The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1912-03-18
Police BOARD
TO CLEAR OUT
BAIL BONDEVIL
Commissioners Instruct Chief
White to Obtain Evidence
Against McDOnOughs
Cook Says Offending Saloon
Keepers Will Lose Licenses
and Shysters Their Graft
PatroImen's Records to Be
Watched to Prevent Posi-
Bile C0llnsiOn


~ RESIDENT JESSE B. COOK of
the board of police commission
ers cleared up all doubts yes
terday as to the stand that ne
and the board would take on the
ball bond evil. which was exposed last
week by Superior Judge Dunno and
Assistant District Attorney Maxwell
Nc.Sutt. Cook said that in instructing
thu chief of police to secure evidence
against the bail bond brokers and their
allied shysters, the commission meant
bu,hness. He stated specifically that
McDonough brothers. the saloon men,
we're notorious for their activity in
hail bond graft. and that upon the
presentation of legal evidence that they
were involved in the traffic which has
been associated with their name for 20
years, their license would be revoked.
The evil. the president of the COM
mission said, lay in the corruption
which the bail broker exercised over
members of the police department. The
patroIman is bribed by the shyster and
bond broker to telephone to their head
quarters whenever an arrest is made.
This exposure of the situation made
by Cook. who was formerly chief of
police. should give Chief of Police
White good lead on how to attack
the evil A record is kept of the arrest
ing patroIman in every case, and by
comparing that record with the name
of the attorney who appears for the
prisoner. a check can be made that
would indicate what policemen are in
league with the bail bond brokers.
In discussing the bail bond evil and
McDonough brothers yesterday, Cook
said:
The board of police commissioners
has instructed the chief of police to
investigate the bail bond evil and
secure evidence that we can use in
driving the men who practice it out of
business. If we get legal evidence that
McDonough brothers. or any other
saloon keeper, is engaged in that traffic
we shall take away their license.
Shysters and Their Work
We all know that McDonough
brothers have had the reputation for
being engaged in the bail bond busi-
ness for the last 20 years. They have
been notorious. but the board of police
commissioners can not take away their
saloon license without process of law.
We must have charges made against
the saloon before we can act. But if
it is established legally that a saloon
man is engaged in the business his
license will be revoked instantly.
"The trouble does not usually occur
in the prison, but in the street When
a policeman makes an arrest and puts
his prisoner in the patrol wagon he
then slips off somewhere and tele-
phones to McDonough brothers. Then
a shyster from McDonough's will go
over to the city prison and bail out
the fellow. These men are not lawyers.
They could not appear in a superior
court; they are simply shysters. the
offal Of the earth, and they should be
driven from business, from the police
courts. 1t is dificult to catch the
policemen and the bail bond brokers
at their game. for naturally their work
is done secretly.
However, we have told the chief Of
police to get evidence for us and we
shall act. The other members of the
board, Commissioner Woods and the
others, are IN accord with me In this
matter. We have frequently talked it
over and decided that as soon as any
evidence is available we shall revoke
the licenses of the saloons that are
engaged in this traffic. The board of
police commissioners has the power to
do that.
Il suppose we all got in wrong
on the controversy with Judge Dunno
and Assistant District Attorney Nc
mutt. but 1t was due to misunder-
standing We all admire Judge Dunno
and are ready to stand by him, and we
are friendly with McNutt. The whole
difficulty arose through a misunder-
standing The members of the police
commission should be the last persons
in the world to quarrel with any one
in the defense of a saloonman who is
guilty of improper conduct. We want
to assure Judge Dunno and McNutt of
that fact
Working for City's Good
THE bond brokers and the shysters
have fourished in this city for years.
We all realize that McDonough
brothers have been in that business.
when was chief / kept close watch
on the city and prison and they were
not busy The police commission can
not go out and get evidence. but we
have instructed the chief OF police 10
do that and he has the whole depart-
ment to work with. And If evidence
is placed before us that McDonough
brothers or any other persons can be
incriminated directly and justly we
ahall act promptly"