"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft ProsecutionHichborn, Franklin
History
"The System," As Uncovered by the San Francisco Graft Prosecution
Hichborn, Franklin
Political corruption -- California -- San Francisco; San Francisco (Calif.) -- Politics and government
"The retinue of the trolley magnates, as exhibited in the Ford
case, makes a remarkable picture. Behind the expert lawyers of
last resort troops a motley train of gun fighters,
professional plug-uglies, decoys, disreputable 'detectives,'
thugs, women of the half world and the wolfish pack of gutter
journalism. It must be, indeed, a hard case that needs such
bolstering.
"How will Mr. Calhoun square with his protestations of
high-mindedness the presence and the efforts in his behalf of
such creatures of the slums and stews as 'Bogie' O'Donnell and
'The Banjo Eyed Kid'? Are these and the others of their kidney
laboring in the same behalf as friends and sympathizers of Mr.
Calhoun or merely as his hired men?"
[297] At the Ford trial, Supervisor Lonergan had testified that he
had been followed during a recess of the court. The following
testimony followed:
"Q. Was that Mr. Melrose, a detective of the Southern Pacific,
who is sitting there? A. I don't know Mr. Melrose.
"Q. Is he the gentleman sitting immediately back of Mr. Ford?
A. That is the gentleman; that is him.
"Q. He was following you around during the noon hour? A. Yes,
sir.
"Q. Don't you know he is a detective of the Southern Pacific?
A. I don't know anything about the gentleman."
[298] The Call, in its issue of September 26, 1907, stated in
explanation of how the graft defense had come by the statement
Lonergan had made to Dorland that: "After court adjourned
(September 25) Attorney Rogers offered an explanation for
Walter Dorland, the man who was charged by the prosecution
with having attempted to kidnap Lonergan. Rogers's story
differed from that told by Dorland. Rogers stated that Dorland
was not a detective, but was in charge of a hospital in
Chicago. He came to San Francisco, where he met Luther Brown,
an associate of Rogers. Brown and Dorland were old friends and
the former induced Dorland to get statements from the
Supervisors for him. Dorland did this. Rogers says he has
statements from all the Supervisors with the exception of
Gallagher."
[299] Heney states in an affidavit filed in the case of The People
vs. Patrick Calhoun et als., No. 823, that he had been
informed that the reason given by Ruef for securing the
signatures of the Supervisors to this affidavit was to find
out which, if any of them, had confessed, upon the theory that
any one of them who had confessed would refuse to sign an
affidavit, and upon the further theory that if such a
confessing member did sign the affidavit, he would thus be
making a contradictory statement under oath, which could thus
be further used against him by Ruef or Gallagher, upon the
trial of either of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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