The San Francisco call., 1910-09-17
GRAFT CHARGES
CAUSE OF War
IN TENDERLOIN
Dive Keepers Accuse Sandy
McNaughtOn of "SqueaIing"
to the Grand Jury
Dave Becker Crosses His Heart
and SwearS Fund Was
for Attorney

made to have it appear that he had
cognizance of the cafe fund This re-
port was traced to inimical interests in
the tenderloin. and Fiekert lost no time
in beginning the exposure.
The search for the inner purposes of
the cafe fund led the grand jury to
sumnion long list Of witnesses. 1t
also brought to light tenderloin
divided against itself. with Sandy Nc
Nsughton against the crowd The
finger of accusation was pointed to-
ward Sandy by his fellow cafemen.
Sandy. it was charged. had squealed-
Sandy denied it. but there is no mis-
taking the open rupture among the
hitherto solid gentry.
sIISINFORMED, SAYS DAVE
AS the fiscal agent Of the special
fund. Becker explained its purposes
yesterday at great length He said:
TO me it appears that a whole lot OF
trouble has been stirred up on account
OF the district attorneys Office and
others in authority being misinformed
as to the nature of the fund. which
freely admit undertook to collect.
The tale bearers evidently carried the
story that I was raising fund with
which to try to purchase protection OF
some kind or other when really was
only asking other cafe keeprs TO join
with me in a movement to employ an
attorney TO appear before the board of
c1x hzf ha
stopping of music be extended from l
o'clock until 3 o'clock in the morning
This idea came to me about FIVE
weeks ago. when ] was talking with
Frank Dunn of Dunn brothers about
how quiet the cafe business had been.
Dunn and I concluded that if we could
get the music limit extended two hours
we could make more money. We
talked over the best way TO get the
limit extended and decided that
should see what the police commits
sioners would do in the matter. Ae-
cordingly I appeared before the police
board and was informed that the COM
nnissioners were powerless to act In
the matter and that the proper thing
would be TO ask the board of supervi-
sors TO amend the present ordinance
so as 10 give US the two extra hours.
NEEDED ATTORNEY
AS such an extension would benefit
all cafe owners. Dunn and 1 decided
that the best thing would be TO have an
attorney present our case 10 the super
visors. and we also decided that all cafe
owners should help bear the expense OF
securing an attorney. l offered TO give
$3.50 and put the money up. Dunn put
up like amount, and Ben Schiff also
put I'D his check for $3.50. Schiff and
Dunn asked me 10 collect the money and
arrange for an attorney / then called
on Levy at the Mirror, and he asked me
TO call later, after he mad time to talk
TO his brother. I saw Pratt and Tier
ney. and they said that business was
pretty quiet. but that if they could ar
range for the money they would help
out When 1 called at Stacks his part
ner told me TO call later and they would
let me know. ] saw Spider Kelly just
outside his place, and when ! put the
proposition TO him he threw his hands
In the air and said that he would not be
stuck up by any one. 1 tried to show
him where the extension would benefit
him as well as the rest of US, but he
could not see il.
SANDY SAYS NAY
7 started out TO see Sandy McNaush-
ton and met him on Eddy street near
the side entrance TO Newman's. / ex-
plained what we were trying to, do and
he put me of by saying that he would
have to see his partner. Jackman.
called again on McNaughton at his sa-
loon and could not find him in Jack
man was there and said he knew moth
ing about helping out the fund I
then got McNaughton on the phone, and
he stalled around for a while and said
he did not care to run after I O'Clock
and had decided not to aid in placing
the matter before the supervisors
About this time I saw that the ma
9ority of the cafe owners were not
willing TO help out and gave the mat
ter up Z gave Dunn back his money
and returned the check to the Schiff
brothers. That is everything I know
about any fund being raised along the
cafe owners and il was for a legifi-
mate proposition OF sending an attor-
ney 10 represent us before the super
visors fn asking for an amended ordi-
nance to give us a chance to make
some money out Of a business that hsa
been very dull from a money stand
point for US. Everything in connection
with the raising OF the fund was open
and above board. II there was any
other fund for any other purpose I
know nothing of it,
My idea is that some one heard of
my gathering this money and. not
knowing the purpose for which IL was
collected. jumped at conclusions and
reported that money was being raised
for some other purpose. 1 stand will
ing TO answer any questions in regard
10 this matter and ask that every DOS
sible investigation be made of the af-
fair. I have nothing to conceal and
defy any one to show where / have
contributed a single cent to any fund
for police protection or for protection
from any other source