Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-27
HENEY STALWAR7S
CL|NCH EVIDENCE
ELICIT NEW FACTS IN PHONE
BRIBERY
Banker Marble and other callfornIans
Face Grand Jury In San Franz
clsco-Ruef Now Seeks
Speedy Trial
By Associated Press.

By Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 26.-The
grand jury's investigation Of bribery
and graft in San Francisco resulted in
the finding of no new indictments
today.
But one session was held, lasting
from o'clock until 5. At It's conclu-
sion District Attorney Langdon said:
"No new lines of information were
opened up by today's investigation, but
from the witnesses examined we ELECTED
confirmation of certain facts tending to
connect some links in the chain of evil
dence showing bribery of San Fran
cisco officials by the Home Telephone
company"
Assistant District Attorney Heney
said:
1--WE went over new ground today,
but purely for the purpose of clinching
evidence already adduced."
| The witnesses examined before the
grand jury at the afternoon session
were John M. C. Marble, a retired
banker of Los Angeles, formerly presi-
dent and now director of the Home
Telephone company of that city; John
Van Lieu of Oakland, connected with
the Empire Construction Company OF
California, the corporation said to have
been organized. by the Home Telephone
company to handle the getting of the
local franchise in whose obtaining the
latter concern Is charged with having
spent approximately $200,000Sin bribery
in addition to the $25,OOO paid to the
city and $4,000 paid into the earth
quake-fire relief fund; L. G. Burpee,
vice president Of the First National
bank of Oakland; Nicholas Prende-
CAST of Los Angeles, one of the original
promoters of the Home Telephone COM
pany Of that city; ]. G. Reardon, chief
clerk of the Central bank of Oakland,
and Miss Nellie Smith, stenographer to
the firm of Thomas, Gerstle, Frick &
Beedy of San Francisco.
Some of these witnesses will be re-
called at tomorrow's session for further
examination.
Other witnesses who were on hand
but were not called before. the inquis
itorial body today were Percy G. Nor
gan of the California Wine Growers
association, director of the Home
Telephone company; T. S. Parkhurst of
Los Angeles, and George Beanston of
the bookkeeping department of the
Pacific States Telephone company.
Attorneys for Ruef, who for months
have been fighting to avoid the trial of
LIltlT CllcliL NY OupCl lOi OuO6C 1(hiiliCb
today changed their tactics and fought
for the privilege of going to trial Nat
once on the five eXtortion charges
brought against him by the grand jury.
Los Angeles Men Arrive
Detective Burns said this afternoon
that all of the witnesses subpoenaed
in Los Angeles had arrived from the
southern city and were stopping In
Oakland. The list includes William
Mead, president of the Central bank of
Los Angeles and Home Telephone
stockholder, and w. @. Patterson, vice
president of the First National bank
of Los Angeles, neither of whom ap-
peared in the grand jury witness room
today.
An official statement from the dis
trict attorneys office is to the effect
that before the grand jury is finally
adjourned it will enter into an ex-
haustive investigation of the local po-
lice department, against which the
most serious charges of graft and
wholesale bribery have been made.
During the early part of the pres
ent investigation" says Detective Will
liam j. Burns, 1--WE discovered that the
police department was corrupt and in
efficient. 1t harbored and protected
every form of crime.
1.-THE chief Of police had for his spe-
ciaI adviser and confidant a notorious
pickpocket and ex-convict, and through
this man pickpockets were licensed to
ply their vocation unmolested.
every house of ill-repute paid a
weekly assessment, the revenue from
one locality alone-Belden place-net-
ting the department $4,000 a month.
For almost every saloon license
granted by the board of police COM
missioners the boss, Abe Ruef, coll
lected from 5000 to $4,000 as his fee.
EVERY theater that kept its doors
open in violation of the building laws
after the fire was compelled TO pay one
third of its proceeds to the boss.
"EVery slot machine netted a spe-
cial graft income TO the boss, as did
the gambling games throughout China
town.
''It was impossible to obtain build
ing permit without first paying from
500 to $1,000 to the boss. And so pow
erful was the political machine that
no one dared question the right OF its
head to plunder and rob the people at
will"