Sacramento Daily Record Union

SUSPENDED FROM DUTY.
DAMAGING STATEMENT AGAINST OFFICER FRANK.
Frank Rhoads Arrested for Battery and Andrus Ross for Gaming.
Chief Lee on Saturday morning suspended police officer Franks from duty, pending charges which he proposes to file against him with the Police Commissioners. The news spread rapidly and created a decided sensation as soon as it was known that the suspension was because Franks was charged with lending a man $20, if he would promise not to give away the gambling game which has been running on Second street for the past two weeks or more. The same man implicated Franks had also sworn to complaints charging A. J. Rhoads with battery and Andrus Ross with gaming. C. A. Sebelle, who has been for some time engaged in repairing hats on Fourth street near K, was the complainant. He stated that two weeks ago last Tuesday he received a telegram from his wife in San Francisco, announcing that she was at the point of death and wished him to come to her at once. He was entirely without money at the time, having lost all he had at the faro game of Andrus Ross. Being unable to borrow any money elsewhere he went to Ross and asked him for a loan, but he was refused and abused by the latter. He then told Ross he would stay in town until he had closed his game. "Last Monday afternoon," said Sebelle, "I started down to the station house to see the City Attorney and Chief Lee about arresting Ross for running a faro game, and was coming away from the station house when I was approached by officer Franks. 'Who are you looking for; are you trying to find Buckley?' asked Franks. I replied that I had been to see the Chief on business. 'I know the business,' returned the officer. 'Now, if your wife is sick and you want to go down to the Bay, I'll lend you the $20, if you will promise that nothing will be done about the Ross matter-otherwise I will not give it to you.' I refused the offer at first, but afterward told him that I would take the money, as I was in a bad way to see my wife. Franks asked me to follow him, and we went to the corner of Second and J streets. I remained in King's grocery while Franks went into Rhoads & Townsend's saloon across the street. He returned with the $20, and in the presence of William King, a clerk in the store, paid me the money. I then left for San Francisco. Before going I had given a check to Isidor Townsend for some money I owed him, on the Hibernian Bank of San Francisco, where I had money, but the check was returned protested, as it had all been drawn out to pay the expenses of my wife's sickness. Yesterday afternoon I was standing in front of King's store, in company with officer Franks, when Rhoads came from across the street, and saying, 'So you are the -, are you?' struck me over the head with his cane and made a motion toward his hind pocket as if to draw a weapon."
Sebelle repeated his story two or three times to the Chief of Police and reporters. Officer Franks admits that he loaned Sebelle $20, and says that he borrowed the money at Arthur Miller's saloon, formerly kept by Rhoads & Townsend, but that he never said anything to Sebelle about Ross or his game, and that he did not know Sebelle had ever lost any money there. He also states that he has since learned that Sebelle borrowed money from several other persons on the same pretense, while Ross says that Sebelle attempted to blackmail him, and he would not be intimidated by him. Ross was arrested for gaming and Rhoads for battery, on complaints sworn to by Sebelle. Ross filed a bond in the sum of $500, with A. J. Rhoads and Thomas Fox as sureties, and Rhoads put up a bond in the sum of $100, with Thomas Fox and H. F. Dillman as sureties. Both cases will come up in the Police Court this morning. Officer Franks admits that he was present when Sebelle was struck with a cane, and heard the blow, but that he was watching some children crossing the street and did not see who wielded the cane.