Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-22
rs WITNESSES
ARE SUMMONED
INQUlSITORS BELIEVED TO BE
PROBING DEEPLY
Mayor Harper Among Those Called
to Court House to Tell Jury
Whether Vice Is Being
Protected

Oil displaced sugar in the graft"
| investigation by the grand jury yes
! terday. Other matters were touched
upon, incidentally, it is believed, but
| the selling of stock in the Virgin River
| Oil company, the alleged purchase OF
which is declared to have brought GER
| tain favors and perhaps immunity,
was to all observers the matter prln-
cipally considered
Twenty-six witnesses in all appeared
in answer to subpoenas, but little more
| than half this number was called be-
! fore the inquisitorial body.
There was but one echo at the court
house of the controversy between Dis
trict Attorney Fredericks and Thomas
L. Woolwine, when another suit charg-
| ing libel was filed against the city
| prosecutor by a police commissioner
Fourteen persons entered the grand
| Jury room yesterday as witnesses, ana
each emerged with the oath of secrecy
| still fresh upon his lips Twelve other
persons waited long and impatiently
for the summons to go before the in
vestigating body. They were told to
reappear Friday morning and depart
ed, detected, in some instances, and
with happy faces in others. Some We're
| anxious to go before the jury and tell
what they knew; others dreaded the
ordeal, while still others said they
knew nothing and treated the affair
with apparent Indifference. All, how
ever, regarded the proceedings with
some interest.
Mayor Promptly on Hand
The grand jury met at 10 O'Clock
sharp Many witnessee were on hand
as the members of the body passed
into the room, individually or by twos.
| Among the witnesses were Mayor A.
| c. Harper, T. e. Gibbon, president of
The Herald company; Herbert D. Ken
nedy, secretary to the mayor; Captain
| Bradish of the University police sta
! ton; L. p. Collette, manager of the
Franco-American Baking company;
| Timothy Spellacy. president of the
| Mascot Oil company, and about
dozen other persons.
| District Attorney Fredericks reached
the somewhat crowded corridor short
| ly after 10 o'clock. Accompanying him
was w. ]. Ford, assistant city prose-
cutor and deputy district attorney at
| the police station. Snugly fitting them
| selves into a corner at some distance
from the rest of the gathering. Cap
| tain Fredericks and Mr.. Ford engaged
| in low-toned conversation for fifteen
| minutes. The rumor spread at once
that City Prosecuting Attorney Wool
torney should be tobogganed in the
| investigation of graft, and that the
work of conducting the inquiry should
be given to another person, had borne
fruit.
This belief, however, was dispelled
later in the day when the district at
torney announced that Ford would be
brought to the district attorneys Of
| fee to aid Chief Deputy Shaw in his
work
Captain Fredericks was called into
! the fury room at 10:30 o'clock. A few
moments later Z. Z. Gibbon was sum-
moned to appear before the body. He
| was absent ten minutes. and when he
| reappeared hurried down the stairway,
a gesture announcing that he had
nothing to say. Mayor Harper sue
ceeded the publisher as witness. He
remained in the room twenty-five min
utes. He emerged smiling, lit cigar
and started for the elevator. He was
| Immediately surrounded by newspaper
| reporters.
Strict Silence Observed
What have you to say?" he was
asked.
well, let me see," he pondered.
1--WE been before the grand jury, and
| it is-it is a nice day."
what did they say to you?" per-
sisted the 1nqu1rerS.
"Oh, they talked while and talked
while. Then they said, Thank you,
| mayor several times, and 1 said
Thank you,' and. really, that was all
there was to it,
The mayor departed, after giving
more information in regard to the pro-
ceedings than did any other witness
appearing before the body during the
| day.
Leopold Rios, a patrolman, was in
the secret chamber five minutes. Dur
ing his absence from the corridor S.
L. Brown, in charge Of the detective
bureau of the district attorneys Of
flee, appeared with a handful of sub
poenas which he gave to process serv-
ers. After his departure it was stated
that more than fifty subpoenas had
been issued for persons to appear be-
fore the jury in connection with the
| graft charges.
Rios was in the jury room only five
minutes. Nathan Coles name was
called, but there was no response, and
Herbert d. Kennedy, secretary to the
mayor, entered the chamber, remain
ing ten minutes. "I have nothing to
say" he calculated, as he emerged and
dashed down the steps.
Examinations Quite Brief
Timothy Spellacy, president of the
Mascot Oil company; Louis Collette,
manager of the Franco-American Bak-
ing company and Fred c. Nelles, a
money lender, were called in success
sion, remaining in the room but a short
time and mutely appealing to bystand-
ers as they came out not to ask ques-
tions. The name of Daisy Won Blonl
was called, but there was no response
and the waiting witnesses were told to
come back at o'clock to which hour
the jury adjourned.
Captain of Police Bradish was the
first witness called in the afternoon.
His examination lasted but short
time, and Police Commissioner Nathan
Cole, jr., took his place. He was fol-
lowed by Louis Collette. C. d. Hum
phreys, said to be interested in an
oil company under investigation, was
by G.. d. Mccoy, proprietor of a sa-
loon at 235 South Main street. Then
Lieutenant Charles Lenhausen of the
University station was called. He was
followed by Earl Strachan, news
paper reporter. These were all the
witnesses examined yesterday.
Those who awaited a call but were
disappointed or pleased, as the case
may be, were W. M. Humphreys, park
commissioner; Alfred Trident, a hui
name officer; Anthony Schwamm,
candidate for supervisor; Oscar w.
Butteroff, patrolman; Henry White.
sergeant of police; Frank Mack, pa
trolman in Chinatown; Peter McGann,
crossing officer; Lanier Bartlett, a
former newspaper man; Pitt Hand, a
former newspaper man; r. ID. Peck.
a newspaper circulator; George A.