The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1913-04-23
Probe Of Activities of Ger
tain Detectives Begun by
District Attorneys Office
and Commission After
Statement ] by Crook
NAMES AND DATES
BRISTLE IN STORIES
Maurice de Martini, Frank
Dubois and Frank Corri-
gan Assert They Cut
With Men Of Upper Office,
and Tell of Protection"


AS result Of IL disclosures made
by Frank corrigA convicted bunko
man, throwing li{pt upon the graft
alleged to exist / 4 the San Francisco
police departments and incriminating
number of detectives in the upper
office. District Attorney Charles Flick
ert yesterday began an investigation.
In the rooms of the grand jury in
the hall of justice two witnesses,
Maurice de Martini and Frank Dubois,
confessed bunko men, appeared before
District Attorney Fickert, Assistant
District Attorney Fred Berry, Chief of
Police d. a. White and Police Com
missioner Max Kuhl and told their
story involving Detectives Frank
Esola. J. A. Droulette. William Nc
Hugh J. IL. sullivan, Charles Joseph
and James MCGOWAN.
The investigation by the district at
torney's office was begun Immediately
after the disclosures made in Police
Judge Frank H. DUNES court yester-
day afternoon, when Frank Corrigan
was sentenced to seven years in San
Quentin prison.
HAS 4 LOT TO SAY
Corrigan. when asked if he had any
thing to say before judgment was
passed, declared that he had a lot
to say if the court was willing to
listen. At the conclusion of his story
Judge Dunno said: s.It,s too bad that
this man has to suffer r, sne.-
Then, tpr..ing $ Assistant District
Attorney Berry. "a continued:
Mr.. Berry, you must be convinced that
there is work for your Office to do in
the direction of investigating the facts
of this case
TT is the purpose Of the district
attorney to make full investigation" :"
replied Berry. But we must have the
assistance of the evidence which has
been given here this afternoon"
The court thereupon ordered that the
testimony be recorded
Also during the afternoon Maurice de
Martini, another. confessed bunco man,
appeared before Superior Judge Lawlor
and through his attorney Carroll Cook,
made plea for probation. Cook asked
that the case be put oversfor week,
stating he had talked with Captain
Mooney and that the latter was willing.
Judge Lawlor asked Mooney il such
was the case. and upon receiving an
affirmative answer agreed to the notion.
GRAFT ON LARGE SCALE
From the story told by the three
bunco men yesterday it appears that
the police detectives, particularly those
assigned to the .'bunco detail" carried
on system of graft that would put the
recent New York disclosures to blush,
and that every crook operating In San.
Francisco had first to make terms with
the detectives, whose names were not
brought out in the testimony. Among.
these upper office men Frank Esola was
declared to be the ringleader.
1t was learned further that a. saloon
at 544 Broadway, run by man named
Paullin Alberta, was the headquarters
for the bunco men. and that in nearly
every instance the money alleged to
have been paid for protection was left
at this place or given to the detectives
personally within It's DOORS
Although Corrigan, in his testimony
to Judge Dunno, named the various
Jobs he had pulled off and the diff
ferent amounts paid to detectives. the
most sensational disclosures were made
by Frank Dubois and Maurice de Mar
TIM at the district attorneys investi-
CATION
DUBOIS FIRST MAN CALLED
Dubois was the first man called by
Fickert
Il paid $1,155 to man named Pelli-
grim at 544 Broadway, as the detect
ives share in the trick pulled Off when
we fleeced Dondero of $780, sa}d the
No officer was present when I gavrs
the money to Pelligrini. but Detective
Jim MCGOWAN came to 544 Broadway
in the evening. We sat In back room
wine. Revigo and Pelligrini.
were present"
How many officers to your knowl-
edge figured In these cutsr' Dubois
was asked.
Five" he replied, "McHugh. Esola.
Macphee and Taylor
when did you meet Macphee frst?,
Il knew Macphee since the frst time
was arrested-March, 1912. was
in front of the Fairmont hotel wait
ing for a victim. He asked me what
I was doing. I gave him an answer
and he arrested me. He handed me
over to another oficer in plain cIothesssI
Then said. know Esola., why
iidn't you tell me that beforer Mac
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