The San Francisco call., 1907-03-23

More than half of the colleagues OF
Supervisor James L. Gallagher are
blaming him for all their troubles.
When only their cronies are near they
curse Gallagher as a cowardly informer
and say that without his confession the
Grand Jury would never have been able
to rope and throw them and brand them
as bribe- takers Gallagher passed most
OF the money, and when he admitted
his guilt the jig was up. Fourteen OF
his associates had not confessed up to
the time he weakened, but his fall made
them reconsider their determination to
stand pat, and when he told them the
only chance OF immunity lay in telling
everything they almost trampled over
one another in their haste to give the
Grand Jury the particulars of their in
fanny. In other words, Gallagher acted
as a bellwether for the prosecution and
that is why his pals are denouncing
him.
BoxTON TAKES THIRD DEGREE
Three Supervisors sought the immu
nifty bath before Gallagher took his
plunge This trio was made up of
W. W. Sanderson, Thomas F. Lonergan
and Charles Boxton. AS they confessed
in the order named, Lonergan tells the
truth when he hotly denies being the
first TO turn informer. Sanderson's ad
missions pointed the way for the pros
ecution. Then after many weeks came
the trapping of Lonergan. Still the
case was weak, principally because
connecting links were lacking and the
Investigators decided to make bold
effort TO force a confession from Box
ton, whom they deemed one OF the
H. nat i've
Burns took up the task and found it
worthy of his mettle. BoXton stood
the third degree like a veteran. He
lodged and parried for twelve long
hours. but bit by bit discriminating evil
dence was drawn from him and finally
he began to parley. He told his ques-
tioners that they could accomplish
nothing without the testimony of CAL
lagher. Going still further he offered
to do all in his power to get the bribe-
passer's confession, provided both he
and Gallagher were assured that they
would not be punished. Whether his
terms were accepted or he concluded
to take merely what he considered a
good opportunity to save himself and
his friend is not definitely known, but
rumor has it that he was given the
desired promise.
GALLAGHER STUBBORN
Whatever the understanding Boxton
told his questioners what they wanted
to know of his own doings and when
they let him go lost no time In getting
to work on Gallagher The big fell
low would not listen TO him at first.
He couldn't think of confessing. For
years he had been posing as man
OF adamantine integrity and acknowl-
edgment OF guilt would subject him to
ridicule, the one thing at which his soul
revolted. Boxton argued and pleaded.
At intervals he called attention to the
evidence which he knew would be in
the possession of the investigators, but
when he went away at midnight Gala
CHER was still obdurate. Nevertheless
Boxton got into communication with
Detective Burns and reported progress.
When morning came another of the
Supervisors who had admitted taking
bribes called on Gallagher and took up
the work where Boxton had left off.
BY this time Gallagher was beginning
to see things in a different light, but
he had occasional fits OF ugliness and
the best he would do was to promise
he would think 1t over.
The investigators gave Gallagher
plenty of time TO consider. They be-
lieved he was weakening and were con-
tent 10 wait. At last their patience
was rewarded. From a resort on the
ocean beach word came that Mr.. CAL
lagher would be pleased to hold con-
verse with some one from Mr.. Heney's
office Soon thereafter the desire of
the bribe-p passer was gratihed. Ac-
cording to the story now quietly going
the rounds, the man who called on
Gallagher out on the beach was
Rudolph ~Spreckels. Before the visitor
came Gallagher had resolved all his
doubts. and there by the sad sea
waves he told the story of how he was
tempted. how he fell and how he led
others along the crooked path of cor
ruption.
PRESSURE APPLIED TO FOUR
After Gallagher had confessed the
work OF the investigators was COM
psratively easy. Soon the Grand Jury
heard his story. Boxton had already