The San Francisco call., 1910-04-28
COMMISSIONER
!. DENIES DOING
DISHONEST ACT
EIVNNLEhWINn GNFN
From His Bed FIannery Says
Charges Due TO Activities
of Political Enemies
Wife and Daughter Add Details
TO General DeniaIs Made by
>:
City Official

startling as were the declarations Of
Joe Abbott. leader OF the Sausalito
swindlers, before the Marin county
srand jury yesterday TO the effect that
he had been guaranteed protection"
ey Harry p FIannery. president of the
san Francisco police commission. it
was evident that they had been antici-
pated by Flannery and the members Of
ms family. Whether the fun force of
the disclosures was expected, however,
Z; was impossible TO ascertain.
Members Of the commissi oner's family
were panic stricken and in tears when
tho purport of the grave charges was
made known TO them. and Flannery
himself broke down completely as he
. discussed the matter while he lay in
! bed at his residence 2121 Devisadero
street Crushed as they were. how
ever. his family received the expected
slow with much more fortitude than
The accused official himself and eX-
: pressed confidence in the ultimate es-
tablishmnt of the commissioners inno-
cence Of wrong doing.
MAKES DENIAL
-Flannery was confined to his bed, but
1lc saw representative of The Call
L. to in the afternoon. 1t was apparent
that he was not in a condition to dis
cuSS the grave accusations gainst him.
lllt he insisted on registering a sweep
ing denial Of any improper conduct and
g. dehunciation of numerous people
whom he classified as political enc
mics, who were conspirinE to bring
about his downfall
CoraYnissioner Flannery said:
You may state for me that I re-
-. pudtate any connection with any
....[hinE that is dishonest. I invite
fTe fullest investigation and defy
1beSe people 10 show that I have
= ever been implicated in any illegal
? transaction OF that [ have not been
!. q law abiding citizen.
They. refer to me as A crook"
They have picked me out as a tar
f.. ger and have hurled all kinds of
charges at me, but / want to deny
them in toto
-: knew Joe Abbott father in
Nevada - or 30 years aEO He and
T. were good friends, and, natur-
: ally when Joe asked me to use my
Influence TO get him reinstated at
the Tacctrack last fail ] did what I
!: could. Through the influence of
3 Senator Eddie Wolfe succeeded in
getting Abbott reinstated, and it
was this TO very matter referred
in that telegram which they are
= using as 4 basis for their charges.
This is all a scheme of my poIit-
fcal enemies, who are trying to
bring about my downfall and they
are using every means within their
E. power. I deny all Of their charges
= and defy them TO prove anything
against my character.
DEFIEs ENEMIES
r.: Questioned regarding the relevancy
u illusions TO HAZEL and Anderson in
n telegram regarding Abbott's rein
statement at the racetrack, Flannery
? rfsrnbled off into a defiance of his polit-
Steal enemies. and il was apparent that
--:lliS condition was such that he could
mot intelliEently discuss in detail the
+5ulanv accusations against him. In re-
:sZard to these matters, however. state
F. -Iaents were made by both Mrs. Flan-
. 2erY and their daughter, whose names
.were mentioned by Abbott in his re-
ui{al before the grand jury yesterday
:. Receiving the newspaper representa-
lives alone for the greater part of the
afternoon. Miss Irene Elannery. the 20
year old daughter Of the commissioner.
- assured them that the charges against
her father were unfounded and that he
would make full statement as soon
as he was able
Questioned regarding the statement
Of. Abbott TO the effect that she and her
mother on more than one occasion had
= pleaded with the commissioner not to
choke the sWindler during an inter
view At tho residence one night about
=: a month ago. Miss Flannery said:
:. Mother did not have anything to do
- with il. but ! did intercede with father
one night not TO become involved in
sny rumpus with this man. 7 was in
fhe hall and heard them talking an
ZrfIN-- 7 was afraid nv father would
lose control of himself and choke this
man Abbott. so I entered the room
where they were and asked him not to
..lose his temper.
!. = Abbott has been here two or three
times. but I think that the very fact
rhat father refused To furnish bond to
secure that mans release from Jail
would be sufficient to prove that he was
not interested in him.
WIFE AND SISTER CALI
Mrs. Abbott also called one night
hut my father was not at home and she
did not remain. She was never sum-
moned or asked TO come here. Such a
statement is false and ridiculous Her
sister did come here one night last
week. but Of her own volition and for
the purpose Of asking my father TO fur
llish p bond for Abbott. She wanted
him to accept mortgage on a ranch
/. she owned or some other property and
y give her s4,50O. She made him angry
and he was very abrupt with her He
did not tell her TO leave the house, but
made il very plain that her presence
here was distasteful, and she left"
That Commissioner Flannery had dis
cussed with his family to some extent
his relations with Abbott was evident
in his daughters reference to the lat
ter's reinstatement at the racetrack
II am sure that my fathers only in
ferest in this man." she said. was to
secure his reinstatement at the race
track out OF friendship for his father
Father did use his influence and. with
the influence Of Senator Wolfe. sue
ceeded in getting Abbott restored to
= whatever the privileges were that he
had. lost But that was long before
election and not since my father has
. been q police commissioner"
Why her father should be sending
Abbott a congratulatory telegra mthc
day after election and referring to a
promise to be fulfilled in the future
Miss Flannery was unable TO say. She
denied any knowledge Of the telegram
. which Flannery himself admitted he
had sent.
r.r.1.,--1, hath rnother and 6auob+ az