The San Francisco call., 1908-08-30
]. DALzELL BROWN
SCORES LE BRETON
Issues Statement Questioning
Ability and Integrity of
the Receiver

Charging that Receiver LIE Breton
has maliciously and unwarrantedly at
tackled him in the report OF the condi-
ton Of the California safe deposit and
trust company just published. former
Manager J. Dalzeu Brown Of the de-
funct institution has retaliated by is
suing from his cell at the county jan
a statement that questions both the
ability and integrity of the man TO
whom the affairs Of the bank have
been intrusted.
Rrow-n's statement is chiefly inter
esting in that it contains portions lay
ing bare details of bank affairs that
have never before been made public.
These. portions relate principally to the
mysterious Trustee No 5 account
which lie Breton says was used
bv Brown as a clearing house for all
kinds of corrupt transactions and which
Brown retorts was used principally by
Bartnett-
BARTNETTS BIG EXPENSE
Among other things which Brown al
leges that this account contained was
the account Of Bartnett for personal
expenses at the Waldorf-Astoria in
New York, an account of $500 month
paid by Bartnett and John Treadwell
TO confidential agent in New York,
the bill for a piece Of statuary given
by Bartnett as personal present to a
high railroad official in New York, and
SIS, 500 paid to an engineer for services
in connection with the survey of a
$4,000. 900 railroad which Bartnett con-
templated building from New York to
Washington and new transcon-
tinental railroad which he considered
financing as a rival to the Western
Pacific
Brown asserts that lie Breton has at
all times attempted to belittle Brown S
services to him and charges that for
some hidden reason" the receiver has
sought to shield John and James Tread
well and Waiter J. Bartnett.
In this connection he quotes a letter
written by his attorney, Hiram W.
johnson, to Assistant District Attorney
Cook May OF this year, in which
johnson asserted to Cook that lie Bre-
ton was prejudiced against his client
and that Browns efforts to clear up the
tangled mess of bank affairs had been
Of the utmost assistance to lie Breton
DID NOT OWE BANK A DOLLAR
Brown insists. also. that he told lie
Breton Of assets controlled by Bart
nett which the latter had utterly failed
10 disclose and denies that the charges
that he appropriated large sums from
the Trustee No. s" account are true
On the contrary, he says that he die
not owe the bank a dollar at the time
Of its failure, having borrowed $780,
coo or more on his twn security from
other banks and hdividuals and put
this amount into The California safe
deposit and trust csmpany
In response to lie Breton's statement
that the securities turned over to hin
by Brown for liquidation purposes were
not worth 500, the convicted banker
says he viii get $4,000 for them with.
IN Is days if lie Breton will make over
the title to him.
i am not seeking either charity ol
commiseration at the hands of Re-
ceiver lie Breton" says Brown. Il an
Tar less culpable than he would try tc
make the public believe. I have re-
mained silent for nine months. Only Z
Few extracts from the correspondence
passing between Walter J. BARNET,
and myself have been published by the
district attorney, and those have sim.
ply limited at the affairs of the Cali.
fornia safe deposit and trust company
am not willing TO be made by Re.
ceiver lie Breton a scapegoat for others
Early last December / made a state.
ment through the press for the sol,
purpose Of advising the depositors no.
10 dispose Of their claims against the
bank. I now earnestly renew that ad
vice."