Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-05
WOOLWINE BENT
ON PUTTING UP
BITTER FIGHT
WILL APPEAR TODAY BEFORE
THE GRAND JURY
MAKES VIGOROUS REJoINpER TO
CAPTAIN FREDERIcKs
Stigmatizes District Attorneys Inter.
view as Full of Inconsistencies.
Police Commission May Fire
Broadside In Battle

m HE fight is not over" says Thomas
Lee Woolwine. Although shorn
- of his official powers by District
Attorney Fredericks the prosecuting
attorney will go before the grand jury
this morning armed with a big stick
He has been assured, he says, of ample
private backing.
Captain Fredericks is laying low and
saying little
| The pastors of the city yesterday
generally rallied to Woolwine's side,
and many of them commented upon
| the situation IN their sermons. Rev.
w. D. Lands, pastor of the Westiake
Presbyterian church, preached specially
upon Mr.. Woolwi-es charges, saying
that the present was critical period
in the history of the CITY,.
Members of the police commission
will keep in touch with the mayors
office today and be in readiness to an
swer any call that may come from the
grand jury, which will reconvene at 10
o'clock this morning. After hearing
Mr.. Woolwine again the jury may
/ WANT " SOhiPlS with IiiO iCQuCot VI
the board of police commissioners for
a full and minute hearing.
| The police commissioners will meet
| tomorrow afternoon, and some of its
members are in favor of jumping into
the pronunciamento game at that time
with an official statement. So far the
commission has not given out anything
to the public of an official nature.
After reading Captain Fredericks' re-
fusal to allow him authority to pro-
ceed, published in The Herald yester-
day, Mr.. Woolwine deliberated for
some time before he would outline his
next step. He described the situation
as a crucial period, and one not de-
manding hasty action. But last night
he made statement with emphasis in
1t. He characterized the interview
with Captain Fredericks as bristling
with the latter's inconsistencies. and
asserted his determination to go ahead
as citizen. since his official facilities
had been removed.
WooIWine Speaks Out
"This fight for sdecency is not over"
declared Mr.. Woolwine. cit would be
terrible to conclude that one faithless
public servant can block the wheels of
justice or prevent a full investigation
by the grand jury of corrupt condi-
tions by the grand jury.
This fight rises far above personali-
ties, for it involves great principle.
and has to do with tho public good,
and wish to. assure the people Of this
city that though this man has taken
from me my powers as city prosecutor
the fight will continue and that / am
to be before the grand jury again Mon
day morning.
| "I understand from his interview that
he has carried out the threat made in
his first communication to me upon
| this matter, and removed me from Of
flee as a deputy district attorney for
the purpose of prosecuting misdemea-
nors occurring in the escity. This takes
fran me the power to prosecute prosti-
tuition, houses of prostitution, nearly
every form of gambling, larceny, em-
bezzlement, disturbances of the peace.
assault and battery, violation of child
labor laws, offenses under the medical
and dental acts. libel, resistance to Of
fcers and many other misdemeanors
too numerous to mention, and leaves
my office practically powerless and, in
reality, a mere empty title.
"I have long feared that my vigorous
and indiscriminate enforcement of law
would cause the friends of vice in some
way to pull me off. did not know
| just exactly how it would be done, but
it seems that it has at last been accom-
! plished, so far as the office of city
prosecutor is concerned.
MY record in office speaks for itself,
and 1 will not answer any comments
upon my efficiency from such a source.
| 1.-THE district attorneys refusal to
| accept my offer to take charge of the
grand jury investigation Is absolute
proof of bad faith. I will go further
and say that his determination to stop
this investigation at all hazards is so
apparent that no thinking man could
for a moment doubt it. My chief rea-
son for at first refusing his offer was
| that / felt an assurance that his un-
| friendliness to such an investigation
would extend even to his blocking in
every way possible any work that /
might have attempted - accomplish
in the matter. In this 1 have not been
disappointed.
Defends His Charges
I'm my replies to his letters
sought to force the man, If possible,
by such vigorous language as / could
employ, at least to make some effort
to assist the grand jury. in the pro-
posed investigation. Failing In this,
/ yielded to public pressure, and agreed
even under these adverse conditions to
take charge of the matter myself and
to perform the work, and agreed to
do so for the public good. Is 1t rea-
sonable. that / would make such an
offer If the charges were unfounded,
II refuse to be drawn into any dis
cussion of the evidence submitted to
as that would involve a violation OF
the oath took before that body.
''The district attorney in his inter-