The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-25
BKuNEE GETS KALsoMINEp.


He Was Indiscfeet In His EFFORT TO Trsp
the "Examiner.ss
SACRAMENTO, March "a The minority
report Of the committee investigating the
charges against AssembIyman Bruner was
presented to the assembly this morning.
1t was adopted by vote Of 40 to u, the
Democrats voting against it. The only
Republicans who opposed it were Bledsoe,
Baughman, Freeman, Gordon and Hun
will. Nothing has been done with the
majority report. 1t was not even read,
and the minority report stands As the
report of the house.
The committee says:
The majority report treats quite fully of the
accusations and evidence, therefore we do not
deem II necessary to enter into detailed state
ment of either. We fully agree with the ma
jority report that in the introduction, advocacy
and passage Of the police bill, Mr.. Bruner was
actuated by no other motive than to promote
the public welfare, therefore the charge of
accepting . bribe does not lie against
him. II is in evidence that Mr.. Bruner
ADMITTED to his brother, when they were
in the library office, that the certificate was az
he supposed, part of n scheme to entrap him,
also that he told his brother so the day follow
ing, that he had received some money In con-
nection with the affair with the Examiner or its
porters by Mr.. Bruner might be explained from
the fact that he was not fully aware of the
method of attack which had been made upon
him, and was uncertain a. to how he would
meet it.
We find from the evidence that Mr. Bruner
suspected the certificate was probably portion
of the Examis<rs plan to ensnare him, and that
he was keeping his own counsel with regard to
the matter, and awaiting results as in the con-
test between him and that paper. There is con-
siderable evidence that goes to prove that Mr..
Burners purpose was to get even with the Err
aminer in its efforts to entrap him.
The fact that he had learned but q few DAYS
before that there was something brewing in the
newspapers caldron with regard to the police
appointments in San Francisco; the fact that he
, had spoken to his brother and Judge Armstrong
with regard to the matter, and that the transac-
tions in the library were carried on without any
particular effort at concealment, and that Mr.
Bruner told his brother ON two occasions that
he considered the certificate Of deposit to have
been given him in connection with the Eram-
fner's scheme, about which they had conversed
on a previous occasion; the fact that he must
know the bank certificate could be easily traced
To him in caseit was Q snare laid to entrap him;
the fact that he deposited the balance. $50,
with state Printer Johnston instead of putting il
in his own pocket, and told him he would ex-
plsin the circumstances later, when he we'll
knew that Johnston might have had his sus-
picions aroused by what had occurred in the IL
brary Office on the previous evening, and the
further fact that he is man OF more than ordi-
navy intelligence and sagacity, win combine to
render it doubtful that the real purpose in Mr.
Bruners mind was to appropriate the money to
his own use.
We Also find that in the event that the certih-
cate should prove TO be good and given in good
faith. Mr. Bruner might have kept the $50 or
have returned 1t 20 the man who obtained it
from the bank at his option. We do not think
Mr.. Leake was liable to lose 500. even If Mr..
Bruner's theory of the certificate being a forg
ery was correct With the adoption OF Mr..
Hruner,s theory we would hardly expect he
would sacrifice that sl50 that he gave Doian un-
less he thought he could prove against the
Eyn,insr case of conspiracy. In such event il
Ia probable Mr. Leake would have no ground of
offense-
We do not think it strange that Mr. Bruner
did not proclaim the whole matter to the assem-
bly At once, II he were innocent of the intent TO
appropriate the money to his own use Had he
done 70. how could the transaction have been
traced to the Ezdmfae-s Mr. stiliweil testified
that he went under an assumed name and az
6red an assumed name to the certificate of de-
poSit when ne indorsed it, and in every way
tried to conceal his identity and connection
with the Erousfney Had the matter been pub
lished by Mr. Bruner on the Wednesday follow
iux the evening Of the transacicn, II Is probable
xhe Exouixey would never have been known in
connection with the affair, unless ferreted out
hv skflifui detectives, and had the Examiner
heen avsre the certificate had been through Mr..
T~ske,a hand without being Endorsed By Mr. Bru-
ner. and tha. the $50 had been deposited with
Nr. Johnston, il Il likewise probable the Eress-