The San Francisco call., 1907-03-31

years rate cost the gas company Ia
/ allotment Of $3.50 for each OF the eight
arrangement was made this year. In
stead there was a holdup game that
misscarried and If any money was paid
by the corporation the man who re-
ceived the lump sum still had all OF
il in his possession when the Grand
Jury obtained confessions that re-
vealed the rottenness Of the board
! Some OF the Supervisors who took
money a year ago have deep, dark
suspicion that Jim Gallagher was given
another helping, and they would be
much obliged 10 Detective Burns II he
would only compel the big fellow" 10
confess again.
PLAN A BIG HOLDUP
The ordinance fixing the gas rate for
the wear was passed less than three
weeks ago. The date was March IL,
just one week before the grand march
Of boodling Supervisors into the rooms
OF the Grand Jury Prior TO final action
some strange things occurred. Certain
members OF the board tried TO play
Dutch auction" with the gas company,
and when no bids were received they
sought in revenge to FIX the rate even
lower than that demanded by their
broken political pledge OF the previous
year.
on Sunday night. February "a, fifteen
members Of the board held q caucus
to discuss the gas rate Sanderson
was out Of town and the two new men,
O A Tveftmoe and J. ]. O'Neill, had
refused to have anything to do with
secret sessions. At this meeting the
! existing S5-cent rate was thrust aside
as too low, and the conspirators agreed
/ TO stand together for a higher rate.
The day after this caucus Supervisor
Furey informed Tveitmoe and O'Neill
that the board had agreed TO vote for
90 cents cor more" Both the new MEM
! bers refused TO be bound by any caucus
1 agreement
I The go cents or more" plan had ali
the marks Of a holdup. but evidently
the man sent to the gas company failed
to do business. Nightly caucuses then
became the rule. At these gatherings
the cry was, IF they don't come
through, cut 'em down" Jack Furey
and Pat McGushin were particularly
anxious to strike back at the soulless
CORPORATION. Most Of their colleagues
thought there should be "a little some
thing coming in" but not all of the
plotters were willing TO break the pipe
! Of peace and get busy with the toma-
hawk McGushin, the Indian sign"
man. wanted his fellows to agree on
/ SIS cents. In this way he hoped to
/
/ good Jim Gallagher thought well of
the idea Sam Davis said Me, too"
and Jack Furey was positively enthusi-
astic. Others thought differently. Fred
Nicholas remembered the indictment
I against him charging the extortion of
s26 from a furniture dealer and con-
cIuded that he had better practice a
little self-denial. Coleman, Mamlock,
Walsh and Phillips did not feel strong
enough for the sandbagging game. Rea
refused to stand in. AS for Tveitmoe
and O'Neill, they kept to their resolu-
ton to have nothing to do with eau
cuses and took no part in any OF the
preliminary proceedings
GALLAGHER HAS BUSY DAY
On Thursday. February %. a final
caucus was held, and nine members
Of the board agreed to support an
ordinance fixing the gas rate at 65
cents. These nine were Gallagher.
Davis. Boxton, Coffey, Furey, Harri-
gan, Kelly, Lonergan and McGushin.
all OF whom had decided at the Sunday
night caucus to vote for 80 cents or
more.
The board was TO meet that night.
! During the day an appeal was made
! to Tveitmoe and O'Neill TO stand for
4 SIS cents, but they refused to listen.
Tveitmoe informed the emissary Of the
cOnspirators that he would favor the
existing rate. "If you wanted a re-
duction" he said, you should have
made the cut a year ago, when you
were pledged TO IS cents. Since then
both wages and material have gone
up. and this is no time for reduc-
! ton"
Gallagher had a busy day. BY night
/ a great change had come over him.
Something also happened TO Sam Da-
Wis. The other conspirators shifted
their position slightly, and in so do
ing added 10 cents TO their proposed
rate. Then came the meeting. Su-
pervisor Nicholas, chastened by an af-
hiction OF what is known in Oregon
as indictitis. introduced an ordinance
fixing the gas rate at S5 cents. and
moved that il be passed to print Su
pervisor Furey moved to amend by
striking out eighty-five and inserting
seventy-five. The vote on the amend
ment found Gallagher and Sam Davis
ranged in opposition The record was
as follows:
Ayes-Boxton, Coffey. Furey, Harri-
gan, Kelly. Lonergan. McGushin-7
Noes - Coleman, Davis, Gallagher,