The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24


was these parties of friends" that
permit from the Mayor All am try
ing to do is make a living. Why don't
they let me alone?'
Hasn't the chief engineer of the
Fire Department repeatedly protested
against this tent, and reported 1t time
after time as unsafe-as a fire trap?"
Il don't know what the fire chief
has reported. Maybe he did. But this
place amt no fire trap. It's just what
II was when We put 1t up after the
fire. We amt done anything to ii.
It's just as it was. The other theaters
haven't left their tents alone. We
have. Why, there Amt nothing to burn
here-just that canvas" pointing to
the undulating. Tapping roof. which
billowed in the wind across the maze
of fiimsy wooden rafters with resound-
ing whacks.
NO FIRE PROTECTION
DO you make any pretense of COM
plying with the law touching the in
stallation of fire. e-hghting apparatus?"
The face of CRATER Davis was aglow
with fine pride he pointed to the
dark muzzles Of two bits of iron pipe
peeping through the board walls of his
fire trap-one midway the length OF
each wall. See them?" shouted Davis.
There they are There's fifty feet of
hose goes on each Of those pipes"
The hose was not in evidence. and
though the house" has been open to
the public nearly eleven months, the
two tiny iron pipe ends. innocent of
water or valves, constitute the whole
fire-fighting machinery of the death
trap. Pressed to explain this condi-
tion. Boodler Davis said:
We'll, I didn't want TO do anything
because ! knew there wasn't any dan
ger-but the Grand Jury-well, ain't
to blame because the plumber don't get
em in"
aren't you putting in this apparatus
because the Grand Jury is after your
house?"
Well. the Grand Jury-they asked
me a few questions?"
HHaven't you been able to run this
place in defiance of the law because
SchmitZ and Ruef are interested in it?"
They amt interested-Ruef never
held me up"
Did you confess before the Grand
Jury that Schmitz had an interest in
the house?"
Il didn't confess anything. I can't
talk about what I told the Grand
Jury. Schmitz is an old friend of
mine"
Didn't you confess that Ruef had a
half interest in this house?"
Il confessed nothing-nothing," cried
the CRATER manager.
haven't you been able to maintain
this place without fire protection be-
cause of the friendship and interest of
Schmftz and Ruef?"
NEVER HELD UP BY RUFF
"Ruef never held this house up.
Why should he hold up a Supervisor?
Ain'f that fra
tion do you want? If that roof burns,
can't they sit there in their seats and
watch it? Amt there exits enough?
What do they want of more exits? A
strong man could kick a hole through
those side walls. They're only a fence
There's lots of space outside
Did you not. when you confessed
accepting bribes, also confess that
Ruef had an interest in this house?'
Il confessed nothing They never
asked me any questions about graft
Probably there was some graft.
don't know anything about it. The
people will find out in time. There's
more to this story than the people
guess. I can explain my position.
guess there was a frame up. I've
heard about those things, too, but they
left me out. l didn't get anything
The newspapers say I run a fire trap.
They call me a CRATER. but it amt
true"
'If the newspapers misrepresent you
and your theater, why don't you de-
mand retraction, or commence actions
in libel?"
We'll, / can't say anything. Things
are in a very peculiar condition. But
I'll talk when 1 get on the witness
stand I'm court, with a lawyer to pro-
tect me. I'll talk. can explain my
position. And I'll do business, too"
w ho hn
ruefully scanned hundreds of empty
seats. "rll show 'em I'm an honest
man. Maybe some of 'em did confess.
That sounds reasonable enough. But
don't see how they caught Boxton.
He's a cold one. Some of em might
be caught ] guess maybe their con-
fessions are all right. but / didn't con-
fess. I'm an honest man." and the
CRATER manager hurried away to pass
in free another contingent of his
friends"