The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
Evidence in Parksidc Bribery

lrkSIde bribery
ing to be in this matter?" He says,
What is there to do? We are going
to tell everything We know; we know
nothing" l went back into the private
place there, and they were discussing
among themselves what to do Mr..
Brobeck--
o.-Who was in that private discus
sion? Who was present? A.-Mr.
Gregg, Mr. Brobeck, Judge Cope and,
am not dead sure, but Morrison.
whether he was there at that particular
moment or not.
Q.-Mr. Crocker present at that pri-
vate discussion? A.-Not there then.
And Brobeck was first in favor of,
and then wasn't in favor-hadn't made
up his mind for quite a long while.
Mr.. Gregg said. You had better come
out and tell the whole thing. am
willing; it is better" 1t was left in.
an indefinite sort of way 1 said my
judgment is that it is best to go and
tell them all you know. AS far as L
am concerned / don't feel 1 have COM
mitted any crime, and / am going to
tell them all there is to it.
Q.-You were the first witness in
here of that kind? A-Yes, sir.
Q.-After your testimony in here you
went out In the hall; did you tell them
you had told all you know? Ayes,
sir.
Q-Did you ever talk with Mr..
Crocker about the matter at any time
prior to that day, this day you were
subpenaed? A--No.
Odd you ever talk with Gregg?
A.-No.
o.-Nor with Morrison? A.-Morri-
son, never.
o.-And Cope? A.-No. 1 spoke to
Brobeck.
Q.-Have you told all the conversa-
tion you had with Brobeck on the sub
ject? A.-Only that at different occa-
sions / saw him two or three times
before being subpenaed and he at all
times said to say nothing.
Odd you ever suggest to him
that you thought you had better come
and tell me what you knew about that
matter in view of the investigation
you saw in the newspaper was being
carried on? A.-No.
Q.-But he took the initiative and
said not to say anything? A--Yes. sir.
Q.-During the time that the fran
chise was being discussed and consid-
cred, did you know anything about
who was preparing the ordinance?
A.-The original draft you mean? 1t
came from Morrison & Cope's Office
J. E. Green was to get the original
draft; said he would get the outlines
and send it to Ruef's Office, which was
done.
Q.-Who took it to Ruefs office? A.
I don't know. I don't know who took
it there sent or by mail.
Q.-Do you know anything about any
discussion between Brobeck and Ruef
in regard to the ordinance when they
revoked the ordinance declaring Nine
teenth boulevard? A.-That 1 don't
know anything about. There is an
other matter / want to clear up 1t
slipped my mind, but the original-at
the time my brother signed the deed
for that Parkside, for that block out
there. I want to supplement my testi-
mony. Mr.. J. E. Green came over 10
my office at the time and said you and
your brother and Douglass Watson own
a block there. I wish you would have
your brother deed to the Parkside CON-.
pany one-half and Douglass Watson
will deed the other half. and we'll hold
it and later on we'll return the deed
from the Parkside to them, and then
there is another matter that occurred
to me-
Odd he explain the two checks
would be to cover that, that that was
the way that he would cover up the
s30, 900? A.-That was their plan. Now
when Ruef spoke about that fee that
5000 I want to say I was astonished
when he said he wanted $4,000. and
finally when got it down to $4,000,
said to him, if you get that $4,000
suppose there ever will be an investi-
cation of this thing. what would be
my position in this matter and he said
to me. well, it is merely my fee am
an attorney and I have a right to
charge whatever I please. At that
time I thought the matter over and
inasmuch as / had known that Colonel
% ,{v,lr IN
the Coleman estate and also that the
fee of Bishop & Wheeler one time
charged Thomas Magee $4,000 for draw
ing deed, thought the matter was
all right.
Q-That is, you thought there was
no danger in it? Al thought the
matter, that there would not be any
question about, 1t was all right. I
thought there was no danger.
Q.-You realized. however, that there
was something that wasn't exactly
straight in the transaction or Mr.. Ruef
would not want to receive the pay In
cash? A-The thing should have been
out straight in the books and that is
what they would have charged to at
torney's fees and then the thing would
be all right.
Q.-Didn't Ruef tell you he wanted
to be paid in currency? Ale did.
Q.-Did you understand or believe
that any Of the fee was to go to any
body else besides Ruef? Al did not.
1 figured that these supervisors, If he
was going to use influence with them.
they wepe in control I want to say
this, that Supervisor Davis / was sat
isfied that he would do favor for
Ruef without the payment of a nickel
because Ruef went on his bond as
surety on the lease Of the Unique the
ater on Market street and I thought
| that he might do those fellows favors
or that they were beholden to him for
getting them the nominations, / had
| no idea.
Q.-You had read In the newspapers
| that money was used with the SUPER
visors. charged for some little time ap-
peared in the newspapers. that that
was being done? Al didn't place
any credence in that I thought he
| could get it through II he wanted to
without the payment of anything, II
| he wanted to, for the reason that the
| r,avor I understood. was a1reeah1a ~