Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-04
GRAND JURY
BRLBERS' FOE
is DISMISSED
EVILS OF SAN FRANCISCO
DENOUNCED
oliver InquisitoriaI Body, Which Holds
Record for Number of Indiet-
ments Returned, Finishes
Its Labor
b. Asso-,ated press.

b. Asso.a ed Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. Dec. 3.-After hav-
ing met on 100 separate days, on wnicn
lis sessions We're held, and having re-
turned AL indictments involving forty-
seven persons, the Oliver grand jury, the
most noted in the city's history, made
it's final report to Superior Judge Coffey
this evening, and was discharged from
further service by the court.
In all 597 witnesses were brought Le-
fore the oliver grand jury during the
time between It's first assembling, on mo-
vember o, 1906 and its final adjournment
today Most of it's work has been con-
cerned with indictments for graft and
bribery connected with municipal affairs,
and the public utility corporations of
San Francisco.
The final report is a voltuninous docu-
ment, and says, in part:
"To summarize completely the work
undertaken and the matters investigated
by the present grand jury would swell
this report out of all reasonable pro-
portions. We cannot even outline the
vast amount of evidence received by us
showing corruption and vice of the low
est kind, Involving the greatest moral
turpitude, auch as the participation OF
the former mayor of our city in the pro-
fits earned by the prostitution of the
lowest of fallen women, which consti-
tute a recital of seemingly inconceivable
sin, shame and violation of law"
Vices Will Exist
''Those abuses which we found to exist
in the more important departments of
the city government" continues the re-
port, twill continue to exist, in meas
ure, until honest enforcement of the
laws and ordinances continually pre-
walls.
.'The unlawful and corrupt protection
given by the police to vice, for the be- =
fit pecuniary and politically of the
heads of the administration and many
of the rank and file Of the departments,
is unbelievable.
IF 1t were not for the low character
of the wit esses examined and the
tangled mass of contradictory testimony
submitted, much of 1t undoubtedly per-
jured, but in a way that the perjury
could not be legally proven, indictments
would have been found for extortion and
conspiracy in forming house of Ill fame
trust. L III crib houses have no equal
in the world for yileness. They could not
have continued without the protection
of the mayor and the chief of police.
Property Owners Robbed
There was -ot a property owner in
San Francisco after the fire, on whose
property there remained any salvage,
who was not robbed by connivance of
the police officials with the junk thief"
The report scores the police
courts for not imposing more and
heavier penalties in the cases of
strikers arrested for misdemeanors dur
ing the street car strike. 1t also says
that tho police were criminally negligent
during the early part of the strike and
that many Lives were lost in conse-
quence.
The United Railroads company is
severely scored for the negligence and
criminal carelessness of it's men in
charge of the cars, and many accidents
in which people have been killed, Grip
pied and muimed are cited.
The reporc recommends many changes
in the conduct of the affairs of the city,
better enforcement of the ordinances by
the members of the police force, more
careful coli, ction of licenses by the tax
collector, proper enforcement of the
building ordinance. Some of the theaters
are spoken of as firetraps, and the
Recommendation is made that they be
closed.
The city and county hospital should be
torn down, the report says, as it is a
nest of deadly germs.