The San Francisco call., 1908-03-18
BIGGY WITHHOLDS
GRAFT[RS' NAMES
Chief Will Not Make List Public
Until Investigation Is
Complete

Believing that graft to greater ex-
tent than was at first supposed ex-
lists In the police department, Chief of
Police Biggy yesterday declined to,
make public the names of the IL men
who are involved in the plot with
Patrolman Maurice Behan and John
Evatt to extort money from Barbary
Coast resort keepers, and last night
he spent. in the same section of the
city continuing his investigation.
The evidence which Biggy had
drawn up against the men was sub
nitted to the board of police commits
sioners in star chamber session, and
its nature was not divulged. Biggy
gave as his reason for making the
evidence department secret that
there was still further evidence to be
gained. He said:
while the facts must sooner or later
be made public, the board of commits
sioners has decided that other reports
must be investigated first; and until
these have been cleared up the names
of the men involved and exact nature
of the crimes they are accused of hav-
ing committed will be kept a secret.
Two men whom / have employed from
outside sources have been quietly
working in this matter, and from what
they have already gathered l am con-
vinced that all the guilty men are not
yet securely enmeshed. 1t is my inten-
tion to make this investigation thor
ough, and until all reports of extortion
which for the past few months have
been pouring into my office have been
painstakingly run down the trials of
the men accused will not be begun"
The CONSERVATION that followed the
announcement of the fact that Behan
and Evatt were not the only ones in
voIved in the latest police scandal, and
that two sergeants were numbered in
the list of suspected officers, gave way
| yesterday to speculation on the iden-
tity of the guilty parties. With arms
extended each of the five suspected SER
geants denied their guilt. The patrol
men who could possibly be impli-
Gated were reticent. The question was
| the one topic of conversation in police
circles during the entire day.
| A rumor gained circulation that the
| men of the central district were not
| the only ones to be accused of plying
rumor number of cases involving
men Of the Bush street station were
under investigation. 1t was said that
an attempt to pass marked coin to
patrolman for protecting lodging
house in O'Farrell street where liquor
was sold without license had met
with failure, but denial was given this
| Dy Sllcl otSSy. aAOlnCi u1iiOI lIfdl
certain men whose beats were recently
changed wNre to be included in the ex-
| pose promised by Biggy was also freely
circulated. The sponsors for this in
! formation declared that one of the
sergeants was in this list.
Biggy announced last night that no
/ further suspensions would be made
until he was ready toNtake up the evil
dence he had gathered in open session
with the police commission.
remarked almost casually. The words
/ were repeated with shout by an
| aide to the officer on the bridge and
up the mainmast shot the signal of
/ commendation to the Georgia. The
| acknowledgement came back instantly.
Admiral Evans said that he prob
ably would go out on the target range
| with the Connecticut when it engaged
in target practice. He said that his
/ tender. the Yankton, would be here by
! that time and he might go aboard 1t.
but more likely he would remain on