"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
"It is an axiom that evidence suppressed is deemed to be
adverse, and having in mind this axiom certainly the Commission
is justified in concluding that the books which the applicant
refuses to produce at least would not better its showing."
Following the defeat of the graft prosecution in November,
1909, peculiar transactions are recorded against the United
Railroads. For example, the Railroad Commission found, and has
so reported, that "in the minutes (of the United Railroads) of
May 25, 1910, it appears that four years' 'back salary' was
voted to Patrick Calhoun, president of the United Railroads of
San Francisco, in the sum of $75,000 a year, or a total of
$300,000. No explanation is made of this item, but it at once
suggests the necessity of a thorough investigation in order to
determine the items claimed by applicant as operating expenses
of the United Railroads over a series of years." See Decision
No. 439 Railroad Commission of California, in the matter of the
application of the United Railroads, etc., February 4, 1913.
[304] Both Wilson and Coffey were indicted for bribe-taking. Wilson
later on found his memory. At other graft trials he explained
that his testimony at the first Ford trial had been given
after he had undergone an operation that had involved the use
of large quantities of cocaine. He insisted that he did not
know to what he was testifying. Coffey was tried for
bribe-taking and convicted. The Supreme Court, however, set
aside the verdict on technicalities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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