Show 1 I I I Wish I Had Never Left the Bakery I Wagon agon Says Supervisor Lonergan of or San ban Francisco as He Tells o of Taking Bribes L San Francisco March 22 Here 2 Here I is the tho confession In III full till made by Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Super Super- visor Thomas Lonergan to Detective William illiam J. J Burns and 11 1 afterwards re repeated rp- rp under oath to th the grand Erand Jury Never 1 vr since I have ben been in III public office have I asked a a. man seeking a public favor for or a a. dollar I have never held up an all Individual or 01 a n corporation III In my life nut lInt I have accepted bribes volunteered I by many Q of the public corporations corpo of or this city Ity and county But the y niom-y n received d from tho the givers bribe connected with these Institutions did me mp little or no good For when the fire Ort came cam most of oC my tny fortune was waR as burned up for foi In nearly ely cry instance the bribe money paid mo rut was vas In currency God knows I have lavo paid dearly for accepting those s. s. s anti and now when I J look over the of tho the last few Weeks I I. I wish vish I had taken the advice of my mv heart broken a and nd remained 1 on on the seal at o of I F ll Y bakery baker wa wagon on Lonergan formerly drove a bakery baker wagon Carried ron y to In ThemA Them A 4 great many people have an Idea that hat the supervisors got ot together and planned the looting of the public serIco ser ser- vice Ico corporations Such Is not the case In evor every Instance tanco the bribes vero ero carried to lo the Uw supervisors There Is also an Impression ion that the he board during the Sunday night caucus planned a scheme ch me of holdups holdups holdups hold hold- ups the next week Durin During the tho gatherings gatherings gath gath- g on Sun Sunday a night th the question of extorting bribes from Crom th the big monopolies or 01 accepting bribes was as never once mentioned 1 Who Vho arranged ed d tho schemes for corrupting the members of oC the board has ha never been definitely known Of cour course I IH have my suspicions Just tilL the sari same as everyone every every- one no else But so far I know 4 el every job ob put through was vas personally manIpulated man- man by hy Supervisor Jim Gallagher who vho always han handled the bribes In Iii FA raying lug always I made madl a slight error lie He did not handle handl the mon money o 01 f the Pacific States State Telephone company's company's com corn pany's bribes In that Instance the thc mone money noney was handed o over or r to the mom mom- hers bers of the board boar b by Mr 11 Halsey The Thc transaction cUon took place In his private office Always Alwn's Under Ground I do 10 not think that Ruef ever er spoke poke to mo me about money moncy matters While we were all of th the tho Impression that hat he In a general wa way planned the ups hold when It came down to the actual pa passing of the mone money none oCus of oC ofus us s knew an anyone sav savo Supervisor Galagher Gallagher Gal- Gal who wa was vas always alwa's referred d to toas toas tos as s the big fellow Shortly after we wo went ent Into office It became generally known that we constituted a happy family of 18 members In tho the old days ays and In the thc board prece preceding us we fe understood that the holding up of corporations was wa left letl to the various committees For Instance e the light committee would hold up the gas trust and nd equally divide the Jot among th members of the committee Naturally the remaining members pC of f the board boal would stand In when It came came amo to a final vote Yote It being understood under under- stood tood that each separate committee would take care caro of Itself Itsel But with us it t would bo tie a casc case of oC one-eighteenth one of f the tho revenue for fOI each supervisor Whilo lIe the matter was never discussed ged In n detail there was a sort of an understandIng understanding un- un that we were to play fairand fairand fair and nd square with one another In the thc ligh o of what has passed however I know enow that many of us were double- double crossed In the passing of the bribe mon money and some who got Jot large largo sums for tor or doln doing certain things certain things were vere not entitled en- en titled i to any more more- than titan those who receive received re- re comparatively el small amounts Cor or selling their vot votes s Fight Trust t Wanted nt l Permit One day ay we all nil seemed to under under- understand sta stand d simultaneously for for the life of or ofus u us 9 I couldn't tell tehi you who told toM me me about bout ll that it-that that the light fight trust wanted a 0 permit The matter Ona ly c came me up UI before toe tie board boar 1 and It was o I p passed s. s d. d l A A. couple of days lays l later hater tl r I Jim Im Gallagher came to mo tim and antl h hand nd- nd ed cd d me That was wm my downfall It t looked hooked 1 like a lot of money to me at athe atthe he the time tinie and there deemed to be a t I mutual understanding among all concerned concerned con- con cei ned that a rich harvest ct was to b bli reaped during our term of or Now mind you you I never seriously thought of going and demanding money moncy from aly anyone ne for I was earl early convinced that the he corporations ha had 1 been hired for forthe I the Uw purpose of bribing supervisors Shortly afterward tin tin- question of fixing the gas ga rates came along We e enil all nil knew that tin the tingas gas ns company had hall b b en H ht held ld up nit In the pa past t and ami that In au all probability it was to lo he b held up again The Tho agents of the com company pan came camo b before fore the board and told of their great fat loss due lo tu the destruction of oC the bl big power hou house houn- c by ho far fire The They explained to us that their losses looses had been very ery great that It would hA be ne- ne cesary for them therit to have a fair all rate OX fixed tl by th the board hoard nil an Ii H. H C Cent nt I In and others who had pledged ed el ourselves before on to vote vole for a 75 5 cent gas s rate rale decided to stand b by our pledges But lint the le legitimate legitimate mate mate- arguments argument of the agents of th the ItI 1 company compan were wre so plausible pl and the dama damage and loss loso cau caused ed II by the firso fire fir Ono so o far reaching that we wo decided to I grant Irant the Ow company an S SEI cent rate rato During au all this time there thero never was wa a word said caid about a up hold-up or ora ora ora a bribe or a corporation fund or any any- thing of the sort ort But a few weeks afterward Jim Galla Gallagher hel came to me and hand handed d me O. O I took the mono money and on m my WU way home pon pondered ponder ponder- ed 1 over o m my second bribe lInt Hut I was wasa a tI poor man with a wife anti and family and needed time the he mone money and as I knew au all th the uth others rs were taking laking It I could not see ee why I should not accept any mone money offered me 1110 Maybe a month passe passed 1 And again everybody body seemed to think that an opposition telephone would be he a good thing Now No the merits o of th the Pacific States Stall s Telephone company were never discussed cussed by us in ea caucus lICUS but possibly a few of us might exchange ex cx- chan change notes nots when hn discussing the lo local local local lo- lo cal c-al situation Rut But everybody t r-t seemed to have ha Indian information about tho the nervousness of the Pacific States Telephone Telephone Tele Tle phone company when n the Ow application on of the Homo home Telephone company compan for fora a a. franchise franchi was received lY Sot SN Things s Right Hight After a a. few Cew days lays a man named Krause called on me He lie was very affable and told m me that h he wanted to meet Mr 11 nal me 1110 Halsey e Up to that time I did not know exactly who Hals Halscy Halscy Hal- Hal s scy was I made some ome Inquiries and learned that Krause was wa Hal Halscy's halseys s work man that 11 he arranged In Introductions Introductions Introductions In- In and meetings and things of that sort foort Well cil ell he took tool me down and Introduced introduced Intro Intro- me to Halsey who in turn In Invited Invited invited In- In m me to lunch with him at D Del Del- I- I I went to the luncheon which was er very ery delicious and we certainly certainly certainly had a most enjoyable able afternoon Nothing whatever was said about telephone telephone tel tel- teh- teh ephone franchises or anything of the tho sort Halsey explained to me mo that it was vas simply a means mean of oC getting better acquainted When hen we parted he ma made e eme me promise to come com down and see ec him himIn himIn himin In his office I did so so and there he lie made his first overtures O towar towards bribing me Lonergan he saW said all I 1 need Is your our vote ote to kill the application of the Home Telephone company for for a a. a fran chise I want you t with me mu and look ook over our i Jiant ant I want you yott to realize tho the vast amount bt bC mone money that we wo have put Into machinery and apparatus I will show you that the telephone business that is Is the mechanical mechanical me me- end of It It Is of such a pe peculiar peculiar pe- pe culiar nature that an opposition servIce servIce service ice is Js not feasible Received tl 00 for Ills HIs Vote otc Well after aftel I looked at the machinery machinery ma Ina- ma- ma chinery and the thc dynamos and the switchboards s and all the complicated stuff that they had In the sub office I quite agreed ed with Halsey that an opposition opposition op op- op- op position system would not be a aver very goo good thing lot for the city elLy So back again we e went to hl his Now o Lorne an he said ald when we were I I 1 want your our vote ote and andI I dont don't want It for nothing I J will give ghe you Jf jC you oU vote against the company's franchise fi-anchise and next year eal I will give lve you an nn a additional 1 tl l 2500 jOO That will make 00 In nile nil all for fir e your trouble and really do 10 the city a good turn I agreed to tu his terms at at- once and anti he handed m m. nit the In bills Now mind you ou 1 was vas assured at that mooting meeting that enough other members member of the board had accepted his money to guarantee the company's company franchise franchi e. e On Friday afternoon Jim Gallagher told me that the tho administration was wag asfor for tho the home company's company franchise fl and then I realized that ono somi-ono was t trying to double cross eross us all I saul said saidI I did not think It was vas rl right ht m meaning g t that hat when hen I acc accepted halseys halsey's money momy I did It with the th understanding that thai I was waR rall really carrying th the wishes s soC o of oC f the administration II Homo orne Company n SI Stronger Well Weli ell n never ner er mind said MIl Gallagher Galla Galla- gher the tile Horn Telephone company's f franchise I is the dope anti and Its It's got sot to togo togo togo go through t I teli W Well eli II it IL was a pretty pill pili to swallow Rwal- Rwal Ilow ls l low ow but I It antI and hold Ilal- Ilal s soY soy's money y I toil tell you 1 0 It seemed e a n hi big pile for a a. poor man and amid as I know knew w everybody else eie was In ill the iho same samo boat with mo mt I J could not see ec any reason on why I 1 should give any of It back hack But Dul Butas Buts n a as s I was a 0 member of the llon ion I immediately dott determined to vote ote as the administration desired So when tho the time came we all voted volel for forthe forthe t the he Horne Home franchise franchi And a few fess' da days s 's slater l later ater Bi Big Jim Gallagher came to me and ami said aid Tom this is yours as ashe he ho handed m mo mt an envelope nl lolle containing in currency You M see I lid had a lot Jot of paper money in my house down south of Market street at nt that theat time And like an riot act of nf God Coil the tho fire Ore came along while I was wa In San Jose Joso attending a convention con with Abo Abe Ruef When holl I got Jot hack back my house home was wa gone one and so 0 i was wa as mo most t of my money It was WaR as a hard blow and It seemed like fate Got What 1 Ho lie Wanted We e were all very much depressed for tor a Week or Ol so o and then everybody seemed to ha hare havo Indian Information about aboul the Iho overhead rhod trolley franchise Now Noi 1 lot let m me toll tell you that not a member mem mcm- her ber of or the tho board ever evor spoke about aboul th tho trull trolley y franchise to n me inc up to that thai time Finally the thu- matter mailer was waR announced b by some SOUle 01 one cite I can con not nol ro- ro member r who anti and there thae was a great deal of 01 talk lull and nl about it But there never nver was a word Kil said about money or a bribe fund I Kv- Kv ft Cl ery 1 one o of us took It for granted granto that thai tho the administration would give Calhoun everything e he lie desired Of cour course in our hearts we wc I knew new that somebody was going to get a lo loof lot lotof lotof of for tim tho gran granting tins of that tha franchise But Dut as aR we had always alays been given I n our bit b by Big Jim Gallagher In the Ow past we ve felt fell certain that hat the Iho same samo method would be continued aCtor after after aft aCt er or as before beCore tho the fire And Ami while alot a a. ahot lot hot of people Imagine there was a lo loof lot lotof of oC argument nt pro and con about aboul Ih the let mo mn tell tehi you there was wa not a u word said about what wo we w were wot- le leto to get at nt the Sunday caucus precedIng precedIng preceding Ing our vote ote Of cour course couise e there was a terrIble rumpus about the thC thing but nobody seemed to care We e au all felt It that w We would bo ho protected and that there was not an earthly chance of ot anybody getting setting getting get set ting th the goods on us When hen the storm subsided Big Jim Gallagher again came around with tho the bribe money Hold ups Then Came Camito Frequently I Subsequently tI ups Hold up were er Sl small smal affair Of course you u. u Know no about the I unfortunate affair over the tho skating rink in Itt which that scoundrel no Roy be betrayed betrayed be- be me mae Then Themi there was isas the oil oil oil- burning ordinance and a few ew other othe things that dont don't amount to th much That ie I Is th they did not amount to much mud In Iii a n. financial way to me But Rut now th the Jigs up and I J am in a mighty bad badia ia way I Ive I've O lo lost t my reputation Iv Ive Ive I've ruined my family my health Is shattered shattered shat shat- and I have not long to live H It Its It's the old story of blood money and God Goc knows a as I am om telling thi this 1 wish I Iere ere were back on on the bakery baker wagon I dont don't want to be bo put Iut do do down don n mm as ai nn Informer because in the Ule country I came from I am mn despised Neither Rue Ruef nor fbi Big flig Jim Ga Gallagher Galagher would woul 1 go t to toj j Jail ll for me mo or mine o why should I Igo Igo go for them God knows kawI I have ha brought enough disgrace on my famIly family fam fam- Ily lly and find my poor old olti father who i is IR over O eighty ly years al' al old ild is prostrated All 11 I ask is to be left heft for a little w while llo with m my people leoPle and I hope that tha God will forgive mo me tot for what I have hav done But there thero Is 18 one timing thing you can cansel set sel down a as coming from flom mo mo and thaIs that tha thatIs Is that tho people who gi gist bribes bribe i are Ulf worse WOn than the people who take tak them I was wa poor and never lIP fully ully re realized re- re tho the enormity of or my crime rime until the last few lois days Back Rack home the they used to lo sa say il its |