The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-24
RESUMES PROBING
OF GRAY'S OFFICE
District Attorney Will Lay Rec
ords of Public Administrator
Before Grand Jury

OAKLAND, avg. 23.-District Attor-
ney Donahue has completed arrange
ments for the presentation of full de-
tails OF the affairs OF the Office of Pub
lie Administrator George Cray to the
grand jury Portents are not wanting
TO show that the evidence al hand will
warrant drastic moves by that body af-
fecting the attaches OF Gray's Office and
possibly putting them all on the de-
fensive for explanations.
The question is being asked in
county government circles today
whether Grsy's practical abdication of
power in favor Of his subordinates
could not be construed as malfeasance
in Office. In view of the fact that he
processes to know nothing of the
routine Of the Office and admits that he
had turned il over TO his clerk, A j.
Flood. and 70 his legal representative.
Attorney John de Lancey, the belief
that Cray is in a serious predicament
is gaining ground. He is. of course,
financially responsible on his bond, but
that he can be held for alleged moral
delinquencies coming TO light is prob
lematicaI
INSPECT RECORDS OF OFFICE
AS an indication Of the spirit with
which he is moving in the investiga-
ton, Donshue had his entire force of
deputies at work throughout Sunday on
records OF estates handled by Gray S
once.
II is in presenting these claims for
the approval OF the probate judge that
Attorney John de Lancey enters as a
serious factor. De Lancey has handled
all estates in court and on his repre-
nesses produced by him court action
has been taken
De Lancey presented the claim for
s1I5 against the estate of A. l. Pound
stone for burial. which bore the alleged
forged signature of Undertaken E.
James Finney. Poundstone. civil war
veteran, died and was buried at
county expense at the county inhrm-
airy, but when he was discovered TO
have had few hundred dollars in a
savings bank it is alleged that de
Lancey presented a claim for Sis for
burial. Finney has denied emphatically
that he signed the receipt of the bill
or that he received any money Ex-
perts have declared the signature TO
be forgery traced from one OF Fin
ney's signatures which was said TO
have been readily discovered.
A J. Flood, the clerk, was declared
by the experts TO have filled in the
body OF the receipt
DENY THREAT OF EXPOSE
Gray and de Lancey denied today
that de Lancey had been forced by
threatened exposure 70 sever his con-
nections with the public administrator.
Gray said that he had no intention of
forcing de Lancey's resignation at
present and denied that the move was
in contemplation Gray said that he
had had a letter from Flood at Seattle
received Saturday, and that Flood had
given no intimation of knowing that
the storm had broken here. Gray ex-
poets his clerk TO return Friday or
Saturday. when both Gray and de
Lancey eagerly professed TO anticipate
his own statements TO square himself
and them. De Lancey viii be a witness
tomorrow and has been instructed To
bring his documentry records.
As further check upon the accounts
OF the Office subpenaes are known to
have been served upon a large num-
Der Of undertakers who have performed
burial services and have been repaid
out of funds in the hands of the public
administrator. The accounts will be
carefully compared with other charges
for the same services and their testi-
mony will be available in case more
disputed bills are uncovered.