The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-31
INDICTED CLERK
AIDS INQUISITORS
Flood Spends Day Pointing Out
REGULATIONS in Office of
Administrator

OAKLAND. Aug. SO.-A. J. Flood in
dieted clerk to Public Administrator
George Gray, spent today in District
Attorney Donahue's office going over
. records OF the Office and pointing out
instances Of graft. forgery, theft and
manipulation OF records which have oc-
CURED within three years time. the
D.. limit prescribed by law for the COM
.meneement Of prosecution.
Floods action was voluntary and in
keeping with his first statements on
being arrested that he would tell all
that he knew. Donahue denied that
- Flood had received any promise of i'm
munity. and in outlining his plans for
criminal procedure against Flood and
Attorney John S. de Lancey. who was
Jointly indicted with Flood. stated with
emphasis that he had no intention of
attempting 10 secure Ieniency for Flood.
%. A motive for the completeness of the
confession obtained from the clerk may
lie IN the alleged discovery today that
DE Lancey, in holding up undertakers,
realty agents and physicians in the
course OF his duties had not dealt fair
~ with Flood according to the peculiar
2. code OF ethics which their opportuni-
ues developed. Flood maintains that in
every instance where he made coIlec-
lions he had divided with De Iancey.
but said that De Lancey had kept the
entire amount of graft which came first
INTO ms hands on numerous occasions.
ARRAIGNMENT FOR FORGERY
Floods confession IN full will be pre-
sented 10 the grand jury, and additional
indictments may be found.
De Lancey and Flood will be ar
ralgned before Judge Brown tomorrow
morning on the forgery charges for
which they were indicted. The indtct-
ments allowed disclosures of a fcti-
tious charge OF $1l5 for burial services
against the estate Of A. l. Poundstone.
ID who was inferred in the potter's field
! al the county infrmary. The name Of
f James Finney. undertaken. was
forged, il was charged. to the voucher
and Flood on the testimony of hand
writing experts was held to answer for
: the actual penmanship and De Lancey
for passing the claim for approval to
the superior court Flood admitted the
forgery in his confession.
The efforts of the prosecution are
now centered on establishing De
Lancey's violation Of law in .'shak-
ing down" various businessmen TO
. whom he diverted business. such
as burials, sales Of realty and at
tendance by physicians Large sums
are said &c have been accepted by De
Lancey as regular thing. according
10 Floods admissions. The law for
bids such action on the part of the
public administrator himself or any of
his attaches. The district attorney
viii try TO have il construed to cover
actions by his attorney as agent.
SEEK MISSING WILL
Circumstances appeared 20 Indicate
that the viii of the late Josiah CARAT
capitalist, who died August T. had been
made away with. Attorney Aaron
Turner, representing heirs in London,
Eng, filed petition for production of
= the viii and the document could not
be found among Floods papers. Dis
trtct Attorney Donahue with Gray's
assistance located the document in De
Lancey's desk. It was found 10 be a
copy Of an original will written in 1898
on a visit TO England.
CARAT left his entire estate. now
valued at close TO $50, 1000, TO his chill
dren and wife, though he had been
-estranged from his family for 80 years.
At the time Of his death Flood took.
by technical force. possession of Gar
rats desk and its contents against the
protest Of Turner. who was armed with
a cablegram from a son in London.
District Attorney Donahue is now in
vestigating accounts of the estate Of
James McCurdy. an old soldier who
died in November, 1906. Undertaken
James Mccarthy had a bill for $3.50
for funeral services and the reports on
file show that DR.. Adam Lyons was
paid 1896 for attendance during his
final illness Originally there was on
deposit to the credit Of the estate the
sum of $1,000 at the Hibernia bank and
1892 at the Mutual savings bank, a
total Of s5,z22, from which $1,342.94
IcErrofzz for the axuenSe Of admin
fstration. Mrs. P. II. Ranlett who had
been McCurdy's landlady said that he
had told her that he was worth S12.-
o0O
Attorney John McNey, who interest
ed himself in Floods affairs. will be
called as a witness before the grand
Jury when II meets Thursday.