The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-28
OBITU AIRY .
WILLIAM II. KEMBLE.

William II. Kemble, ex-State Treasurer,
died suddenly yesterday morning of heart
failure in Philadelphia. The death OF Mr..
Kemble recalls a remarkable trial in which
he figured as one Of the defendants. W. FL.
Kemble and others, charged with corrupt
solicitation of members of the Legislature
Of Pennsylvania to secure the passage Of
the act providing for payment by the State
of losses occasioned by the railroad riots in
Pittsburg in 1877, were indicted and brought
up for trial in the Court of Quarter Sessions
of Dauphin County early in the year 1880.
When the accused appeared before the
court for trial at Harrisburg on the 9Th of
March general surprise was occasoned by
pleas of guilty on the part of Kemble and
three others. Kemble attempted TO qualify
his plea by declaration that lie did not
"corruptly offer any money or thing of
value unto any or either OF the persons
named in the indictment" This was not
admitted as part of the plea, but by leave
of the court it was filed in a protest. The
petition of Kemble. after recalling
the circumstances attending the eff
fort TO pass the Riot Indemnity
Bill, stated that the petitioner had no per
sOnal interest in the measure, but desired
its passage in common with many OF the
best citizens of the State. The excitement
u III d SUulultICO VI
Investigation, before which he appeared and
frankly stated his participation i'll the mat
ter. On consultation with his counsel he
ascertained for the first time that his state
ments and facts as given in his examination
before the committee rendered him guilty
of technical violation of the act of 1874,
aud subjected him to the charge of corrupt
solicitation. With no disposition to with
hold the truth, he could only reaffirm his
testimony before the committee. and there
fore he pleaded guilty to such charge, but
protested Mt the time of filing this plea, that
he had not promised or offered to either or
any of the persons named in the bill of in
dictment any money or thing of value to In
fuencs him in his vote or official action in
relation to the bill, and that the plea should
not be construed rs an admission on his
part that be had corruptly offered or prom
ise1 any money or thing OF value to any
person or persons mentioned In the lndiet-
ments."
The Board of Pardons gave a hearing to
counsel and listened to letters and state
ments, and remonstraDce was entered by
the Counsel of the Commonwealth. The
result was a refusal to recommend pardon
Of the offenders by an equal division of the
board, which also refused to hold another
session after sentence should be raised to
consider the question again. When, on the
29tn of March. the five convicted men were
call ed into court to receive sentence none OF
them appeared, and it was speedily noised
abroad that they had fed. 1t proved that
Kemble had left the Site, but he subse-
quently returned of his own accord, aud on
the Goth of April sentence was passed. The
sentence was a fine of $1,000 aud one years
Imprisonment in the Eastern Penitentiary.
The sentence caused intense excitement and
the result was new intervention OF the
Board Of PaIdOns and recommendation to
the Governor for executive clemency, who
granted pardon in May after the payment
of the fine.
Mr.. Kembls was born In Woodbury., N.
j., in 1928. He has been identified with
politics from his youth. and was always
high in the councils of the Republican party.
He was appointed Stamp Agent of the Gov
ernment in 1861 by President Lincoln, and
filled that position until the abolition Of
stamp taxes made necessary by the enor-
nous expense of the Civil War. He was
also twice elected State Treasurer of Penn
sylvania. He was member of the firm of
Widner, Elkins & Kemble, and had accu-
mulated fortune of several million
dollars. He leaves large family Of chill
dren and grandchildren.
Il. WEISS.
e. Weiss, a resident OF Nevada City since
1880 and q well-known and respected citi-
zen. died Saturday afternoon at his home on
Sacramento street. He had been i'll for
long time. He was member of Oustomah
Lodge Of Odd Fellows.
The funeral will take place from Odd
Fellows Hall at o'clock Monday afternoon.
Mr. Weiss was born in Alsace, France.
July 10, 1928 and lived there until 1888, says
the Nevada City Transcript Thence he
went to Basel, Switzerland, where he re-
manned until 1913, learning brewing. He
next travelled through the French provinces,
spending three years in Southern France.
| returning home from Paris in 1S47. Iu 1S4S
he sailed from Havre for New York. Febru-
airy 6, 1850, he left New York for San Fran
els and went tn Nevada City. In 1850 he
built brewery and house there and they
were destroyed by the great 1856 fire. In the
| latter year he built his present house and
] brewery. In 1853 he married Miss Caroline
| LAM e, a native OF Germ ny. They have
| had ten children, of whom five daughters
| and two sons are living. One son and daugh-
| ter reside in Nevada City. one son and three
| daughters (Mesdames UrQuhart, Ligon and