The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-10
VERDICT SCORES
GRAYBROTHFRS
CHECK SYSTEM
Inquest Into Murder of Brasch
Girl Reveals Iniquity of
Wage Slavery
Cunningham Tells of Killing
and Motive Opens Wide
Inquiry

forward in breathleSs silence 10 catch
his every word and watch his every
movement 1t was a dramatic recital,
at the end OF which no doubt of the
murderer's guilt could remain, in any
mind. The jurors were led from the
Offices on the sixth floor around the
Railways and down the back stairs of
the Wells-Fargo building TO the street.
following the course the murderer took
SIS he fed after The commission of his
crime. There they returned TO their
automobiles and were hurried back to
the coroner's once in Fell street. where
the inquest was continued.
Police Sergeant George W. Russell
explained diagram Of the rooms oc-
cupied by Bray brothers and summing
up Of the case was made by Detective
Sergeant Arthur McQuaide, who out
lined the manner in which investiga-
tions were carried forward by the po-
lice after the murder was reported. He
told how Cunningham was turned over
TO the police after having made a com
plste confession to The Call, and read
the subsequent statement made and
sworn 10 by Cunningham when ques-
toned by the police at the city prison.
I. Goldstone. a pawn broker. identified
Cunningham as the man who purchased
revolver and cartridges from him on
June 80, and Frederick @. Higgins de-
clared positively that Cunningham was
the man he had seen in the hallway
outside the door of Gray Brothers Of
mediately after the murder.
James L. Brown. an advertising So
licitor, told of having left Harry Grays
private Office through the door directly
into the hallway just a minute or two
prior to the shooting. He heard the
shot as he turned at the further end
OF the hall and saw a man in the cor
ridor. but not closely enough TO recog-
nize him.
"You Got Your Money"
Miss May Turnblad. cashier in Gray
Brothers Office. said she had returned
70 the building about 1880 o'clock and
had started to Gray's room with q
paper. AS she passed Miss Brasch, who
was standing at the wicket window,
she heard the latter say to some one
outside:
You signed and got your money"
A moment later, as she was entering
Grsys private room, the shot rang out
She heard Miss Guste cry that Miss
Brasch had been shot, and she and Miss
Guste fell headlong into Grays room.
Both she and Miss Buste testified that
they had never waited upon employees
at the window and that they knew
nothing of any trouble or of any
threats made on previous occasions.
Harry Cray declared on the witness
stand that while he was in his office
just before the shooting his telephone
rang and Miss Brasch told him she had
q Marin quarry pay check on which the
amount charged for board was ineor-
rect He told her to OK il, he said.
and then hung up his telephone. His
story Of the murder. which followed
Immediately, was a replica Of that
given by his Office employees.
Completing the inquiry into this por-
ton OF Gray's testimony, Coroner Le-
land turned at once to q discussion OF
the paw check system. asking for an
explanation Of the methods. the injus-
tice Of which was attributed by Cum
bingham as the motive for his crime.
Gray Attempts Defense
Gray attempted from the outset to de-
fend the system, but denied any connec-
ton with the Knox or any other collec-
ton agency. He asserted that the
trouble of making out a payroll made
II necessary TO set the regular pay day
several weeks into the month succeed
ing that in which the labor was per-
formed. Drafts such as the one which
L. - - -
not ordinarily used by this firm, he said.
That IS only a temporary system
he declared. Our firm has never missed
pay day, which is something even the
city of San Francisco can not say Our
nearest approach to IL was this summer.
on account OF the financial stringency.
We were slow in our collections and
we found Il necessary to make our pay
ments half in negotiable checks on the
regular pay day and half in drafts pay
able some time later. This began along
IN April. and there were a few who
kicked. We paid off those in full"
A minute later Gray was forced to
explain that these payments in full''
amounted only TO the issuance of time
checks, which could not be turned in
10 the office until the next payday. and
which might De cashed at discount by
some outsider. The discount system
declared that his firm had never par
ticipated IN such oiscounting.
Il think the nasty insinuations
thrown out by some newspapers are
very unjust" he declared. Mr.. Knox
OF the Knox collection agency was
kind enough to suggest to me that he
would make some concessions. He
knows that the suggestion was not
entertained"
state Senator Edward l. Wolfe asked
Gray several questions leading up to a
query as 10 whether he did not believe
a change in the system was necessary
and practical. Gray said he thought
IL could be done. Becoming angry at
the turn the pointed inquiry was TAX
ing, Gray turned suddenly TO a news
paperman who had been conversfnR
with Wolfe and asked in surIy tone
Why don't you put some questions If
you want tor
Il would IL ! felt like it, was the
retort. ITS not because I'm afraid to.
and ] think I asked you enough the
other night to hold you for awhile"
Yes. and then you didn't publish
what you said you would when ! told
you," cried Gray.
Rn~ouca IL Was TIufrua