The San Francisco call., 1907-06-26
GRAND JURY To HEAR
CONFESSIONS TO-DAY
Prisoner Admits Attacks
Were Instigated by
Officials
CARMEN ARRESTED
Detectives Declare They
Have Discovered
General Plot

Testimony duplicating officials of the
carmen's union in plot to attack and
injure strike breakers who were
brought to this city to fill places on
the cars of the United Railroads was
strengthened yesterday by the confess
sion of John Mckenzie, one of five men
arrested by Detective Thomas Gibson
on a-oharge of having been engaged in
the attack of June on men living in
the haywood house. at 131 Fell street
of which the details were published
exclusively in The Call.
The five men arrested yesterday by
Gibson were Thomas Kenny Grover
Busher, Cornelius Kennedy, John Nc
Kepzie and J. Murray Mcdonald. all
members of the carmen's union. The
latter however, is not the same Nc
Donald who was accused, with Charles
Cordes, of tampering with electric
wires on the San Mateo car line The
five men are being held in detinue at
the police station and will be charged
with violating section 404 of the penal
code, referring to participation in riots
On the morning of June 2, a few
hours after the shooting of William
A. Forgey at Eddy and Franklin
streets by William Bloomberg. a num-
Der of men attacked the haywood
house. at 131 Fell street near Franklin.
which is owned by Mrs. B. Marlin and
where a number of strike breakers
were living, and threw bricks at the
place. They ransacked the house in
spite of the efforts or one of the room
ers. who fired three shots to scare
them away. Ten John Doe warrants
were Immediately sworn out and the
five arrests yesterday were the result.
During the course or a long sweat
n Of
partment yesterday afternoon McKen-
zie admitted that the attack on the
Haywood house had been arranged by
officials of the Garments union and that
it had been carried out under definite
instructions His testimony will be
brought to the attention of the grand
jury today.
In addition to being implicated in
the haywood affair, Mckenzie and Nc
Donald were charged with being two
of the eight men who participated in
the attack on a car at the Chutes Sat
urday night and Mckenzie yesterday
substantially corroborated the confess
sion of George Peterson, another of the
gang who was arrested Saturday night
and admitted Monday that the attack
was planned by men higher up" in
the union.
WILL INDICT SIX
Indictments against six men who
have been engaged in the recent dis
turbances growing out of the strike
are to be returned this afternoon, when
special session Of the grand jury has
been called to meet in Judge Coffey's
chambers in the Temple Israel. George
Peterson, r. Schmidt and j. Kyle,
striking carmen, are to be charged
with assault and participating in a
riot, and Barney Olson, Charles Lang
ley and John W. Hayes, with throw
Ing bricks at streetcars.
These six indictments were voted at
the meeting of the grand jury held
yesterday afternoon and it is probable
that others will be added as result
of the examination of other witnesses
who will be subpenaed to appear this
afternoon. Judge Coffey is out of the
city on short vacation. but acting
Presiding Judge Lawlor will receive
the returns of the grand jury and the
indictments will be placed on the regu-
lar file.
Five men in addition to the three
who were captured Saturday night,
when the police made a raid on the
hoodlums who were engaged in an
attack on a car near the Chutes. are
known to the grand jury and indict-
ments against them will be returned
as soon as the evidence is in such
III.
John Leitzen was arrested at Turk
and Fillmore streets shortly after mid
night yesterday morning and is be-
lieyed to be the rfngleader of the gang
which made the assault Saturday night
Mckenzie and Mcdonald were captured
yesterday afternoon.
So far, Peterson is the only one of
the five men under arrest who has con-
fessed to the grand jury concerning the
alleged nlOf t0 attack ri hra IL
and the evidence in the hands of the
grand jury is not considered sufficient
to warrant any action against the Off
GERS of the carmen's union who were
implicated in his account
Leitzen was placed in the sweat box
yesterday by detectives and underwent
a searching examination, but remained
steadfast in his declaration that he had
no knowledge of the participation of
any of the union officials In the wide
spread plan to assault strike breakers
MEN ARE STRANGERS HERE.
1t was learned yesterday that Lett
zen, Peterson and the men associated
with them In the attack on the car at
the Chutes Saturday night have been
In San Francisco but short time and
were comparatively new members Of
the local branch Of the Garments union
at the time the strike was called. Lett
zen came mere from new YORK City and
has been in San Francisco about five
months. This fact has led CAPTAIN
Colby and the other police officials in
terested in the case to work on the
theory that the men were brought here
by the carmens union to assist in the
conduct Of the strike and every effort
Is being made to secure from them
admissions that in attacking the cars
of the United Railroads they were act
ing under instructions.
Peterson's statement in which he i'm
plicated Jack Mcdonald and Charles
Cordes. off1cers OF the Garments union,
asserting that they had arranged the
attack Saturday night, has not been
fully corroborated by any of the other
prisoners, and the prosecuting officers
have hesitated to take any formal ac-
ton on his unsubstantiated statements.
The only new matter taken up by the
grand jury yesterday was the case Of
John William Hayes the cnoE who x.,o 9,