The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-02
BLOW At BURNS
PART OF PLAN
TOSAVE ABBOTT
United Railroads Behind Plot
to Stop Pay OF Special
Agent
Higher Ups Hope TO Prevent
Bribery Charge by Relying
on Technicality

Behind the attempt of United Rail-.
roads attorneys and friends of the'
higher ups to stop permanently the pay
of Special Agent William ]. Burns and
his assistants there has developed a.
double purpose. Not only is the inten-
ton of the graft defendants to inter-
fere in every possible way with the
work of the district attorneys ofice-
but still more important to them is the
plan by which it is hoped to save Vii
liam NJ Abbott. chief counsel for the
United Railroads, from possible eonvic-~
ton on bribery charge
The reason for interfering with thes
men who are working up evidence for'
the state in connection with the graft
cases is apparent; every hindranes
that can be thrown in the way makes
their work that much less efective.1
The reason that second motive has
helped inspire the attempt to hold uV
salary warrants harks back TO tho
recent arrest of Abbott and several
minor tools Of the United Railroads on
the charge of stealing reports on jurors
and other documents from the once OE
Special Agent Burns.
BRIBERY CHARGE THREATENED
One of the men arrested after the
recent raid on the United Railroads.
offices, in which several hundred stolen
safe. was Z. \. Plat, formerly in thS
employ of Burns In his confessions
Plat directly charged that he was
paid by John Helms, head of the United
Railroads detective agency, and later
by Abbott himself to turn over such
REPORTS to the defense for use in the
Calhoun case. With the direct evil
denee against him. Abbott is likely to-
be brought TO book on charge OF
Offering bride to public official
With this danger hanging over Alb
bolts head. the application for an in
junction to prevent the payment Oe
salaries to Burns and his assistants
takes ON new aspect. The case has
been taken before Judge SturtevanG
in the superior court and must neces~
state a ruling from him on the ques-
ton of whether the special agent and
assistant special agents of the districts
attorneys Office are in law public on
Gals AS such they have drawn their
salaries since the appropriation for
this work was made by the board OF
supervisors. The attack made in the
Metson-Burke injunction suit is based
on the ground that District Attorney
Langdon had no right to- make the ap-
pointments-
In the event that Judge StUrtevans
should hold with the applicants for the
Injunction. his decision would neceS-
sariIy be to the effect that Burns and
his assistants were not properly Of
fcials of the city. and therefore. noe
entitled to pay. This same decision
would stand as defense for Abbott
to use in his own behalf against a
felony charge. Should the bribery
charge be made he could avoid trial
by claiming that under the court ruiz
ing in the Injunction case Platt was
not a public official at the time be-
was paid to steal reports and there
fore that he could not be held for
giving a bribe-
ADVISED TO $50 AHEAD
In the confession made Immediately
after his arrest Plat declared that
when the special agent and his assist
ants were made city employees through
the action of the board of supervisors
he feared that his own actions would
make him liable TO prosecution for d
felony He had already been selling
his reports TO the United Railroads.
but 'Wnen put upon a new status a. d
city empIoye he went directly to VIII
liam NJ Abbott and told the latter his
fears. Abbott. said Platt. told him to
go ahead as did also Carrot ". Me-
Euerney chief legal adviser for ths
allied defendants in the graft cases
W. Fl. Nelson's connection with the
present injunction proceedings TO pre-
vent Auditor John ]. ESoscer from sign
ing the salary demands of Burns and
his assistants is plain. James 2. Burke.
in whose name the proceedings were
begun. has admitted that he is nothing
more than tool in the matter and
acted upon Nelson's suggestion in al
lowing his name to be used
In discussing the injunction suit yes
terday. Assistant District Attorney
Francis j. Heney said:
There is no doubt in my mind OK
what lies behind the injunction suit
to tie up the salaries of Burns and his
assistants. Nelson appeared as an at
torney for the United Railroads when
the arrests were made following the.
finding of stolen reports m Abbott'sl
safe. 1t is apparent that he is in the
employ of the United Railroads and
that through them this suit has been
brought The purpose. OF course. is
10 try to get a decision holding thas
none OF Burns men IS a public ofieer.,
and so relieve Abbott Of danger from
convict of the felony charge of brib-.
cry for giving money to F. A. Platt'