The San Francisco call., 1908-07-21
PARTY TRAITORS
IN DANGER OF A
FELONY CHARGE
Herrin's HireIings on County
Committee Make PueriIe
Defense
If False Statements in Doodle
Dee Organ Are Sworn To,
Prosecution VIII Follow
Attempted VindicatiOn of Turn
coats for Vile Treachery
Proves Boomerang
By George Van Smith

Criminal prosecutions Tor talSe
swearing may take the place of the
edifying spectacle of an appeal to the
grand jury" which Hearst's local or
gan Of doodle deeism promised yester-
day would be made by Johnny Lynch's
subordinate Herrin hckspittles on the
republican county committee.
The machinery of the courts will be
invoked for the assistance of Charles
H. Forbes, Fred G. Cartwright, Ru-
dolph Gercke and Ben Levy if they
will only swear to the statements
given to the doodle dee sheet in pit
liable attempt to set themselves right
in the eyes Of the people of san Fran
cisco. The people have placed the
brand of traitor on these four and their
associates, who take orders from Her
rim through Johnny Lynch.
Yesterday Hearsts Herrin sheet
printed statements by Forbes. Cart
wright, Gercke and Levy, members of
the Herrin turncoats push on the
county committee These statements,
false in their essentials and vicious in
spirit and purpose, were designed to
injure the cause Of good government
by showing that Rudolph Spreckels had
attempted to coerce these men into
common decency and save them from
the commission Of the vilest Of political
treachery. Taken at their face value
the statements published by Hearst fail
TO show anything like coercion, are
naturally enough contradictory and fail
miserably either TO condone or excuse
the treachery of four men elevated to
the councils Of their party by republi-
cans who had fought and defeated the
Herrin machine.
Hearst announced yesterday that
Forbes, Cartwright. Gercke and Levy
would swear to their statements and
present them TO the grand jury.
Rudolph Spreckels said last night:
Il sincerely hope nothing will deter
these men from making affidavits to
their statements. There viii be Grim
inal prosecutions then, and l will fight
them 10 the bitter end. The statements
have the color of truth, but are full Of
falsehoods. 1 did attempt to persuade
those men to stand up TO their pledges
10 the people. There was no attempt at
coercion. and by their own statements,
as published. those men give the lie to
the assertion that there was any at
tempt TO cOerce them
SPECTACLE Is PITIABLE
The spectacle of Johnny Lynch's new
yublieutenants appealing TO the public
TO protect them from men striving to
keep them from political dishonor
would be funny if il were not pitiable.
The espousal OF their cause by Hearst
removes any lingering shadow Of doubt
about his relations with the Herrin
machine and the cause Of graft in san
Francisco.
In the statements published by
Hearts venal newspaper Charles H.
Forbes was quoted as charging that he
was offered the position OF secretary of
the children's playground at Golden
Gate park at $125 a month and more
later II he would support and work for
the Lincoln Roosevelt league. Accord
ing to Forbes this offer came from
Harry McKannay, Mayor Taylor's pri-
vate secretary. Forbes said the offer
was made through a friend and Hearst
Identified the friend as Charles Creight-
on. McKannay absolutely denied the
weird tale yesterday. But his denial
was not necessary. Forbes statement
that he refused the job was sufficient
rroof that the offer was never made
McKannay said yesterday that he did
not know Forbes and that he knew
Creighton only slightly; that he had
never dutAOLALtA 1AFAEhAOn ~ OlLCA
Forbes the job described or any other
lob or inducement.
II have never heard Of such a po-
sition." McKannay said. Il am not
aware that IT exists. In any event,
have no places in the park to Offer
anybody, and the story that author
ized an offer to Forbes is absolutely
false"
Fred Cartwright, according to Hearst
xr~s@r, l,se
sition as president of the First national
bank to force Cartwright to be decent
Cartwright is quoted as saying thai
Spreckels told him that he never used
his position TO his personal advantage
but that in spite OF this statement the
First national bank made call for the
reduction OF a loan.
The facts in the case are that Cart
wright notified the bank that he would
be Obliged to default on a proposition
which he and not the bank had made
and that the bank promptly granted
the extension which he requested. A
further fact established by Cartwright,
own statement is that this notice OF
default and the grant Of an extension
by the bank. which, he charged, wa'
being used against him, were made aft
er Sprcckels had asked Cartwright no.
10 betray the people to Herrin anC
Cartwright had announced that h'
would stick to his partner, Tim Sulli
van
GERCKE USTRUTEFUL
Rudolph Gercke's statement that ht
was threatened by The Call are as
truthful as his further statement thai
SDrecIels' appeal 70 him resulted in NJ
agreement. Gercke was not threatened
b. The Call He did promise not tC
participate in the attempted delivery oi
the county committee to Herrin. THAI
promise was not made to The Call i
was made to Rudolph Spreckels and F
II. Dam, chairman OF the county com
mittee, in the presence Of William ]