The San Francisco call., 1910-02-26
Basis for Club Jokes


Basis for Club Jokes
In the clubs the cryptograms solved
at the expense Of the United Rail-
roads. and forwarded by Calhoun to
Fickert, by whom in turn they were
transferred TO the Chronicle and pub
approval and consent" were the
subject of many jokes yesterday,
and formed the basis for practical
Jokes At the Bohemian club enter
prisiug members cOncocted a cabalistie
message which when solved and an
nounced by an unsuspecting member
was, What VIII you have2" AS soon
as the unsuspecting one stated the
solution those present ordered freely
In the other clubs similar pranks were
INDUCED in.
Everywhere except in the Office of
District Attorney Fickert and that of
Patrick Calhoun the cryptograms were
hailed yesterday as q source of keen
amusement. The prosecutor on the
other side" began his investigation of
the direful messages with the sweat
ing Of Luther Brown. detective-lawy
in the employ of the United Railroads.
It seemed that every one but Fickert.
Calhoun and the Chronicle had re-
fused TO perspire over the mystic mes
sages. and the lieutenant of the gum
shoe brigade was called on to sacrifice
himself and swell the crowd The re-
suits Of Browns ordeal in the induisi-
ton chamber at the hands Of Fickert
were announced in the Chronicle.
IL appeared that Brown had not
sweated" much. but still further mud
died the situation by declaring that
he, and not Calhoun, was the discoverer
Of Stone, the man who solved the
crNptographic personals in the Exam
lner. This undoubtedly was not pub
lished with the approval and con-
sent of the indicted railroad magnate.
for Calhoun himself declared to a rep
resentative Of The Cali that William
r stone. the Oakland jeweler, had
come direct TO him when the Examiner
mana cement refused to let itself be
Hurried over the cryptic grams.
TEAM WORK Is WEAK
Whether Browns boastful declara-
tion or Fickert's course in giving his
assertion publicity caused the more dis
pleasure a United Railroads headauar-
ters yesterday could not be learned
The team work in connection with the
whole cryptOgrammatic struggle. how
ever, has been something awful and
u has been suggested that the orgaui-
zation should have had more secret
~ ielNNAcS anu framing because team
Is no stronger than its weakest sister.
Francis J. Heney had unhesitatinglv
declared that Luther Brown and Earl
Rogers, attorney for Calhoun had con-
cocted the alleged cryptograrHs and
forthwith. Immediately. and fpstanter
District Attorney Fickert summoned
the detective to his chamber of horrors.
where the sweating" machinery was
put into motion. That the district at
torney was unfa miIiar with the sweat
ing apparatus however. became evf-
dent from the fact that the process re-
suited in simply stirring up more mud
in the puddle. Fickert announced after
the operation 10 a Chronicle reporter
the result OF the Sweating" accord
ing 10 his views
Fiekert also announced that ne in
tended TO summon Francis J. Heney
and William J. Burns to shed light on
the direful messages. The sweating"
Of the graft prosecutor. which is sched-
uled to take place before the grand
jury, may be different from the sweat
ing Of Brown. Heney is on what Flick
ert terms the other side" and Brown
is not on the other side" so that may
make a difference.
DEMAND FOR COURT RECORDS
It also became known yesterday that
District Attorney Fickert had not an
piled for the court records in the CAT
houn case until yesterday morning. AL
though a statement by him purporting
TO give the dates OF the examination
of Talesman Holzberg and the con-
tents OF the examination was published
with approval and consent in the
Chronicle before he had secured the
data
The only copy OF the court records
was in the possession Of the United
Railroads.
The district attorney seemed dis
pleased yesterday with the expose of
the spurious character Of the crypto-
grams made by Francis J. Heney and
based on the "Holzberg- bias MESA ge.
IN the Chronicle F1clert had pointed
out this very message as the one which
would form the basis of a prodigious
and monumental mass Of bald. cold.
naked and uncontrovertible facts which
would he piled upon the guilty heads
81 the members Of the other side"
HENEI L. AMUSED
In replying to Heney's expose of the
cryptograms Fickerf said.
HE has convicted himself"
ITeney was later asked for an ex-
preston regarding the statement OF the
district attorney.
i have enjoyed this joke immense
ly." said the graft prosecutor. but l
have not the time to take part in Flick
ert's and Calhoun's cryptogrammatic
entertainment. If the district attorney
sees 1it to devote his time to that sort
Of amusement that is his business. I
am engaged with other matters"
Asked If he would appear before the
grand jury If summoned Ia connection
with the investigation of the cryptic
grams Heney replied:
Certainly" and dismissed the subject
without further comment.