Rtated Nineteenth avenue was boule-
yard. had been so dedicated and the
matter could not be changed. There
upon the arguments were presented
that Nineteenth avenue was a boule-
ward Of imperfect grade, that 1he
pavement there was Inadequate Insult
fcient, that ii was already crumbling
away before IL had been used; that
these people were willing to create a
new boulevard with better grade, bet
Ter in every respect TO the Nineteenth
avenue boulevard shd superior in many
cases. pay all expenses themselves and
have il Grady within q certain short
specified time. Their object in hav-
ing Nineteenth. they thought it was q
better avenue, already pdepsred and
could be used and they could immedi-
stely lay their tracks and operate;
the Twentieth avenue being through
waste of sand without any pavement
or macadamization. Mr.. Umbsen
stated to me that the people insisted
upon that: II was absolutely vital and
essential that the residents OF San
Francisco were securing proper loca-
tions. cheap places TO construct tempo
-rary and permanent dwellings, and
that unless they could secure facilities
for transportation the people might 60
20 Oakland or some other suburb and
we would lose not only the increased
assessments but the residence of these
people thereupon. in consultation
with Mr.. Umbsen, agreed that ! would
undertake 20 do this matter. IL it could
be done, and conferred with Mr. Gal
1agher about the possibility Of its being
done He conversed with the members
of the board Of supervisors and said
they were willing to do it I told him
that I thought I could secure an addi-
tionsl fee for myself In the matter and
allow him something out of it
thereupon conferred with Mr. Umbsen
agreed with him upon an additional
$4,000 and stated TO Mr. Gallagher and
asked Mr. Gallagher IL $500 or 5000
would be a sufficient fee for their
added to the other. He stated that ii
would Thereupon stated to Mr.. Gal
lagher that such an amount, $4,000
could be allowed him as his part o,
the fee. being one-half OF the addi.
tfonal amount The matter was passed
by the board and the two amounts
$4,000 and $4,000. were never paid bs