The San Francisco call. [volume], February 07, 1905, Page 2, Image 2

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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2
TAINTED GOLD
IS SURRENDERED BY POLICE SERGEANT ELLIS TO GRAND JURY
AND TURNED OVER BY FOREMAN TO SUPERIOR JUDGE LAWLOR
TWO OTHER IERBERS OF SQUAD
ALSO TELL OF THE CRAFTINC
Chan Cheung Had Big Fund
to Disburse Weekly.
STATUTE PRECLUDES CRIMINAL PROSECUTION
Oon tinned From l»a{je 1. Column 1.
of Sergeant Ellis made it possible for
the grafid jurors to penetrate the great
mystery of Chinatown. The taking of
bribe money was for him a departure
from a career that had long been hon-
He lacked the cunning of the
rogue, a smarting conscience made eye
and voice uncertain in denials, and an
and a haJf in the "sweating" pro
i.ad suftiied to draw the story of
From him.
The break came, and then he yielded
up everything, even the money he had
taken. The rascal will say that Ellis
is a r<M>L The law of sell-preservation
v uuld read the same. "Stout denials
would have saved Ellis, says Foreman
Andr-
Bad the sergeant maintained an at
iiiude of innocence he would in all
L>ud not be a disgraced man to
• \ iuence against him before he
rnnfiwrfl wum meager and flimsy. But
he v !i the courage of the
He fell t«. temptation, floun
dered in elements foreign to his nature
and experience, and within the space
at a few w cete worked the undoing of
an honorable reputation.
I*. wa< tar a deed of bravery that
won a piace on the force, and his
record thei-e has been noted for fear-
But he could not look into
: f an accuser with conscience
I harsh condemnation
• :n.
The confession of Ellis induced tive
two atrolmen— Heinz and O'Brien— to
tell of their participation in corruption.
He tried to aid the Grand Jury, and
acting the part of monitor, as it were,
encouraged the others to tell all they
Knew .
SQUAD CHARGED.
D the confessions of this trio,
<irand Jury makes sweeping
gainst the entire squad, and
:he Police Department in general.
Hut n<> Bpeclflc evidence was unearthed
i-.painst any one: the confessions of El
ieinr and O'Brien were all that
(HTrftH out, and they implicate
04 seriously but themselves.
The Grand Jury did set forth in its
• that Ellis, in loosing his tongue,
hat it was Sergeant H. H. Chris
-••n who directed him to Chan
Cbem he weekly contributions.
"Chinatown sack." But last
night Ellis said this was a mistake,
that the jurors had misunderstood him.
and he was eager to have it appear in
üblio prints that Sergeant Chris
tiansen was innocent of the whole af
fair.
p time ago at an investigation
by the Police Commissioners examina
tion of books captured in raids of fan
lan game* revealed that $5 was collect
ed fi • iible every week for pro
::terference by the police.
- confession corroborates
the evidem ■•■ gathered at this time.
During tht eight weeks that he says he
he weekly contributions from
• 'ban <'heung the total amount paid
him i |Mtt. He began making
<alls on the disbursing agent shortly
after Deing assigned to Chinatown. But
h<- denies emphatically that the $700 or
hat he could not turn over to the
<Jran<i Jury wmm given to any one in
c with him. He*says the money
to his personal use. It came much
und faster than money had ever
come to him before, and he spent it
with (^responding facility.
The Grand Jury did not spare Chief
Wittman in its searching for further
incrimination, but neither from the ser
peant nor any one else was the slight
videnee discovered against him.
NO INDICTMENTS.
There were no indictments by the
Grand Jury for the reason that all the
evidence available is that of co-ccrn
spirators. The law reads that there
• an be no conviction of an offender on
the testimony of a fellow-conspirator
without oornrboration. It therefore ap
iliat Ellis. Heinz and O'Brien will
" criminal prosecution, for the
<»ran<] Jury threshed the matter out
thoroughly and would have instituted
■>e<="n possible to do so.
report of the Grand Jury is as
In the partial report of the Police Commit
tee, handed to you ■ v. p^lc ago, we set forth
•i, epitome of the present Rituation of police
affairs* in Chinatown. We .explained In detail
the condition found t© exist and set forth in
the report of the Police Commission, together
with a confession of their Inability to discover
th< evildoer*, and the urgent necessity for thU
committf to institute Investigations.
The object of the said partial report wa» to
appeal to his Honor WlllUm P. Lawlor, 1h«
presiding Judge, to suggest to the Board of
I*ol Ice Commissioner* the propriety of delaying
their investigations, and thus granting us the
desired time to pursue our inquiries, and sup
plement such evidence and Information which
we have with additional corroborative proof,
which is necessary in order to render tt legally
effective.
The presiding Judge, after considering nur
request. indited a letter to the Board of Po
lice Commissioners, Inclosing the said partial
ADVERTISEMENTS.
Pears'
To keep the skin clean
is to wash the execretions
from it off ; the skin takes
care of itself inside, if not
blocked outside.
To wash it often and
clean, without doing any
sort of violence to it re-
quires a most gentle soap,
a soap with no free alkali
in it.
Pears', the soap that
clears but not excoriates.
Sold all over the world.
report, and <«uiiTrcFted the advisability of
granting- our request,, and In that way co
openui:!K with us.
At the meeting of th<» Commissioners- last
Monday ni*-ht a copy of the report and reso
lution, as well as the communication of the
presiding Judge, were read to the Police Com
missioners, and the president of that body, an
nounced that no further time would be granted
and thti.t the examination must proceed at once.
The accus<ti ofliec-rs not being represented
by ar attorney, however, the matter was post
l< n*-d for one week, and the announcement
made that no further time would be granted.
S(X)I{ES POLICE BOAKD.
We fef-l that, a? we had made such splendid
progress in our Investigations, that had the
Commission granted us the extension
"d, wt would have succeeded in uncov
ering the nest of bribery and corruption exist
ing in the department presided over by them.
We beg to report the result of our labors as
follows :
V.' find from evidence before us that the
last squad of policemen who went into Chlna
town tor the purpose of suppressing: gambling.
prior to the appointment of this Grand Jury,
was the squad under Sergeant Thomae P. El
lis, and appointed by the Chief or Police on
or about October 1, IWM. And said evidence
Is to the effect that upon the first day Ser
geant Ellis assumed his new duties he wa« di
rected by Sergeant Christiansen, his predeces
sor in charge of the Chinatown squad, to call
upon on" Chan Cheung. 2 St. Louis alley. That
members of Ellis' squad were also directed
by members of the Christiansen squad to call
at the same place. That in - accordance with
this direction Sergeant Ellis did call at" 2 St.
Louis alley and for the period of time during
which he was In charge of the Chinatown
squad, namely, up to November 30, 1904. the
eald Sergeant Thomas P. Bills received from
said Chan Cheung from $2.Vt to $275 each a -<1
every wetk. That the members of. the squad
also called upon said Chan Cheung, 2 St.
Liouls alley, and received sums ranging from
$30 to S+n per week each. These ■ sums were
paid on Saturday of each week at 2 Bt. Lculs
■Hcjr and between the hours of 12 and 1
o'clock. That prior to any of said sums txung
paid and during the first few days of t!ie duty
on the *quad. the members of said squa-1 1 eld
a consultation on Dupont street, near Wash
ington, and agreed that they would on r-ach
Saturday, between the hours of 12 and 1
o'clock, go to 2 St.- Louis alley to collect the
paid amounts, and endeavored to arrange so
that no two would call at f=ald place at the,
came time. It was arrane-ed that betwton 12
and 1 o'clock on each Saturday the members
of the *quad would watch th» said doorway. 2
St. Louis alley, and a man would not mit»r
until the one preceding him had com» rut. At
the head of the stairs were two rooms, ay.l In
case some one was already there :he late
<jrm"r would step Into the second room it til
the other caller had rone.
ELLIS GIVES UP MONEY.
That upon receiving the lnformatlcn of money
having been jM-.id to Sergeant Ellis, your com
mittee went to the house of said Ellis, where
«'» were informed that said money was keit.
had secured the sum of $1330 in gold coin: said
amount being contained in fourteen paper pac<c
ages and consisting of $100 in $20 gol.l pieces.
$150 In $10 gold pieces and the balance in
r-leven packages cf $5 pieces. This money,
since it was secured, has been In the custody
of. the foreman of the Grand Jury and depos
ited In a safe deposit vault. Tour committee
hereby requests that It now be . delivered " to
the presiding Judge of the Superior Court In
ami for this city and county. ■ '■■ ■■■■•* .
That the "Evidence tends to show that all of
said m.-rnoy,, together with the money paid to
th j.atrolmen connected with the Chinatown
pquad. was received from Chan Cheung, now
under indictment upon a charge of murder
. That it i? apparent from the testimony taken
before this committee that said money was dis
tributed for the purpose of protecting gamblinr
In Chinatown. • That Information was pos-cd
from S-.rgeant Christiansen and the members
of his Mjuad to Sergeant Ellis and the members
of his squad to the effect that s>aid Chan Cheung
was the distributing agent, and advised that
the sergeant and patrolmen call and : see the
said Chan Cheung at Xo. 2 St. Louts all-y
and to take, what they were given and Fay
nothing.
It appears from the evidence that when raids
were made by the Chinatown squad It was
usually acting on the order of Chan Cheunsr.
wlio would notify the squad of the time and
place of the raid; the said Chan Cheung would
then arrange that only a» few Chinamen be
ir. the gambling premises when the. raid took
place.
\V> also find that when raids were arranged
by "t?r-r* than the said Chan Cheung, as soon
a« lnstruotions" were given to the squad to
that effect Chinese were at once notified as to
the time of the raid, so that they wouT3 be
amply prepared for the same.
Tlie nam-^s of the members of the Chinatown
squad under S<-rgrant K!11"= were: William Po
ran. Charles E. Munn. Henry Heinz. Richard
O'Brien. H<»rry T. MoOrath. and that the mem-
Irf-rs- r^' Pergesnt Christiansen's squad were:
J c Farrell. J. A. Hayes, A. M. Smith. E. J.
Rottanzi, B. M. Clancy.
CORRUPTION FAR REACHING.
That your committee jp unable to state for
what period of time and under what sergeants
this system has continued, but believes that it
has been carried along In . the department for
a number of years, and that the squads btm-
Inbefore mentioned have followed in *.h<? foot
steps of certain of its predecessors.
Tour committee is positive that a .vigilant
squad of police, commanded by an honest and
competent sergeant, can at i all times enfonce
the law In Chinatown or In any other portion
of this city. This han been 'proven by th» ac
tiont of - certain sergeants who have been pon t
to Chinatown to uphold th# law during the last
four or five years.
For the department to confess that any part
of this city Is immun* from the carrying rut
of the ordinances of the city or the statutes
of the State, so far as eonesrns gambling or
other crime, we hold to be ■ absolutely unten
able, and a confession of weakness upon the
part of the department making the- admission.
The Beard of Police Commissioner*. spesifteal
ly charged with the duty of seeing that cor
ruption does not creep Into the department
and to *rail)Mt« It when It rain* a faothold.
admitted In the 1 report filed in the Tiivith of
December last, that there were over iOO plnees
In ch'natown where gambling, has .been ron
ducted during many years last past. ' -
Tt neems to ;us that they could nlso . h<«.v*
discovered why this wholesale- violation *f the
law was permitted and have | taken the n«^ps
sary steps to prevent the ; same. • W» believe
that with, the machinery . which ; they : nave : at
hand the work should hay« been eas'er\ for
then than It hue been for the Grand Jury. . -'
We further find from the evidence before
uh that an Injunction' was granted by r>erart
rnfnt Ko. 12 of thf Superior. Court : »v»rin»
most of the plaees^of gambling In Chinatown,*
which injunction wb« continued In force do-p-n
to <%n or about November 7. IfKH. an.l that,
notwithstanding . wld , injunction.' the .* weekly
payments were regularly made to members of
th<-- Police P«>risrtmeTit. . ■ .
W« regret "Tceedlnirly that our ur?»nt ap
peal for further time .wns . not granted, and
to such refusal •w» lay the responsibility for
our failure- to adduce evidence , that . would
convict the guilty parties In a court of law.
CHRTSTf AXSEXV KXONTiHIATED.
Ellis Says He at Xo Time Accused the
Sergeant. •
Sergeant Ellis said last night that
the Grand Jury must have misunder*
stood him and that he had not made
the statement that Sergeant Christian*
sen told him to go to Chan Cheung to
get bribe money.
"Christiansen never directed me to
Chan Cheung or to any one else foi
corruption money nor did I so tell the
grand jurors." Ellis declared to the
press. "The jurors certainly miscon
strued what I said to them. I am
sorry that such a grave reflection has
been cast on the character of Sergeant
Christiansen when there is no founda
tion whatever for it. That is all I
h.-ive to say in regard ( to the Grand
Jury's report."
District Attorney Byington declares
thiit the Grand Jury made its report
from the shorthand record of Ellis'
confession and that there could be no
mistake as to what he said concern
ins: Christiansen.
THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1005.
BEGINS TRIAL
OF SERGEANT
TOM ELLIS
After Long Delay
Police Board
Acts.
FAiN-TAN EXPERTS
Chinese Testify
to Gambling
Raids.
CHIEF TAKES HAND
The long deferred trial of Police Ser
geant Ellis under the charges preferred
by ex-Commissioner Hutton, that Ellis
allowed gambling in Chinatown and
that he warned the various gambling
clubs that were paying for police im
munity that a Police Commissioner
was about to make a visit, began be
fore the Police Commissioners last
night.
The proceedings started with the
reading of the charges of Hutton
against Sergeant Ellis. Several Chi
nese witnesses were then placed on the
stand to testify as to gambling in Chi
natown. With the examination of the
Chinese the situation changed from a
trial of Ellis to the placing of Chief
Wittman on the defensive.
Several Chinese said that they had
been told by representatives of the
Eight Statesmen Society that the mon
ey collected for prelection was turned
over to the Chief of Police. The last
witness, Long Hong Poo, testified that
Attorney Grant L. Carpenter told
twenty Chinese of the Educational So
ciety that a Police Commissioner was
going to make a raid. This testimony
favored Ellis' case and pleased Chief
Wittman. t
Hutton tried repeatedly to make the
witness say that he was the only Chi
naman notified by Carpenter and that
the notification took place just prior to
the raid, but failed.
The delayed session began with a
reading of an answer by President Po
heim to the severe criticism of the Po
lice Commission by the Grand Jury,
and then the case of Sergeant Ellis was
called.
Hutton was the first witness to take
the stand after his charges against El
lis had been read. He was questioned
in turn by Chief Wittman and Attorney
Richard Mogan for Sergeant Ellis, and
he retold the story of his visits to the
Chinatown gambling den. He was fol
lowed on the stand by Irving McAfee,
formerly a messenger boy, who testi
fied to his delivering the note sent by
Hutton to Ellis making an appointment
to meet for the purpose of visiting the
dens.
Lee Sing, the third witness called,
testified that a Chinese named Wong
Yu telephoned the house at 820 Wash
ington street that a Police
sioner was coming and that they would
do well to close the place. The Chinese
who received the message was Chin
Bok Gai, one of the Eight Statesmen of
Chinatown.
At the time the telephone bell rang,
Lee Sing said, he was gambling and
stood about ten feet from the phone.
After Chin Bok Gai had finished talk
ing he gave orders to close up and stop,
as a Policy Commissioner was coming.
On cross-examination the witness
said that representatives of the Eight
Statesmen who collected the money
had said that it was for the Chief of
Police. Wittman then ask«d the wit
ness why he did not say that in his
previous testimony. Lee Sing replied
that he had not been asked the ques
tion. "Isn't it a fact," continued Witt
man, "that Carpenter and the China
man who is the head of the Educational
Society told you to change your testi
mony and that since last testifying
you have 'cooked ud' evidence?"
"No," replied the witness.
The next Chinaman was Chin Fay,
a gambler, who has been living at the
Educational Society for four years. He
told of the payment .of protection
money at 11 Ross alley, where the price
was $5 for each fantan table operated.
This witness also said that he heard
that the Chief of Police received the
money. Again Wittman asked if he
was not coached in testifying by Car
penter and again receive*! a negative
reply.
The last witness of the evening,
Long Hong Poo. grave the most Im
portant testimony regarding the warn
ing of the various gambling dens. He
said that Attorney Carpenter had in
formed him and twenty other Chinese
at the Educational Society that a Po
lice Commissioner was about to raid
the gambling clubs. This information
was given out between 7 and 8 o'clock
in the evening, nearly two hours before
Hutton made his visit. Sharp cross
questionins by Hutton failed to shake
the testimony.
TETRAZZINI
HOLDS LEVEE
AT SEQUOIA
A gladsome greeting was that to the
song bird, Slgnorina Tetrazzinl, in
Sequoia's realm last evening. The Pal
ace rooms overflowed with congratula
tion, friendliness and fashion, the latter
in abundance, adding not a little tcfthe
atmosphere of satisfaction and pleas
ure that beamed from all faces.
Signorina Tetrazzini, surrounded
completely and continually, bestowed
her graciouß naturalness upon all with
the same ease and warmth that she
diffuses from over the footlights, and
by this personal contact the magetism
of her voice is more perfectly under
stood. Fully 150 guests and membe.s
of Sequoia were In attendance, the va
rious groups disclosing among others;
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Walton Tully,
Mrs. Mary Austin, Miss Anna Frances
Briggs, Royden Williamson, Charles H.
Lombard, William Greer Harrison, Miss
Marie Withrow, Miss Eva Withrow,
Mrs. Oscar Mansfeldt, Eric Julihn,
Charles Townsend, Charles Dutton,
Charles Sedgwick Aiken, Mr. and Mrs.
Walter C. Campbell, Mrs. Morffew,
Mrs. 'lda Gray Scott.
POHEIM DENOUNCES GRAND
JURORS AS HYPOCRITES.
Says They Are Doing Politics
CHARGES POLICE COMMITTEE WITH
AUDACiTY AND RANK INSINCERITY
The Police Commissioners were in re
sentful mood last night at the asper
sions cast on them by the Gr^.nd Jury.
Dr. J. F. Poheim was the only one
who spoke out in meeting, however.
Immediately on calling the board to
order and in a voice that showed nam
ing wrath he denounced the police com
mittee^ of the Grand Jury as having
shameless audacity.
The new Commissioner called the
committee hypocritical and insincere
for refusing to indict policemen and
sergeants against whom it pretended to
have found evidence. The entire con
duct of the police committee of the
Grand Jury was said to savor more of
a desire to do politics than to adminis
ter justice. The doctor spoke as fol
lows:
Gentlemen of the Commission — I desire at
this time to call your attention to th» pub
lished reports of the police committee of the
Grand Jury to-day, which, in my opinion, Is
a deliberate mfcstatcment of the attitude of
thlg commission and a declaration of rank In
justice toward It. The police committee
•ays:
■\\» regret, indeed, that our urgent appeal
for further time was not granted and to such
refusal we lay the responsibility for our failure
to adduce evidence that would convict the
guilty parties in a court of law."
Nothing that this commission has done has
In the slightest degree interfered with the
work of the Grand Jury or with any Investi
gation which it has made or may desire to
make and any statement to the contrary la
untrue. It is true that I have protested
against any further delay in the trial of the
cases of the accused police officers who are
before this commission on charges, of negtect
of duty. My reasons for insisting upon a trial
are these: It has been a matter of common
report for many weeks that certain members
of th« Grand Jury, to wit. Messrs. Andrews
and Bowes, had secured a confession from
some of the accused officers admitting cor
ruption and bribery of themselves, and I was
also several times Informed that a sum of
money, approximating fifteen hundred dollars
of bribe money received by these officers, was
in the possession of the grand Jurors men
tioned.
GUARANTEED IMMUNITY.
who had confessed, but also that they would
guarantee Immunity at the hands of this
It was my wish to bring these charges to a
hearing in order to ascertain whether or not
any of the men accused had actually accepted
bribes as stated, and if such was the case 7
did not propose to be a party to any pro
ceeding whereby corrupt or dishonest men
should remain upon the police force of this city
while I was a member of this commission and
I did not care whether or not the police com
mittee of the Grand Jury or any member of it
had made such a bargain In consideration of a
confession or otherwise.
On the other hand If the men were inno
cent. I thought they should have a chance to
establish their innocence within a reasonable
time and not remain upon the police fore*
GRAND JURY BLOCKED.
Foreman Andrtws Sayfe inquiry Into
Clilnatowit Graft Is Ended.
"The Grand Jury is now through
with investigation of police corruption
in Chinatown, " said Foreman Andrews
yesterday. "As is set forth in our re
port, the announcement of the Police
Commission that it would proceed with
its inquiry thwarted all our plans. We
will drop the whole matter and devote
ourselves to other things."
The foreman expresses regret that
the Grand Jury could take no steps to
prosecute the bribe takers because all
the evidence available is that of co
conspirators and the statute is explicit
that there can be no conviction on
such evidence unless it is corroborated
by other witnesses.
"We had hopes," continued the
foreman, "that we might find an in
dictment against Chan Cheung for
bribing the police, but District Attor
ney Byington advised us t^iat, inas
much as the testimony was all that of
fellow conspirators, we could not do
so."
Concerning the report that the
Grand Jury had assured Ellis that he
would be "taken care of" because he
made a clean breast of everything,
Andrews made- an emphatic denial.
"No promise was made to Ellis or any
other policeman by myself or any
member of the Grand Jury," asserted
the foreman.
It appears that the police commit
tee of the Grand Jury had very little
difficulty in extracting the confession
from-. Ellis. "We had a line of his ac
cepting money from Chan Cheung,"
Andrews explains, "and after plying
him with questions for about an hour
and a half he began to make admis
sions. It took some time to get the
whole story from him, but he finally
tbld freely everything in connection
with his wrongdoing.
"We asked him what became of the
$2000 he had received and he said he
had kept most of It I sent for a car
riage at night and he took me to his
home, where he had $1330 concealed
in the china closet.
"When preßsed as to what became
of the rest of the money Chan Cheung
Had paid him he Insisted that he had
spent it in personal use. He denied
repeatedly under a hot fire of ques
tioning that he had shared his collec
tions with any one or had agreed to
do so. Asked if Chief Wittman or any
higher official was to get a part of £he
graft Ellis answered no time and time
again and asserted positively that there
was no 'divvying.' The money was all
for himself he said.
"Ellis' statement to- us of the con
spiracy of the Chinatown squad was
corroborated in part by the confessions
of Patrolmen Henry M. Heinz and R.
R. O'Brien that they accepted $40 a
week from Chan Cheung. These three
policemen were the only members of
the squad that acknowledged thei~
guilt. All the others were called, but
under the most rigid examination made
stout denial.
"We tried to follow up Ellis' state
ment that Sergeant Christiansen told
him to call on Chan Cheung for dis
bursements from the sack. But Chris
tiansen said that he never knew of
Chan Cheung's control of the corrup
tion fund and met everything with a
square denial. We could do nothing
with only one man's statement against
another's.
"Probably things would have de
veloped along the whole line had the
Police Commissioners not Interfered
with our plans. We had a campaign
carefully mapped out, but everything
went awry and now we have been com
pelled to give up what looked for a
while like a promising field. Chan
Cheung thwarted us, of course, for in
view of Eilis' confession we expected
to break him down.
"The result is very unsatisfactory to
me. We wanted to get somebody
'higher up." There is not much satis
faction in exposing Sergeant Ellis and
doing police duty every day under the cloud
of these acc-usatluns and charges.
I must say that I did not accept with much
pleasure the open statements made before this
commk-sion by Sergeant Ellis that Mr. Bowes
of the Grand Jury had in effect told him to
pay no attention to the* orders of the Police
Commission and not to prepare himself for
trial when ordered.
From the report of the police committee of
the Grand Jury tc-day it is apparent tfaat
there was more or less truth in the reports
which have reached me and it seems strange
Indeed that with this evidence in their pos
session aud with their expressed desire to run
wnnEfdoers to earth the grand jurors have
r*: trained from bringing any accusations of any
kind as-ainst the men who, they say, have
confessed their wrongdoing. It certainly looks
to n>e very much as if there was more truth
in the statements of Immunity promised than
th-? iwlice committee of the Grand Jury is
willing to state in Its report.
CALLS IT AX EXCUSE.
I cannot see how an investigation by this
commission Into the conduct of these officers
fan at all obstruct the work of the Grand
Jury in ferreting out bribe taking: or corrup
tion in any direction, and I am led to believe
that thh; Is but a poor excuse to rover up the
fact that they are unable to procure any fur
ther evidence.
Without desiring- to make any comment in
this connection favorable or unfavorable to the
fcead. of the police force of this city, whose
duty and opportunity It has been to exercise
absolute control over these officers, they are
very free with their comment on this commis
sion, one of whom, to-wit: myself, was ap
pointed long subsequent to the acts charged;
another of whom. Commissioner Drinkhouse,
hits not only been constant in his endeavors
to suppress gambling In Chinatown, but has
even made personal raids; and the other. Com
missioner Reagan, has always earnestly co-oper
ated in the same direction.
And it looks to me very much aa if there
was more "politics" than a desire to be Just
in the report of the police committee of the
Grand Jury.
So tar is it from the truth that this commis
sion hay ever thrown any obstacles In the way
of the Grand Jury committee or that It desires
to do so that, on behalf of the entire commis
sion, I now offer publicly to co-operate with
the Grand Jui-y In any effort to obtain any
evidence or to confirm any Information it may
have on any subject whatever, and will place
the entire Police Department of the city at
its disposal for this service, but this commis
sion does not propose to have any two mem
bers of the Grand Jury run -its business with
out even having the Common courtesy of first
consulting the commission, and, so long as I
am president of the board, let me assure you,
gentlemen, they will not do bo with my con
sent.
And In conclusion, permit me to say that I
ilo not believe that ever in the history of this
country has a committee of a Grand Jury ha.l
Ihe shameless audacity to admit that it la in
possession of positive evidence of guilt and
yet fall to Indict the guilty, as Is the case
here
And, as an American citizen as well as a
member of this commission, I resent the hypo
critical and Inconsistent action of that com
mittee and am willing to have the people of
ban Francisco Judge as between this commis
sion and the police committee of the Grand
Jury which is the more honest In the execu
tion of its duty.
MAKES VIGOROUS DENIAL.
Christiansen Declares He Did Xot Give
Ellis the Tip.
"If Sergeant Ellis says I told him to
go to Chan Cheung for bribe money
he speaks an utter falsehood," de
clared Sergeant Christiansen yester
day. "If he says that I ever discussed
police duty with him on other than
honest and legitimate lines he is lying.
I am ready for an investigation at any
time. I have nothing to conceal."
Sergeant Christiansen is now on
duty in the Southern district, under
the command of Captain Spillane.
Christiansen was in charge of the
Chinatown squad for nine months and
was transferred on October 1. Ser
geant Ellis taking his place. With the
confession of Ellis as a basis, the
Grand Jury "finds that grafting has
been going on in Chinatown for a long
time and virtually accuses the ser
geant with bribe taking;
"I began raiding the games as soon
as I was assigned to Chinatown," ex
plained Christiansen yesterday, "and
in three weeks they got out a writ of
injunction against me. Resorting to
argument, why should the gamblers
pay me money for protection when my
hands were tied by the injunction? I
never took a dishonest cent in my life.
The Chinese I never approached me
with offers because they knew I was
not that kind of a man. I have al
ways heard of the sack in Chinatown,
but as I was never on the hunt for it
those who held it never bothered me.
"The injunction that stopped me
from raiding the fantan and lottery
games was in force for a month after
I was taken from Chinatown and sent
to the Southern district. It looks to
me as if the writ was raised as soon
p.s it was ascertained that immunity
could be purchased from the police.
"I think that Ellis' statement about
me Is the dirtiest thing he has done.
It is absolutely without foundation
and he has recklessly sought to be
smirch my reputation.
"I was before the Grand Jury as a
witness, but I could tell them nothing
more than the rumors I had heard of
the existence of a corruption fund in
Chinatown. Then they inquired
searchingly into my private affairs.
They asked me how much money I
had In the bank and what property I
owned. I did nok know what they
were driving at, but I was frank about
everything. I had nothing to conceal
Trom the Grand Jury nor from any
one else."
Christiansen lias been a member of
the department for fifteen years. He
was made a sergeant in 1894.
A Guaranteed Ciice for Piles.
Itching, Blind. Bleeding or Protruding Piles.
Your druggist will refund money If PAZO OINT
MENT fails to cure you In « to 14 days. 50c. •
To Hold Examinations.
The Civil Service Commissioners at
their regular meeting last night dcv
cided to hold examinations for posi
tions in the Board of Health and in
the Board of Public Works. At the
next meeting the Cotnmlsioners will
determine th^ scope of the examina-^
tions and prepare the questions.
No Pardon for Postal Frauds.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. — The Pres
ident has declined to grant the appli
cation for pardon filed In behalf of
Diller B. and Samuel A. Groff, con
victed of conspiracy to defraud the
Government in connection with the
postofflce cases.
the patrolmen. We were after much
bigger game, but didn't get them, and
it was with a pang of grief that I sub
mitted the report this morning that
probably means the undoing of Ellis
and the patrolmen involved."
To Cure a Cold in One Day
Take Laxative Bromo Quinine Tablets. Ail
druggists refund the money If it fails to cure.
E. W. Grove' a signature is on each box. 25c.*
LONG RECEIVED
BY PRESIDENT
City Attorney Presents the
Needs of San Francisco
as to a Water Supply
FIXDS EEADY LISTENER
Commissioner of Forestry
Directed to Keport on Pro
posed Yosemite Diversion
Special Bispatch to The ("all.
CALL, BUREAU, POST BUILDING,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.— City Attor
ney Percy V. Long of San Francisco
visited the President to-day and laid
before him at length the needs of the
city in the matter of a water supply
and the efforts being made to meet
them. The President is perfectly fa
miliar with the Yosemite National
Park and Long found it easy to ex
plain the whole situation to him. while
he also found the President a ready
and interested listener.
A bill permitting the city to take
water from a reservoir in Yosemite, at
Lake Eleanor and Hetch-Hetchy Val
ley, has reposed in the Public Lands
Committee for a long time. Needham
is a member of that eomittee and he is
opposed to the bill on the ground that
the proposed use of the water would
divert it from the valleys of his district,
where his constituents need it for ir
rigation purposes. Long showed the
President that no injury would follow
to agriculture from the diversion of the
comparatively small flow of water,
while the needs of San Francisco were
paramount and imperative.
The President gave Long a letter to
Commissioner of Forestry Pinchot.
with a request that the latter go into
the situation thoroughly and report to
him. Long will see Pinchot to-moirow.
MANY HARBORS
CLOSED BY ICE
BOSTON, Feb. 6.— Nearly all of the
smaller ports on the New England
Coast between Passamaquoddy and
Narragansett bays are closed to-night
tightly with ice, while the larger har
bors, including Boston, Portsmouth,
Portland and Providence, are filled
with huge floating cakes that impede
and endanger navigation. The south
east storm and rising temperature that
prevailed during the day caused a tem
porary lifting of the ice embargo at a
few of the .blockaded ports, but to
night the wind changed to the north
west, a cold wave approached and it is
expected that to-morrow would bring
about conditions even worse than
those which have existed for the past
three days.
BALTIMORE. Feb. 6.— The ice em
bargo in the Chesapeake Bay on coast
wise shipping is now complete, only
the heavy draft ocean steamships be
ing able to make their way through the
dangerous channel to the capes. Bat
tling with the ice between Cove Point
and the Seven-Foot Knoll are four big
steamships from sea. These vessels
have been in the bay since early yes
terday. The ocean steamships arriving
here report navigation extremely diffi
cult on account of the great fields of
ice all the way from the capes to the
city wharves.
FORT WORTH, Tex., Feb. 6.—Spe
cials from a large number of points in
Western Texas indicate that the Dres
ent blizzard is the worst in ten years.
The whole northern portion of the State
is covered with frozen sleet. Cattle are
huddled in bunches and cannot be
moved to water. Stockmen estimate
losses aggregating hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, and that ranee cattle
will not recover in six months from the
damage done thus far. There is no
sign of the blizzard abating.
NEWPORT, R. 1., Feb. 6.— After re
peated and ineffectual attempts to free
the Nantucket Shoals lightship from
the ice pack in which she was caught
and by which she was forced ashore
to-day, the United States gunboat
Hist to-night approached within 200
yards of the disabled craft, where her
progress was stopped and she lay to
for the niffht.
NEW YORK. Feb. <s.— With miles of
residence streets in the upper part of
Manhattan Island and in Brooklyn
piled high with snowbanks, the discom
fort which the people of New York
have experienced from bad weather re
cently was increased to-day when a
snowstorm which began last night was
changed into a heavy fall of rain and
sleet that covered sidewalks and car
rails with an icy coating. Huge fields
of floating ice still fill portions of the
rivers and harbors and delay travel by
ferry.
GLEN'B FALLS, N. T., Feb. «.—
Northeastern New York is snowbound.
Fifteen inches of snow has fallen and
the storm still continues. Trolley traf
fic is suspended and stage mail routes
blocked.
CAMBRIDGE, Md., Feb. «.— "Word
has reached here that five men were
drowned in Hoopers Straits last Friday
while attempting to reach shore from
icebound oyster vessels.
CHICAGO, Feb. 6.— Another cold
wave is scheduled to follow in the wake
of a snowstorm which has prevailed
here for thirty hours. The snowfall
has seriously interfered with transpor
tation.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Feb. 6.—Commu
nication in the Central Southwest is
crippled to-day to a degree of serious
ness unknown in late years by a sleet
storm of many hours' duration, extend
ing from Georgia over into Texas and
as far north as the Ohio River. The
city of Atlanta. Ga.. which under nor
mal conditions keeps in touch with the
world by over 150 telegraph wires, was
cut off to-day from all communication
with any point.
New Orleans also is suffering from
lack of communication and only two
wires were working to that city Long
rows of poles were reported down in
Mississippi.
The commercial telegraph companies
owing to the impaired facilities, were
forced to route telegrams originally in
tended between cities only a short dis
tance apart over a territory covering
thousands of miles and involving much
delay.
Many Southern cities report the crip
pling of street car and lighting facili
ties, and in every direction trains were
hours late.
>V NEW. YORK. \ Feh 6.— John - Bramwell. : who
is ; satd i to; have i amassed . a fortune ;In .' the cot
ton Urade;by; running the- blockade of Southern
port* t durlnf -the blockade ; of the Civil War <
died 'at Flushing. ;' L.. • 1., ; to-day, aged 89 ,'years 4
NEW TEMPLE
IS DEDICATED
Impressive Ceremonies at
the Opening of Buildiiiir
of Scottish Kite Masou
JMCKOX KECEIYKS OUT
President of Association
is Presented With Val
uable Set of Silverware
With impressive ceremonies the Al
beit Pike Memorial Temple. 185!) Gears
street, was dedicated last night. The
structure is a beautiful one and re
flects great credit on the talffornia
Scottish Rite bodies that erected it.
The cornerstone was laid on July »
by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge,
F. and A. M. of California.
The building r^pi-Hst-nts years of
earnest labor on the part of the Albert
Pike Memorial Temple Association,
consisting of some ot the most promi
nent Masons of the city. Among them
are: Fred J. H. Rickon- thirty-third
degree, president; Frank B. Ladd.
thirty-third degre- president',
William Crocker, thirty-second degree,
treasurer; VV. I. Brobeck, eighteenth
degree, secretary: and W. C. Ordway,
thirty-second degree.
F. J. H. Rickon, the prime mover
of the project, was presented with
a valuable set of silverware by
his brother Masons of the Scot
tish Rite as a token of their ap
preciation of his good work. Bestor
G. Brown, past grand master of the
Grand Lodge of the State of Kansas.
made the presentation speech, paying
a graceful tribute to the energy of the
local fraters. Mr. Rickon presented the
bodies with a beautifully bound Bible
The address of welcome by W. Frank
Pierce, sovereign grand inspector gen
eral of California, was a happily cho
sen one. He said, in part: "I con
gratulate you on your beautiful home.
Ladies, thrice welcome to you! En-
courage and assist us in our ffreat
work for God and humanity."
The stage in the upper hall, where
the dedication ceremonies were held,
was lighted by electrical Masonic em
blems in colors. On the platform
W. Frank Pierce, sovereign grand in
spector, as master: Fred J. H. Rickon.
commander in chief of California
sistory No. 5. as prior; Frank B. Ladd,
venerable master of California Lodge
of Perfection No. 10, as pre<
A. Scott, worshipful master of Califor
nia Chapter No. 7, Knight 3 Ro.««? < 'roix,
as primate: and L. A. March, comman
der of California Council No. 7. Knights
Kadosh. as master of ceremonies. The
invocation was by "W. H. Jordan.
Afttr the ceremonies visitors were
shown through the building and royally
entertained. The interior of the build-
Ing and its magnificent furnishings ex
cited much admiration.
VICE IN QUAKER CITY.
:iiarjje of Police Oollurton Is Made to
Mayor Weaver.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. rt.— Following
the allegations in the presentment <>f
the Grand Jury last Thursday that
syndicated vice exists in this city, and
that Director of Public Safety Smyth
is responsible for the condition, D.
Clarence Gihboney, secretary of the
Law and Order Society, to-day, in a
letter to Mayor Weaver, made a spe
cific charge of official collusion with a
disreputable resort. The place was
raided by agents of the society early
this morning. Gibboney, in his letter
to the Mayor, said:
This place hsa been protected by your poli-«.
On the bureau of the mlMress of the house th«
most conspicuous ornament wu a large cabi
net photograph of a patrolman oa that beat.
Th« hous* is a house of officially protected -- *
syndicated crime.
Mayor Weaver, in reply, said:
If I can get evidence that there is any aon
nection with a police official or any official
under my control protecting vice In any way.
shape or form in tnis city, he shall not dtay In
the employ of the city. I shall be glad: to re
ceive the evidence you hay« at the earliest
possible moment.
Gibboney will present his evidence to
the Mayor on a date to be fixed by that
official, at which time it is expected a
committee of five clergymen will be
present. This clerical committee, of
which Archbishop Ryan of the Roman
Catholic church and Bishop Mackay
Smith of the Episcopal church are
members, held a conference with the
Mayor to-day.
New York for Federal Control.
ALBANY. N. T.. Feb. B— The As
sembly to-night adopted without op
position a resolution requesting the
New York representatives in Congress
to favor legislation carrying out Presi
dent Roosevelt's views relating to con
trol of railroad rates.
TREATMENT OF PILES.
Permanence of Core the True Test.
Many so-called pile remedies will
afford the user slight temporary relief
and the majority of those afflicted do
not expect more than this.
The average sufferer, after having
tried every preparation recommended
for the cure of piles, comes to the con-
clusion that there is no cure except
an operation and rather than undergo
this "last resort" he suffer on, re-
signed to the situation, so far ;is may
be. The attention of those interested
is invited to the following expert*
"After ten years of suffering from
> blind, bleeding and protruding piles
and after using every remedy I could
! hear of without any benefit, I finally
bought a fifty-cent box of Pyrunid
Pile Cure and used it with such
result* I bought a dollar box, which
finished up the job. That was nearb
six years ago and aa far as piles is
concerned I am cured and have never
felt a symptom of them since.
"Many others have used this ren
by my advice with the same result*
and I always recommend it to suf-
ferers with piles." — C. H. Potts, Bur-
lii gton. Kans.
Testimony like this should convince
the most skeptical the Pyramid Pile
Cure not only curei, but cures t"
cured. It Is in the form of asu
I tory can be a PP lie< * in tne P«"* v !
' the horn* directly to the parts affected
and does Its work quickly and pain-
Druggists generally sell this famous
remedy for fifty cents a package and
i sufferers are urged to buy a packagr-
• now and give It n trial to-night
Iccpt no substitute.
\ little book describing the faugps
and cure of piles is published by the
Pyramid Drug Company, Marsha 1 .
i Mich., and same will be sent tri* to
• any address for the asking.