Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-06
WHITEWASH FOR
FULLER PLANNED
POLICE COMMISSIONER MAKES
"EXPLANATION"
SAYS ALAMEDA STREET HOUSES
WERE SOLD
Board Holds Long Secret Session DUR
ing Which RedIight District
Is Discussed, but No
Action Taken

A superficial investigation in which
the portly form of Police Commits
sioner Charles H. Fuller will receive a
veneer of whitewasn, after which he
will plead the pressing cares of busi-
ness and resign from the commission,
is the plan proposed to dispose of the
second scandal that has broken out in
the mayors police board, according to
q persistent rumor at the city hall.
Mr.. Fuller has told Mayor Harper
he will resign if such is his wish. Mr..
Harper has not asked for his resigna-
ton yet.
A new feature entered the case yes
terday afternoon when Mr.. Fuller
made a statement supplementing the
"Cochrane" affidavit, which he sprung
when the expose was at its height.
He declared that Cochrane was his
employe, and that he had sold him the
Alameda street property in question
one month before he was asked to be-
come a member of the police commits
sion. Mr. Fuller said the price agreed
on was $4,000, and Mr.. Cochrane was
to pay this amount in monthly in
stallments of $780, This is the amount
of rental the property brings. Mr.. Full
Ter admitted he held a first mortgage
on the property and that the rents
collected were paid to him as part
payments on the purchase price. He
declared he could see nothing wrong
in receiving these rents as payments
on the mortgage he holds
Explanation Accepted
This explanation will be accepted by
the mayor and police commissioners.
That Mr.. Fuller dislikes to resign his
position under fire is more evident
every day. That he would like to get
off the police board and out of the
limelight of public attention is also
evident from the infrequent remarks
he makes about the case and the wor-
ried expression he has worn since the
expose.
Nature gave MIR. Fuller a stature OF
six feet three inches in his stockings
and a broad frame that matches his
heighth She also gave him sunny
disposition equivalent, ordinarily, to
his inmensity, but that disposition
has been nearly ruined since the pres
ent agitation on his connection with
the "redlight" district began. Former
ly his smile and ready word were
the bulwarks of his popularity. Now
the smile has disappeared, his eyes
have a vacant, faraway look and his
massive brow is lined with deep fur
rows.
Fuller with the other members of
the police commission, were with the
mayor in his private office from 8
o'clock yesterday morning until noon.
The doors were locked during the en-
tire conference and not a word of what
was going on on the inside was per-
mitted to get beyond them.
Talk of RedIight
That the Fuller case was under dis
cussion and that something would be
done about it the mayor admitted af-
ter the conference.
That the commission was also talk
ing about the demands of Prosecuting
O1trYf1n thnt h. hn
required to enforce the law against
the "redlight" district was also ad-
mitted by the mayor. City Attorney
Hewitt and Chief of Police Kern were
present at the conference during the
greater part of the session.
The secret conference yesterday was
a continuation of the one Tuesday
night and will be again continued this
afternoon, according to the mayors
statements. Until the commission has
finally made up its mind what to do
the mayor says none of it's delibera-
tions will be made public.
1--WE really hope to reach some con-
clusion tomorrow" said the mayor last
night, "but I do not like to promise it..
can tell better after the conference
tomorrow. 1t looks very much as
though we would have to close up
the present disorderly houses and scat
ter their inmates all over the city
again, and I suppose 1t will be fester-
ing sore on the body polite until the
world ends. We cannot cure it; 1t
viii exist somewhere in spite of all
efforts; in my opinion the best thing
to do is have it where it can be over
looked by the police AS it is now all
those Objectionable characters are con-
centrated in small space where they
are constantly under the eyes of the
police. Scattered all over the city,
as they certainly will be, if we close up
these places this supervision will be
innossihle."