The San Francisco call. [volume], August 29, 1907, Page 1, Image 1

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

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
How would you prepare a banquet in a
box? That is what is 'done on the dining
cars every day. Read the story of a won
derful system and its results, in:
The Sunday Call
VOLUME CO.— NO. 90.
Dr. Wheeler at War With Political Chieftains
Police Search Lottery Trsut Offices in Crusade on the Swindlers
SELLS BARREN
"HOMESTEADS"
TO HIS DUPES
Federal Agents Run Down
Dealer in Uncie Sam's
Realty
VICTIMS ARE MANY
Pay for "Agricultural" Land
Located on Mountain
Summits
SWINDLER IN PRISON
Grant C. Smith Accused of
Extensive Operations
ii in California •_ . ~
Extensive swindling in govern
ment lands has been uncovered
by agents of the United States
land office, who have been work
ing quietly in this vicinity for
some time. As one result of their
labors Grant C. Smith, a printer,
who was arrested Tuesday night
by Detective Hodgkins of the
Oakland police department, has
oeen charged wjth participation In a
series of daring frauds.
~~SfnIWS vJctlmraro said to be nu
merous. Some of them have corn* for
ward and the ep«clal, agents of the
land department are working to dll
cover Just how far Smith has been
involved in the swindling game, aa ex
posed in complaints* to the land office
detectives.
Smith "was arrested on the com
plaint of P. A. McFarlana, who lives
»t 1117 Twenty-sixth avenue. East
Oakland.- The police had been look
ing for Smith for a month or more.
Behind them were -the officials of the
land department. 'who h*<i kept In the
background purposely. Their connec
tion with the .case was not suggested
in Oakland yesterday when Smith ap
peared in the. police court to answer
to a charge of having obtained money
by false pretenses. ......
McFarland, . the first of Smith's al
leged victims - to . emerge from under
cover, met Smith last June. Smith
announced that he was a homestead
locator. According to McFarland, he
explained that he had access to fine
farming lands in Napa county, which
could be. transferred under the -United
States homestead . laws to McFarland
on payment of $100. The rnpney was
paid. McFarland went to Napa county
with a surveyor to stake off the land
and found that the homestead he had
purchased was nothing .but barren,
rocky slopes at the top of almost in
accessible mountains.
The land office was put in touch with
Smith's operations and a number of his
customers, were .brought to light.
Charles Novalk. living at 1718 Van Ness
avenue, .complained to the - United
States authorities that ; he had been
mulcted- of several hundred dollars In
his dealings with the pretended "home
stead locator." Antone Mora, who lives
at Eleventh and Market streets, had
been Inveigled into the for
winning a fine farm at Small price —
merely the cost of transferring ' title
from i>ne homesteader to another.
Alfred Hopkinson of 310- Montgomery
street had been deluded into the belief
that a few hundred dollars would gain
for him an exceptional bargain in some
of the. nation's realty. So ' had Chris
topher Juny also, lost some of his sav
ings by reason of the glib story Smitb
narratffl. Such is the partial record
which the United States agents havo j
pieced together.
Whether the prosecution of Smith in
the Oakland courts will be followed by '
independent action by the land office
has not been decided. Those who have
charged that Smith swindled them with
his fraudulent representations have been
advised that the land department; had
the entire matter under investigation.
Statements have been taken by the
United States agents as to all of
Smith's operations. Whether he has
been handling the scheme on his, own
account or has been working with con
federates has -not been determined. ,
So far as the. land office inquiry has
gone, Napa-' county appears to have
been the principal^ seat' of operations.
After parting with* th«lr^cash the vic
tims invariably have; found that their
expected wealth of rich - agricultural
holdings was nothing but- the serried
Bide of a mountain peak, .where eagles
made; their aeries and the dismal owl
hooted from the tree tops.
The San Francisco Call.
INDEX OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO CALL'S
NEWS TODAY
TELEPHONE TEMPORART 86
THURSDAY. AUGUST 29. 1907
WEATHER CONDITIONS
TESTERDAT— CTe»r; mtximaai temperature,
6C; minimum, 82.
. FORECAST FOE TODA.T— Fair; ll£ht «<wth
winds, becoming brick west. . Pa»e 11
NEWS BY TELEGRAPH
EASTERN j
Unless Rockefeller can prore he hu a home
he cannot get $72 witness fees. 3?*jr« •
Senator ' Foraker and Bepresentatlre Long
worth charged with bad faith in connection with
the passage of the pore food bill. 'Pare 1
Becanae of growing opposition la the east to
the transfer of the battleship fleet to \u25a0 the
Pacific President Kooserelt may hasten the
resscls* departure. Pare 2
. StUTresant Fish, ex-presldent of the. niinoli
Central, and 3. T. Harahan,. his successor, en
gage in personal encounter at board session 'ia
New Tork. Pag» 1
Creditors of the Pope manufacturing company
oppose confirmation of Albert I*. Pope as ' re
ceiTer. Pace 1
Wellman polar expedition airship still awalti
n favorable wind for starting. , ' Page.l
Architect Taylor explains delay In ' plans for
the -rehabilitation of the San ' Francisco post
office.- 4 Pa* 8 1
FOREIGV '
Presidents Rooserelt and Diijj said to hare
agreed on joint j effort to pacify quarreling Cen
tral American republics. Page S
German emperor and railroads aiding German
ship owners in flght for control of Atlantic
passenger traffic. Pag* S
French nary bitterly criticized in senatorial
commission's report on the battleship Jena
disaster. ,>.-/'": Pag« 5
COAST
Stockton police declare war on Junk dealers
and pawn brokers who are making thleres jof
children. Pago 4
EDITORIAL ; v
Enforce the, law against lotttries. Page 8
They w«Dt to barn. Taft at the stake. Page- 8.
The. conflict of Jurisdictions. Page 8
Sta te Senator^ Lukens j ana ., two \u25a0 councilmen eof
Oakland establish < Ixrals Glass* clow> ; connection
with \u25a0 the ' 'operations \u25a0\u25a0 «f Boodler Halsey, ': "and
Heney Is - prepared to dose today . with a con
duslre case. Pago 3
Voluntary statement of Senator •G. Russell
Lokens made in March last has different purport
from testimony giren at Glass trial.- Pag* 3
POLITICAL
.' President Benjamin Ide Wheeler's assertion
that, bis candidate has been slated for . the
Berkeley postmsstershlp is denied by Repre
sentatlre Knowlaod, who is backed in the fight
by. Senators Perkins and Flint. Page 1
. Republican delegations of thirty .second . and
fortieth districts adopt resolutions declaring for
Daniel Ryan for mayor ; democrats bold Dr.
Taylor In reserve. Page 6
Election board orders Australian ballot for
November election, and Gallagher protests. - P. 4"
CITY
Grant C. Smith, under arrest in Oakland,
accused of baring sold government "home
steads" located on barren mountain peaks to
numerous victims. . Page 1
Oil operators discuss report that •'Western
Pacific j railroad has purchased several million
barrels of oil for fuel on line. Page 9
John P. Poe Jr., famous football coach, offers
bis services aa fighting man to President Zelaya
of Nicaragua and Is thrown- into jail as a
spy.' Page 11
Finance ; committee ' of supervisors accepts
$25,500 as city's share of gross receipts of
United Railroads for 1905. Page 16
Abbe Klein, visiting French Catholic lecturer.
Ears Europe regards war with Japan as cer
tain. Page 16
Wild automobile ride to the beach ends in
wreck of car, in which chauffpur is d«Dgeroaslj
hcrt. Page 9
Army officers testify in courtmartial of Ser-:
gesnt Grindley. at. the Presidio. . Page 2
Mrs. H. A. Smith obtain* diTorce, has action
dismissed afterward and Smith now sues to hare
decree declared final. Page 16
Federated water committee sdopta report on
propoaed purchase of Spring Valley plant by the
city, but declines to place * a valuation \u25a0on the
system. Phelan, Hener and Macarthur are ap
pointed to submit the report to the board of
supervisor*. Page 6
Offices ef the swindling lottery trust : are
searched by police; agent of tb« monopoly. Is
arrested and 2000 tickets are selxed; acting
Chief of Police Anderson declares that he wIU
drive the lottery operatorsfrom the city. Page 1
Three hundred ' million dollars being weighed
at mint In checking up accounU preparatory to
change in" administration. Page 16
SUBURBAN
Bishop Bell will dedicate new .United Brethren
church in Oakland nest Sunday. ,' |"age 7
• Lineman at work on pole, in Oakland steps uu
livp wire aDd falls SO feet to his death. Page 7
Fr^pltvale to be tte scene "of a street • fair
for tlic benefit of St. Philip's , Episcopal
inlssloa. '.'\u25a0-\u25a0' Page 7
Iter. J. K. Harrison, superintendent of, borne
missionary wcrk,' passes away In Berkeley as
rtsultof oTertaxlog himself in bis labors. P. 7
Archbishop Riordan announces purchase of
f IS. OOO home for university "Newman club and
project to establish. chapel and lecture hall for
Catholic students. • Pag* 16
District Attorney Brown vigorously oppov»s
scheme to build new' courthouse for Alameda'
county. \u25a0 ' Page 7
SPORTS \
/'William A. I.arned ««rins the national tennis
championship at Newport. . Page 11
? San Francisco defeats Portland In a spectaca
\&t baseball game. Page 10
..: Favorites annex the light harness events at
Pf-t aluma. . - ; . Page •10
' While Mike Schreck is a 7 to lOpdbllc choice
over.Al Kaufman, the s native son combination of
three., bos crs ' finds favor with many bet
.tors. Page 10
MARINE
"Liner San Juan from Panama is 'twice-, in
quarantine during voyage and ' twice $truck l>y
llgutuinp. * ' Pa * erl ?
MINING/
Miners at Goldfield' meet, but. fail, to take any
action, and news * of . this r causes ' fall in 'prices of
southern / Nevada shares; • \u25a0 J., Page "Jls
social _ RffiP \u25a0'\u25a0\u25a0:- : -\ \u25a0 '"* "•-.>\u25a0
Weddlag* of. Miss Roberta Rotibins ,and Drs
nifjud . Ceagrove .will be celebrated In - Washing
tonj D. C», oa September S. " , Page 8
sm;-^Mctsg()^
FISH STRIKES
HARAHAN AT A
BOARD SESSION
Officials of the Illinois
Central; in Personal*
Encounter
ROLL ON THE FLOOR
Criticism ~of /Management'
Leads to Passing of
•/ \u25a0 -\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0 .*."\u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0 .-
DIRECTORS IN PANIC
"Stop! Stop!" Cry Vander
bilt, Goelet arid Others
': in Yaiii !'. r.r-H .-"-- \u25a0''-'.:
Special b\> Leased Wire toThe Call >
, NEW YORK, Aug. 28.— After
a meeting of - the board of direct
ors of the Illinois Central railroad
had broken up, in confusion today
Stuyvesant Fish; former president
of the company,: and J.T;.Hara
han, his successor, engaged in a
heated altercation,: which termi
nated \ in 'i a violent personal en-1
counter between rr them; ' Waif
street reports circulated latejnthe
afternoon ;^were sto ythe; effect that
Fish^struck^' Harahan '"with his
fist and that the two men clutched
each other, stumbled; over a chair
arid fell to the , floor , together before
they, could be separated by^ their col
leagues of the board, .who. were horri
fied at .the sensational I conclusion.
Stuyvesant Fish is a giant physically.
He stands several inches, more -than, six
feet in height; tips the Ibeam probably
at 220 pounds: without carrying s any
superfluous ' flesh, and^ prides ".himself
upon his physical; prbwes*s^T?_S
Harahan, who succeeded Fish' in | the
presidency of the Illinois Central when
the latter had been ousted after", an; in -
curnbency , of , many .;• years' : duration, is
a somewhat smaller man •physically,
though he could probably ''weigh" in"
at 180 pounds, and ' his" broad shoulders
suggest plenty of muscular power and
vitality.'^; - _'; \u25a0•'.'.". :.'."'"\u25a0\u25a0.'\u25a0'"• ;"';"; "';" '.;
FISH ARRAIGKS MAXAGEMEST
It. was the tegular. monthly, meeting
of the directorate of the Illinois -Cen
tral that brought together at noon to
day nine. members of the board in the
offices of the company. Those who at
tended were. James T.- Harahan. Stuy
vesant Fish, Cornelius VanderbHt.'riob-.
ert, W. Goelet, Charles A. Peabody,
Alexander E. S. Hackstaff, Charles. M.
Beach, Walter -Luttgeni and JamesjDe
wolf Cutting. .-\u25a0.'.-.•; \u25a0\u25a0.....•... :..,
Certain routine business was sum
marily disposed of and then Fish , "pro
duced a ; formidable typewritten docu
ment and proceeded ' to ' read Its severe
criticisms of the present T management
of the road. The paper arraigned Hara
han in rather harsh terms. * . J
;\u25a0' Probably thinking to relieve the ten
sion, which; was becoming acute, Robert
W. Goelet interrupted Flah's reading to'
move an \u25a0> adjournment. of the meeting.
Fish protested that the attempt. to force
an adjournment was outrageous.
"You cannot do thathere," he "cried,
shaking his long, bony, flngcr at.HaVa
h&n. ".'• "This 'Is . not Russia and des
potism will not ; be tolerated." ' ' - J
Fish stood glowering at the presi
dent of the road, and- several ; directors
who are friendly to the Harriman-
Harahan ; faction took up their, hats "and
left the room. ; - Pointing to the retreat
ing figures.of Peabody, and others Fish
turned full upon Harahan . and-; cried: -
"They; have you in tlieir " power 'and
you know it. . You are only their. mis«ij
able, tbol."-
"LIAR! W CRIES HARAHAN
Harahan; turned white with anger,
rose and . faced the towering form of
Fish, and retorted:
"Any, man -.who \ says'; that Lara the
tod'of, another' is a liar."
Harahan's 1 own account of what fol
lowed, as he reported it- afterward .to
one of his board colleagues who had
been among, the: first to make 'ah exit,'
waa to the effect that Fish' ' leaped
across the head of the "board table,
seized , . Harahan "\u25a0. aggressively, by i 4 the
neck and ' Shoulders and shook him as a
terrier , shakes -a; rat."
i Harahan*. made .what 'defense . ; he • could
and the two* men, in. a \u25a0', clinch,' rlurch'o.cl
about the I board froom.untirsomejof the
\ Continued oa Fase 2, Column ! s
- I ]'y^
abandon ihcir^^^u^
•= trust:;;: On ; tlieirightt is fasnfypshot \u25a0 o/A Wl F. '^Oa^es^one^ of: the ; most
nhtofious^of ihe-trust?^-^*' ,' s '\u25a0: '-. \u25a0. ' ; "\u25a0; ' ~ ~ \u25a0 '"t" t .] i • :
Acting Chief Anderson Declares
He Will Smash Lottery Fraud
Agent of Bunko Game Is Arrested
and 2,000 Tickets Are Seized
I ' [They are nothing ; but a -v band : ; of robbers who r ought
to Ha^ibee^ ; driyenvoiit of business long ago. I amtdeter-.
swindling; g^ine; s lt astonishes me that ipepple' who \u25a0 make
it a -practice ; to i bu^ lottery Hickets^
own : interests." Ihave-speciallydetailed'Detectives ßegan
O^Con^U^'to^ car^ o^ (m
lotteries^K Theyv- are^f amiliar with\the;iotte]^^e^iijand
1 "anivcdrifident tliat they will assist jme\ in [ putting an end
to ' ttisjrobbing jgame;. ) 1^ have' also^ issued ) or ders 'to all the
comjpanies^ of ; the i department; that selling of lottery
tickets must be^suppressed. ; Those arrested \u25a0 will be Uprose-:
cuted (vigorously^ aiid; if purj^efforts ; are backeci^up by ; the
courts rtwill hot -be'longibef ore there will be;no',room in
San Francisco for. this gang of unscrupulous men:"
npon^b5 r -I)ejfectiyes^Regan :^a^
tl^^ajiove^fe|ement; ;
j cpATixuED "[ ox : i'age '\u25a0 2, '' coLuiiS's ; i ;. axd a
i^^S^-JBTgmf^Bi^wjrnts a^slender waist \
'\u25a0 can^Rr^yi t^r^'Pn^^iewest and (quickest:
way to accomplish this result is • described
in an illustrated article in
Accuses Fdrakef and
"NicrMgworth
Special b$ Leased l Wjrc to The Call
.CEDAR POINT, 0.. Avt8r..28.-^Sen&tor
Foraker'-and Representative .. Nicholas
Lonjrworth, : " President v Roosevelt* a son
In; law, -, were tacitly % charged vwith . bad
faith; In . connection with ' the passage
through congress of the pure food and
drug '.bill,-' in an official report made
here .today: by .T>r. Charles A.\L. Reed
to the Ohio medical association, now in
session at this place. \u25a0
The, report defines: for the first time
the ''cause' of the* hostility^ of the med
ical .•profession of Ohio* to, Senator For
aker.'< \ Dr. ; Reed Is the official head,'- In
leylsiatlveYmatters, of the' entire med
ical . profession • of -the country, numbsr
inp 140,000 physicians. Dr. Reed's.re
port," after : L detailing the final, proceed
ings'regarding .the. bill In the senate
and "the \u25a0 house, proceeds ;to relate al
leged acts i not the .record. - He. says:
„* "The friends -of 'the measure,-. during
the long five. or more years it-was* held
back by_ every sj>ecles of parliamentary
trick, were . being constantly " told by
Senator \u25a0 Foraker., that he was in" favor
of 'the bill, 'slightly modified.' -It was
known by the: friends of; the^measure
days before" the final fight .that, the op
position had -been arranged:- that. Sen
ator,; Foraker; would appear for the
whisky; Interest; that Senator : Hemen
way would act for the patent medicine
men in general 'and for a medicine con
cern In Elkhart, Ind.. in particular; that
Seiiatoj- Money '.would stand for, the
welfare -or the food people. "The line
of S assault > was thus .' made complete.
This-program was carried- out. In. the
house Longworth's opposition -was like
wise veiled under the mask of avowed
friendship."": -'.;*.*-'*;' 'T\u25a0' \';
CreditoK Oppose
«Pope Receivership
. Speciatb}) Leased ilVire to;The Call
. HARTFORD. Conn., •' Aug..; 28.-^Cted-
Jtors of ., the -Pope* manufacturing; com
pany .whose claims •.amount; i approxi
mately".to: $750,000 "^ were. renresented*tat
a before Judge Case': today, on
the "confirmation of Albert X Pope as
.temporary receiver of;. the Connecticut
assets "the" company. "; It. is expected
as a^result r of the "proceedings that, op
position may eve"ntuaUy"develop against
maki n g r the , present receiver 'permanent!
i. R.r Sheffle'ld of New York; Cfepre
sentlng. several creditors;,who. were not
apprised -of '.".the^, receivership appoinx-!
ment, sought to :hav*e ratiflcationuposti
poned until some later date. Judge. Case
suggested that Uhe, court ; do.r}othipg at
this time, that need I ; be construed. as.glv*
ing. moral support to .the* selection of ;i
receiver. r -; ': ; ' \u0084 "
Wellman Stillf Awaits
a Favorable Wind
Special by Leased Wire to The Call
CHICAGO, Aug. £$.— -A privatelmes
sage; just /received from Hammerfest
via Trendhjem -Indicates; that the."^Tell
man polar expedltlon'alrshlp, although
ready. : to:start >v stlll awaits a favorable
wind. ; The motor facts excellently. The
ballooni "which wa"s filled with gas some
time ago, lost fsome of it, but it", has
now, been"; refilled \u25a0 and holds 'the' gas
better." "All \u25a0" the-'-: machinery has » been
tried and found; to bd in perfect shape.
,Weilman .conslders^^the . America : the
best airship ever constructed.;- He "says
"that !after ' September B no start will b*
possible this. year. •- ,'^ -
Impertinent Question No. 14
\u25a0
What Is an Automobile?
For: the most original or wittiest answer to this ques
tion—and the'briefer the better —The Call will pay
sFIVEDOLLARS. For the next five answers
The Gall will pay ONE DOLLAR each. Prize
winning answers will be printed next Wednesday
and checks mailed to the winners at once. Make
your answer short and address it to;
IMPERTINENT iQUESTIONS;
THE CALL
Prise, answers to "What do you most want to Vhot»?"
' |5, prire to Mary; E. j Farmar, B«nicia, Cal.
That dark secret, the Chronicle's circulation. •
SI prize to Elsie Scott, Elmburst, Alameda county, Cal.
fj;pr)ic to F. W. Atkinson, 45 Unloa ttreet. Santa Cms, Cat. -
To know better. .
. . $1 prize to Itotx-rt Robertson, 13 Soqnol areou*. Santa Crux.. Cal.
.What others are going to do —before they do it.
; $1 prlleto Leo Dossee. San Jos*", Cal. •
'];', As muclv: as :I: I [thought: I when I left school.
$1 prize. to J. A. Andrns. San Jose, Cal.
When the - fool, killer, gets, his sleep.
The Sunday Gall
PRICE FIVE CENTS, v
VICTORY NOW
CLAIMED BY
EDUCATOR
Says His Candidate
"Will Be Berkeley j
Postmaster
RepresenfativeKnowland
Refuses to Admit Defeat
Backed by Perkins
.and Flint Against
College Man
Small Office the Prize
in Feud of Noted Men
Both Sides Are Im
portuning Presi
dent Roosevelt i
- A short time agno"the local pub*
lie was mildly . interested in
whether ' Charles' Thomas or Clar
ence -S. .Merrill should be post
master of Berkeley. Yesterday's
developments have focused eager
attention on a struggle for polit
ical supremacy not only in Alar
meda county, but in the state at
large. On . one side is ranged
"President Benjamin. Ide Wheeler
of the University of California,
backed, it is said, by the univerr.
sity regents and prominent citi
zens. On the other side is Con
gressman Joseph R. Knowland, 1
who has the support of Senators
Perkins and Flint and Governor
Gillett, Alameda county's five
superior judges and numerous
politicians. President Roosevelt
is the referee. The two candi
dates for the "postmastershlp have al
most been forgotten in the battle of
the political giants.
When George Schmidt resigned th«
Berkeley . postmastershlp a few weeks
«go Congressman Knowland sent :_t&
President Roosevelt a recommendation
that Thomas be appointed ,to the va-'
cancy. He furnished indorsements and
it was supposed that in tha natural
course of events Thomas would receive
the billet. But suddenly President
Wheeler.' who on 'a recent trip 'east had
spoken of Merrill to the president, pro*
jected himself "actively into/ the .fight!
Continued on Page 8, Column ' 3.