The San Francisco call., 1907-03-30
BROWN BEGINS WORK
Of UNCOVER|NG GRAF I
Alameda Prosecutor Loses
No Time in Beginning
Investigation
SENDS FOR EVIDENCE
Takes Steps to Secure All
Facts Bearing on
Situation
SENDS FOR EVIDENCE

OAKLAND, March 2s.-Preliminary
to the investigation by District Attor-
ney Brown of graft charges IN conneo-
tion with the Home Telephone Com
pany franchise in this city, Assistant
District Attorney Heney OF San Fran
cisco has commenced to collect for
Brown all of the evidence in his pos
session touching the conditions on this
side of the bay.
District Attorney Brown has COM
menced his inquiry into the circum-
stances surrounding the granting OF
the franchise. He started today an soon
as the Pembroke robbery trial was
concluded. The first step was to send
a request to Heney for the evidence
! in that prosecutors offices. All facts
and data, circumstances and records
which might have any bearing upon
manipulations Of the Oakland Council
men, or any person, official or individ
/ ual, will be turned over to Alameda
County's District Attorney.
That this evidence In Heneys hands
bears much, If not more, upon the role
of Theodore ". Halsey, the Pacific
States handy man, than Il does upon
the Home Telephone Company is the
widespread report in official circles. In
fact, the story is as strongly current
today as IT was in the fall of 1905, when
the franchise fight was on, that Halsey
was very much in evidence at all times
and in divers places. He was the wine
! buyer, and as q purveyor of the good
things OF life broke epicurean records.
The surmise is strong that Heney in
his probing uncovered names and dates
and places that might be connected
with the Pacific States activity in try
ing to prevent the Home people from
becoming competitors for the telephone
patronage on this side of the bay.
BELIEVED IN HOME SYSTEM
That bribery was resorted to by the
Home Company is the later day devel-
opment 1t was not hinted at through
out the campaign before the City
Council.
Some of the Councilmen announced
from the outset that they would sup
port the Home people solely on the
basis OF competitive plant using the
automatic system Of telephones being
a benefit This was the attitude of
Councilmen Albert H. Elliott, Edwin
Meese, B. II. Pendleton. H. T. Burns,
W. A. Donaldson and lastly e. T.
Thurston.
Several Of these men spent much
time in Independent Investigations OF
the proposed system They were in
quiries which on their face gave evil
dence OF careful search after facts.
On the other hand, Councilmen Hahn,
Baccus and McAdam stood against the
Home Telephone Company from the
outset. Councilmen Aitken and Fitz-
gerald had expressed themselves IA
vorably toward the Home Company,
but subsequently decided against It,
Their votes went with the other three
making the five which opposed the
passage of the franchise ordinance
ROYALTY ENTERTAINED
In the junket to Los Angeles Hahn,
Aitken, Baccus and Fitzgerald made a
party of their own. They were show
cred with all OF the attentions that the
representatives of both the Home and
the Pacific States could devise for the
entertainment of the quartet. Both
Councilmen Burns and Pendleton
7ocked by themselves. That trip,
matter Of the City Councils records,
is admitted by Fitzgerald to have been
a royal one. Fitzgerald said today:
We were dined and wined. We had the best
that could be procured They made us feel at
more, some of us had dinners at other times
with representatives of the companies. Mr.. Pen
of their attorneys. and myself dined together at
the Olympic Club one evening after l had in
spected the automatic phone system on display
at the company's offices. Another time Mr..
Baccue and myself met Mr.. Krause and Theodore
Y. Halsey Of the Pacific States on the street
cidentally. after had been TO the theater. We
invited to dinner, and accepted the In
vitatiOn The dinner at O'Clock in the
evening and was open 20 the view of any one
in the great dining hall.
No bribe money was ever offered to me In con
nection with the Home company's franchise. /
voted against ii, because, after investigation,
not satisfied with the automatic system.
Councilman Baccus, when informed
OF the proposed investigation, said:
I've nothing to fear. They can't
start it too soon for me-"
BROWN BEGINS WORK
District Attorney Brown said to-
night:
/ start at once TO investigate this telephone
graft matter. Every effort will be made to get
at the bottom Of the many rnmors that are In
franchise fight was before 0aklands City Coun-
ell. There are some conditions here which do
not obtain in San Francisco and it is important
for the community to know and TO realize what
those conditions are In the first place, the mu-
nicipal government Of Oakland is q clean gov
ernment 1t is not enmeshed IN a network Of
graft as is that Of unfortunate San Francisco
IL there graft In the telephone franchise IL
was isolated
have felt that my duty as District Attorney
demands that inquiry into these graft rnmors
be made by this office. Not only is IL my duty
10 discover whether there has been bribery and
innocent men whose names night be blotted be-
yond redemption for years must be cleared
A a