The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17
Alameda County InquisitOrs to
Storm Depository of Dargie's
Graft Stationery
Courthouse Ring to Be Hauled
into Daylight and Methods
Exposed
Frantic Efforts of Grafters Fail
TO Check Investigation Which
Is Now Started

OAKLAND, May 16.-Jack Cooks
cellar, the inner keep of the castle
Of Dargieism and of the nefarious
county government ring" the base
ment of the hall of records, where the
gangs gold bricks, bought by the
city for 80 years, lie moldering in the
gloom, viii be stormed on May 20 by
the Alameda county grand jury.
Driven into the open from the spot
where for years their intrenchment
was regarded as impregnable, and
from which the old ring" bade de-
fance TO decency and decent people,
Dargie and the gang must OF neces-
sity quickly fall in defeat. It is not
too much TO say that their march from
their erstwhile place Of safe retreat
may lead into the penitentiary.
An order directing store Keeper
Frank Perata to appear before the
grand jury on Wednesday, bringing
with him a sample copy Of every
printed legal form owned by the
county. with the amount on hand and
the price paid out Of the county treas
ury for every blank, was signed by
District Attorney Everett J. Brown this
morning The data regarding Jack
COOK cellar viii be placed in the
hands OF the grand jury.
Perata will probably carry to the
grand jury information which may
drive members Of the board Of super
visors and other high county officials
from their places. broken and dis
gTaced.
The fun significance OF the order
which Brown signed only appears when
IL is known that the cellar is nearly
fun OF supplies ordered at exorbitant
prices from William E. Dargie Of the
Oakland Tribune publishing company.
Not only were the prices enormous.
allowing for heavy rake offs for all
hands. buc the quantities ordered and
delivered stagger belief This practice
has been kept up since the '70s
In turn Dargie. enduring while
boards of supervisors and county Off
cials came and went, refrained from
telling what he knew about them.
They bought his silence with the tax
payers money. but they neglected to
destroy the evidence, and it is all to
be brought out
The county was never able TO use
the basement Of the hall of records,
there TO rot and decay, while new
boards and new officials ordered more
and stored more in the cavern. As an
instance Of the amounts in which sup
plies have been ordered the county
courts are using today blanks for no
tice creditors of estates which were
printed by Dargie in 1889 These
blanks are faulty and have to be
amended whenever used. No man
Knows how many lots have been or
dered. delivered, stored and paid for
since that date. The investigation,
however, wiz show that
Dargie fought against the threat
ened exposure with all the fury and in
genuity Of desperation. Complaisant
tools in the county courthouse ring per
mitted OF the nomination Of men who
could be counted on by Dargie and the
ring for grand Jury service at the i'm
paneling OF the present body.
It appeared for time that they had
succeeded IN packing the grand jury
and sitting an investigation. Details
Of the grand jury proceedings conduct
ed under oath bound secrecy, according
to law. but published as news in the
Tribune, showed how well the creatures
were living up to instructions If Oar
gle had Information from the grand
jury which he could use for news it
was deemed certain that he could get
Information to forestau any attempts
on his peculiar assumed prerogatives.
The gang began to laugh, even after
reputable accounting firm Of experts
had been set at work on the county
books.
we have got another grand jury
seat" they said.
ae fate watch befen the Lngler
.aaa jury 81 last year when II dared
eiit.cise the enormous disparity Of cash
laid T. Daegie for printing as against
ail o-Aer asms combined was held out
as warning. Dargie frotled and RACED
~ Ingler. He faxed up stories Of in
tended graft on an obvious clerical err
ror in the Jury's expense account and
plei rdot 70 snow that tho lagler grand
er -ad tried 20 steal a rev dollars In
c1cess 81 the 81 q day which each juror
received as his wage from tAe public.
Ingier was personally denounced as a
co,f,,.ed an page 2s .,,da,. -,