The San Francisco call., 1909-01-18

Continued From Page i
be appointed guardian or trustee for
Hart. who is a senile imbecile. AT pres
ent the money is formally in Eikeren-
kotter's possession and the old soldier
is in pitiful condition
All of San Mateo county is aroused
by the disclosures the grand jury is
making. Particularly is interest CEN
tered on the Bullock case and the ques-
tion of the contracts for the courthouse.
Every group of San Mateo people that
congregates speculates on the situation.
The talismanic words grand jury" are
as popular in the vocabulary of San
Mateo county today as they were in
that of San Francisco when the graft
prosecution was first at Indictment
| heat.
| Up to the time of the appearance of
the attorney general in the case. how
ever, the situation was anomalous.
There was graft prosecution without
a prosecutor.
IF we only had Heney or Langdon
down here exclaimed one of the grand
jurors yesterday.
The courthouse scandal has to do with
| the contracts let by the board of super
visors for rebuilding the courthouse at
Redwood City, which was destroyed in
April, 1906.
A man thoroughly familiar with the
San Mateo situation yesterday ex-
planned the matter thus:
/ The original contract for building
the new courthouse, which was to re-
place the destroyed structure, was for
! 81 $4,000 for all the work The J. J.
O'Brien construction company secured
| the contract. After it had been passed
by the supervisors interlinear correc-
tions were made practically striking
out the stone work and the cornice
work. Contracts for these two items
We're later let for. $4,000
when the grand jury Investigated
the change in the contract District At
torney Bullock admitted that he had
made the alteration. When pressed by
the grand jury for a further explana-
| tion of his unusual act he simply said,
There was an understanding to that
| effect
| Now it would seem that when a set
| of specifications are drawn up, posted
at the builders exchange in San Fran
cisco and a contract is advertised for
and let on those specifications. they
| should stand.
Bullock Eyades Questions
when Bullock was called before
the grand jury he evaded questions
put to him and moreover he took the
position of trying to be both a prose-
cutting attorney and an attorney for
the defendant. He did not aid the
| jury as he should.
Furthermore, when asked to sub
pena witnesses he did not make the
effort that the jury thought he ought
to have made. The jury wished to
heary the testimony of John McBain a
| former supervisor, who is familiar with
the contracts Bullock reported he
could not find him. 1t is true that
McBain was away from the county at
| that particular time, but he has now
returned"
If the firmly supported charge
against Bullock can be proven, ii is
possible that he will be indicted on a
charge of altering public records. The
issue will largely hinge on the ques-
ltfon of whether or not a county con-
tract is public record.
After the stonework and cornice fit
ting had been eliminated from the
original contract the contract for the
former work was let to Rainey &
| Phillips for $29,500. But the letting
! OF that contract did not stop that par
t1cular controversy, for now Rainey e.
Phillips asked $1,000 additional to nav
| Tor one tier of stone at sthe top of the
building, which, it is asserted, was not
mentioned in the specifications The
L
bidding on the stonework were the
McGiivray company and the Colusa
sandstone company. 1t is reported in
Redwood City that the rival bidders
are now very harmonious over the job,
as John McGflvray visits Redwood and
looks over the progress of the work
at least once a week and Rainey e.
Phillips are supposed to buy their ma
terials from either McGilvray or the
Colusa company.
i Gilfoy Brothers secured the contract
for the cornice work at the original
i figure OF $4,147. subsequently the con-
tract price was increased to $4566
Those figures brought the total con-
tract price up to s1s4,066. The build
Ing Is not far along now and there
would be much room for increased ap-
preparations If the supervisors could
be so persuaded.
Find Where County Stands
1t is for the purpose of finding just
where the county stands on the con-
tracts that the important session of
the supervisors is called for this morn
Ing. Yesterday Supervisor McAvoy of
| Menlo park was Ill. but he will prob
ably be able to appear in his place
today. He has been most active in try
ing to fathom the sinkpool of malfeas-
ance in the courthouse scandal.
If the grand jury clears its calendar
4 today of other matters it will begin
j proceedings In the case Of Sheriff Rob-
/ ert #. Chatham. The most specific
/ charges against Chatham is that he al
lowed one of his prisoners, a negro
named Clifton West, to go out of jail
/ on November last and vote a good,
lhetrf,,1 fio1a+ for ~h faar,1's friends