The San Francisco call., 1909-03-17
HARPER SUbP[NAED
TO AN INQUISITION
Former Mayor on Way to
Grand Jury, but Red Light
King Has Disappeared
Papers That Supported the Ex=
Official Abandon Him to
Clear Skirts
Especial Dispatch TO The Call


LOS ANGELES, March 1S.-Threats
made by leaders of the defeated and
discredited Parker machine to bring
action in the courts to have the ap-
pointment of W. D. Stephens as mayor
declared Illegal on technical grounds
did not materialize today and accord
ing to the city attorney he does not
expect such a move. Interest was di-
vided between the machines attempt
to prevent the almost certain election
of George Alexander on March 26 and
the work of the grand jury in inves-
tigating charges against former Mayor
Harper and his associates in office.
With Harper on his way to Los An
geles in answer to d grand jury sub
pena the district attorneys force be-
lieved there would be little difficulty
in obtaining evidence. but today 1T was
discovered that Nick Oswald, so
caHed king of the redlight district,
and the man who is thought to be IN
possession of discriminating documents
had disappeared.
AS the officials learned Oswald could
not be found they arrested Alphonse
Durand an associate of Oswald, on the
charge Of seeking to defeat the ends
subpoena.
Oswald. before his disappearance.
sold his interest in the Pacific athletic
club. and is supposed to have turned
other property into cash. warrant
for his arrest has been issued but the
sheriff's force believes he has fed to
Mexico, or perhaps to Honduras.
STEPHENS FOR THE RECALL
Statements made in the pro-vice
newspapers to the effect that Mayor
Stephens had deserted the recall move
ment and had aligned himself with the
machine forces were repudiated by
stephens tonight in a declaration that
he was for the recall with all his
heart. that he would work earnestly
for the election of George Alexander
on March 26, and that he would not
attempt to hold office a moment beyond
the time that Alexander was elected
and qualified. Basing action on this
statement, the Municipal league is
proceeding with renewed enthusiasm
with the campaign for Alexander's
election.
General Otis personal journal, the
Times, and w. r. Hearst's Examiner,
which sought to ignore the charges
that have been made against Harper
and which caused his resignation and
the collapse of his administration now
are clamoring for another investiga-
tion and demand that the county prose-
cutting officers, who are more or less
affiliated with the machine, proceed
against Harper and also against T.. I.
Earl. millionaire owner of the Express,
in whose possession were the docu-
ments that directly forced Harper to
resign. They not only have repudiated
Harper, whom they had been support
ing in the face of all the charges made
against him, but they seek now to
accuse Earl of wrongdoing in that he
possessed discriminating evidence and
did not turn it over to the grand jury
or the district attorney.
EVIDENCE Is READY
Earl processes entire willingness to
put any evidence he may have in the
possession of the proper officials when
they show disposition to sift to the
bottom the charges against Harper's
administration. The good government
forces are united in the belief that the
former grand jury endeavored to white
wash Harper and his officials. This is
borne out by the fact that the six men
constituting the minority of the grand
jury who submitted report ffaying
Harper and Kern and the police COM
missioners were subjected to abuse and
villification by the machine leaders and
the Times. the latter alluding to them
as the "siX sneaks."
They We're threatened with prosecu-
tion for criminal libel by the same ele-
ments that are now crying for another
investigation in the hope of clearing
their own skirts and at the same time
bring censure on Earl and other leaders
in the fight for using the evidence to
force Harper'S retirement instead of
placing it before the grand jury.