The San Francisco call., 1907-03-22
SCOTT SHOWS CLEARLY
THAT HE HAD NO PART
IN PAYING OF DOODLE
Testihes He Was Not IN
Control at the Time
of Purchase
DURING GLASS REIGN
Charge That Company Did
Pay Bribe Money in
No Way Refuted
DURING GLASS REIGN


Jury yesterday afternoon Henry I.
Scott. president of the Pacific States
Telephone and Telegraph Company,
convinced the graft prosecutors that he
had had nothing whatever to do with
the passing of a $4,000 bribe to the
Supervisors in an Intellectual attempt
to shut out the Home Telephone Com
pany. He had no difficulty In estab-
fishing complete alibi. but in so doing
he left unchallenged charges against
the management of his corporation.
which will probably lead to the indict-
ment of another of it's officers.
Although Scott was president of the
Pacific States company at the time the
bFibe was given, he had not yet taken
up the reins of actual management; he
was, in fact, away from San Francisco
at the time, and the direction of the
company's affairs was in the hands of
General Manager Louis Glass Scott
made these assertions yesterday in an
swer TO questions put to him in the
Grand Jury room, and determined the
period of his absence by producing one
of the company's check books, used by
him personally, In which the stubs
showed the exact time of his leaving
the city and the day of his return.
BEFORE sCOTTs INCUMBENCY
When E. ]. thinner, former auditor
of the Pacific States company, admit
ted before the Grand Jury Wednesday
that he had audited the warrant for the
payment by Halsey of the $4,000
bribe, he declared that he had done so
under orders from his superiors. He
did not name Scott personally as the
one that had given this direction, but
said that the warrant had been drawn
TO Halsey's order and turned over to
Halsey for payment to the Supervisors.
Scott, as president of the company, was
naturally called upon by the Grand
Jury for an explanation, and his denial
of personal knowledge of the affair
narrowed the field of investigation in
a significant manner.
Scott answered without hesitation
every question put to him. He re-
sponded to the formal preliminary
queries concerning has connection with
the company, and then was told the
substance of Zimmer's testimony relat-
ing to the auditing of the warrant un-
der instructions.
Did you order that warrant drawn ?''
questioned Assistant District Attorney
Heney.
Il did not" responded the witness.
Gould 1T have been ordered by any
one without your knowledge while you
were president of the company?
Let me explain, Mr.. Heney," an
swered Scott. Il was elected president
of the company at Portland on Febru-
airy 10, 1906, but did not take up the
active management of the company's
affairs until April 2. / was at the time
of my election associated with Francis
Burton Harrison as executor of Mrs.
Mary Burton Harrison's estate, and /
accepted the presidency with the under
standing that was not to assume act
i've control until my duties as executor
were brought to an end. Mr.. Harrison
and myself left San francisco for New
York City four days after / was elected
president, and I did not return 70 as
sumo charge of the telephone company
until April 2"
LOUIS GLASS IN CONTROL
1t was in substanfiation of these as
sertions that Scott introduced the inter-
esting testimony of the checkbook he
had brought with him. February 20
was the entry made at the time he pur-
chased his Pullman tickets for the East.
while the next stub executed by him
after the $4,000 warrant was drawn.
Scott suggested also that reference to
the newspapers of that period would
bear him out, as the facts of his trip
were published at the time.
who was in charge of the company
during your absence, Mr.. Scott?' was
Heney's final significant question.
Mr.. Louis GLASS;" was the terse re-
sponse, and Scott was excused without
further examination.
On leaving the Grand Jury room Scott
refused to make any statement as to
the nature of the subject on which he
had been examined.
Il answered every question put to me,
but / decline TO state the nature of
those questions" was all he would say.
CLOSING OF LONG CAREER
1t is a throw of fate that the develop
ments which have connected the name
of Louis Glass with the troubles of the
Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph
Company, as brought to light by the
Grand Jury's investigation of bribery,
should come at the time when Glass
long service as an official of the COM
pany was just reaching its end. De-
posed as vice president, Glass connec-
tion with the company in any capacity
was to have been finally severed within
short time.
The change in the company's internal
affairs which resulted in the gradual
shelving of Glass began, as was pub
lished at the time exclusively by The
Call, prior to his trip to Manila last
spring 1t was given out at the time
that this trip was in the interests of
Halsey's new company in Manila. but
the fact remained that Glass was de-
posed from his position vice presi-
dent and general manager. and on his
return was given the balm OF the title
of advisory official, while others stepped
over his head to the actual management
of the company's affairs. The advisory
position was merely a temporary step.
intended to be followed as soon as az
fairs shaped themselves with his per-
manent retirement from active service
with the company.