The herald., 1894-04-27
WAS IT A CASE OF DOODLE Z?
Serious Charges Against Deputy
Sheriff Fl. G. Vignes.
The Grand Jury Asks for His Dis.
missal From Office.
A Confessed Burglar Says viRnes Tried
to Get $50 From Him in Return
for a Light ssntsnos-vIRues
Suspended,

Yesterday morning early H. O. Vignes
was deputy sheriff under Sheriff John
Cline, but before noon he had been
suspended and good many
people were talking about the circum-
stances that led to his suspension by the
sheriff.
Vignes went into the Office when the
sheriff took possession, and has been re-
garded as a capable officer with good
judgment. He was placed in the jail,
and has occupied the position OF one OF
the deputy jailers all along.
The grand jury in the morning author
lied District Attorney Dillon to present
an accusation, not an indictment, against
Vignes, asking Judge Smith to remove
him from his Office fot "williul and cor
rupt misconduct" This was done about
noon, and the court fixed May 9TH for
hearing in the matter, no bond being
required.
District Attorney Dillon was found in
his Office, and stated that the trouble
had arisen through charges made by
Louis E. Ewing, who pleaded guilty to
burglary on Tuesday; that Vignes had
endeavored to procure money from him
on the representations that he had IN
huence with the district Rttorney's ONCE
sufficient to secure him light sentence
at the Whittier reform school instead OF
his being sent to the pententiary.
Ewing came into court on Tuesday
afternoon and pleaded guilty, but instead
of his being sent to Whittier Tor one
year, he was sentenced to two years at
the San Quentin penitentlary.
After his aentence Mr.. Kemp called at
the Jail, and was astonished when Ewing
told him he had pleaded guilty, telling
him he had come to get ready for his
defense, having received letter from q
relative inclosing $25 for the defense.
Thereupon Ewing told him long story
about his arrangements with Vignes.
After hearing it, Mr.. Kemp went
with the story to the district attorney
and the matter was laid before the grand
jury, with the result mentioned.
RwING's STORY.
Ewing'a story was that about week
before he pleaded guilty Vignes told
him he had better do so, and that he
could, through his influence in the dis
trict attorneys Office, get him off with a
year at Whittier; that it would cost
something to have the papers fixed up,
and he had better pay him than the
lawyers, and that he could do this for
$40. Upon this representation Ewing
says ne wrote to his father for $25, and
got Vignes to go with him to W. l..
Cleveland, the manager for Mr.. S. Luit-
weller, the wholesale merchant on Los
Angeles street. He says he told Mr..
Cleveland about what Vignes proposed
to do, the latter standing near by; that
Mr.. Cleveland was shocked az the hb pafTAnn.
repeating what Ewing had told him,
Cleveland was an old friend of the bows
father, who lives in Chicago, and was
inclined to be Of service to him in his
trouble.
The week rolled around and according
to the arrangement Ewing was taken
into court by Deputy Sheriff Vignes and
Deputy Sheriff Will Cline, where he
made clean breast of it and was dazed
when he was sentenced two years in the
penitentisry. On his way out of the
court room he asked Vignes what it
meant, and the latter said that it was
all right, he might be sentenced to the
'pen," but he would go to Whittier
just the same. When they reached the
jail Vignes asked him to give him the
order for s20 on Mr.. Cleveland and he
sat down and wrote it ont. Vignea went
to Mr.. Cleveland with the order but the
money had not arrived and Cleveland
kept the order. He turned it over to
the district attorney, in whose posses
sion it is at present.
1t was upon these facts, said Mr.. Dill
Ion, that the attention OF the grand jury
was called to the matter and witnesses
were summoned and tes titled.
MR.. vIGNEs' DEFENSE.
"The statement that l was indicted
by the grand jury is not true," said Mr..
Vignes in speaking of the matter last
night. II was simply served with a
notice accusing me OF malfeasance in
office and asked to show cause why
should not be removed.
"This prisoner told me the dav he
came in jail that he wanted to plead
guilty; that he did not want to remain
in Jail awaiting trial. 1 told him that
as soon as the information was filed [
would have him taken up to plead.
Ewing went up and pleaded guilty last
Tuesday.
"He was rsmanded to Jail and in the
meantime his attorneys visited him in
the Jail. Subsequent 20 this Waa asked
by Ewing to take q seaied note to Mr..
Cleveland, at the same time saying to
me: L want you to 60 10 Mr.. Cleveland
and get some money [ have there, as L
don't want my attorneys to get any
more money l took the note to Mr..
Cleveland, who said that he had no
money. and for nae to tell Ewing that
his money had not yet come.
when Ewing was taken into court"
continued Vignes, she was asked by the
court if he had an attorney. He re-
plied d that he did not want an attorney:
that he had had an attorney who had
robbed him and had done nothing for
him. The court said, Then you wish
to plead guilty p to which Ewing replied
he did. Then Ewing made full comics.
sion and was at once sentenced to two
years.
~ can easily establish my innocence
and prove that the motive of the attor-
ney who caused this matter to be inves-
tigated by the grand jury. is due to
some difficulty between the attorney
and another deputy in the Jail.
1.-The origin of the matter lies in the