Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-07-29
TRUSTEES ACTS
MAY Be PROBED
BY GRAND JURY
IRREG GULARITIES AT HARB0R
CITY ALLEGED
DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE
MAKES INVESTIGATION
Detectives Inquire Into Official Moves
of Solid Three Relative to Liquor
Licenses and Other Question:
able Transactions

A NGERED by illusions to the rum
u ming of a disorderly house on the
"A most prominent corner of San Pc
dro, where the two Pacific Electric
lines cross, citizens of the harbor city
started movement for a grand jury
to inquire into municipal affairs some
time ago. Considerable evidence has
been collected by detectives from the
district attorneys office and is now IN
the hands of District Attorney Fred
ercks The detectives working under
Samuel J.. Browne, chief of the bureau
of criminal investigation of the dis
triCt attorneys office, are said to be
still continuing their digging into evil
dence. This was considered so impor-
tant following the first research that
Mr.. Browne himself passed good
deal of time at San Pedro.
The graft investigation arose from
circumstances entirely outside of con-
solidatiOn and prior to the time the
movement for consolidation assumed
definite shape. In fact it is said 30
| have been planned to be brought to a
head several months ago, but the late
city administration affairs before the
| grand jury at Los Angeles occupied 50
much time on the part of the district
attorneys force that the San Pedro
matter necessarily was shelved for the
time being. Rumors are now fitting
about San Pedro that the question of u
new grand jury affecting affairs in
that city is apt to be brought before
Presiding Judge Wilbur of the superior
court by the district attorney.
Solid Three No Trustees
Just what evidence has been consid-
cred by District Attorney Fredericks
and whether he is satisfied the amount
now on hand is sufficient to justify
recommendation that a grand jury be
called is not officially obtainable. How
ever lines of questioning and examina-
| tions of records by the detectives seem
to show leadings in certain directions.
San Pedro citizens who have heard
rumors of a grand jury are wondering
if the members of the harbor city'5
political ring" are not likely to be in
volVed. The San Pedro board of trus-
tees has a "solid three" One of these,
n. w. Tilton, is the leading stockhold-
er in the San Pedro wholesale liquo"
monopoly, known as the San Pedro
Wholesale company. The three trus-
tees control the licenses of the saloons.
and the San Pedro Wholesale COM
pany has no difficulty in selling liquor
to all the saloon keepers of that city.
AS no other wholesale liquor COM
panies are allowed-the San Pedro
Wholesale company is in fact the only
wholesale firm al San Pedro-the COM
pany is popularity supposed to pay the
largest profits of any institution in
San Pedro.
Carroll Incident Revived
What is known in San Pedro history
as the CAROLS place" incident is re-
vived in gossip regarding the posslbil-
ity of a grand jury. w. II. Carroll
was owner of a saloon at Sixth and
Front streets, but, being in poor health
he sold his business to Bowen Bros.
through a San Pedro real estate
agency. When the transfer came up
for ratification by the board of trus-
49, TO- AApN
He claimed Bowen Bros. were not de-
sirable men to have in the liquor busi-
ness in San Pedro. Carroll arose in
the open meeting of the board and
charged that Tilton had asked him who
received the commission on the sale,
and that when he replied that it went
to the man who made the sale Tilton
demanded, What do l get out of it?''
At that time the sale did not go
through, but later on Carroll disposed
of his license at a sum much below
that offered at first.
Another member of the harbor "solid
three" whose trusteeship is the subject
of numerous rumors is f. D. Foot.
When elected to office he ran "Foots
transfer" and on election he an
nounced that he had given a bill of
sale for his teams to A. d. Eressel, his
foreman. The business was run on as
"Foot's transfer" and it is current be-
lief at San Pedro that Kressel simply
draws a salary. "Foot's transfer
teams are worked on the city streets,
used by the fire department on the
Fourth of July, and no other transfer
firm of the several in San Pedro is said
to have a "look-in" at any of the city
or public school hauling, which at any
rate is not customarily matter for
open bids.
Horse Hire Expensive
1t is said at San Pedro that year
,,1- Ig.Ir - fAf aE nifN HFsn
department, said he could get the
necessary additional horses for $3.50
per day, but that he was told by the
city administration to attend to his
own business, that the horses would
be provided for him. Citizens who re-
member the incident claim that the
horses were furnished by "Foot's
transfer at a charge of $40 per day.
Citizens are wondering at the harbor
city If the agency for the Union Ice
company is one of the matters engag-
ing the attention of the detectives.
Prior to the time the Union Ice COM
pany entered the field last January
local concern, the San Pedro Ice COM
pany, served the business and residence
trade The agency was taken by j. w.
Walton, who, as president of the board
of trustees, is known as the mayor OF
San Pedro He is member of the
"solid three"
None of the rumors relating to the
| agency Oh IIle OHlOn lCo cOulpdiy dS-
serts that Mr.. Walton cut the local
price of ice, which is said to be the
same now as it was before the Union
Ice company had an agent in San Pc
dro 1t is freely rumored. however,
that Mr. Walton visited the saloon
keepers within twenty-four hours aft
er obtaining his ice agency. AMI that
the Union Ice company secured the
trade of half the saloons on the first
day of business and the Others except
one within the next twenty-four
| hours.
The one exception is said to be Louis
White, who has a brother. Emil White,
connected with the San Pedro Ice COM
pany. With two other trustees one in
terested in the wholesale liquor COM
pany and the other, whose present or
Continued Page CWOl