The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-24
PAID TO TAKE
HUMAN LIFE
Startling Charges Made by
Witnesses Against
SchWeiZ5r.
CLAIM TWO MEN WERE
DOOMED.
Allege That the Fresno Harness
Dealer Wanted Their Life
% Insurance.
HIS FRIENDS SCOFF AT THE
\ ACCUSATIONS.
Believe That He Is Being Prosecuted
HIS FRIENDS SCOFF AT THE
ACCUSATIONS.
Believe That He Is Being Prosecuted
Because He Could Not B,
Blackmail5d.

FRESNO, CAL, Dec. 23.-The publica
ton this morning of the story associative
q the name of Charles Schweizer with the
attempt to assassinate Solomon Lehman
in July last has set gossip running wild
up and down the streets of this city.
District Attorney Ava E Snow is said tc
have in the statements of witnesses
enough evidence 10 warrant him in going
10 trial Immediately if the Grand Jury
shall find an Indictment. He has been
piled with questions all day long by
friends of the persons concerned as to the
character and strength of this evidence.
1t is said, moreover, that Lehman him
self, having been out of town for some
days, was not aware of the charges being
made against Schweizer until to-day
until to-day had listed him as among his
ciosest friends; until to-day has been IN
able 20 guess why any man should at
tempt his lie.
Lehman is man who is not afraid OF
being snot IN the open. 1t is told of him
that his men. employed at the Pine Ridge
sawmill, taking offense one day at some
thing he had done made united attack
upon him. Single handed he met them
and in two minutes was on the offensive,
three of the men having fallen before his
blows and the others taking TO flight.
Schweizar is a man of quiet demeanor
and slight build. Just what attitude Leh-
man will assume under the revelations
that place his trusted friend in the light
of hiring assAssins to undo him it will be
interesting to note as the days run on, es-
pecially as 1t will be remembered that the
assassin did wound and very nearly cause
the death of his Oehman's) little
daughter.
Schweizer still insists, as stated in these
dispatches yesterday, that the charges
against him grow out of futile attem pt
10 blackmail him. He claims TO be able
10 prove this. On the other hand, Detect
i've Harrison, at whom this allegation is
aimed, smiles and says the proof is all on
the otherside.
a chapter of the story has developed to-
day-a second chapter in the same sensa-
tional line as the frst-which explains
how the mystery of the attack upon Leh-
man took this form of clearing up and
how it came to get into the District At
torney's office and finally to be made pub
lie. 1t deals with a second attem pit at
assassination, the victim in this instance
being Sam Ralston, a welI-known man
about town.
The hired assassin in this case happened
to have no liking for the business and
besides was a friend OF Ralston, and made
him aware of the intent against him
Ralston was to have been sacrificed be-
l. No. ,F i
tails of the Lehman affair threatening
the safety of the instigator. Something
of the whole story must be repeated, as it
is told here to-day, with the details that
have evolved since the publication of this
morning, in order that the somewhat
complicated circumstances may be prop
erIy understood.
Solomon Lehman, lately proprietor of
the sawmill on Pine Ridge. was friend
OF Charles Schweizer, the Mariposa-street
harness dealer They did considerable
business together one way and another,
and Lehman became indebted to Schwei-
zer in a considerable amount. Schweizer,
by way of securing himself, induced Leh-
man to take out an insurance policy upon
hiss life for some $4,000 in his (Schweizer's 81
the amount of about $4,000. Together
these amounted TO much more than Leh-
mans Indebtedness. Schweizer himself,
it Is said, paid the premium on the insur-
ance policy amounting to $130.
1t was shortly after that Lehman, rid
ing with his daughter in a buggy. about
dusk, on lonely road toward Pine Ridge.
was shot at from behind by man whom
they passed on the road and was slightly
wounded. His daughter was more Sc
verely hurt, her life for time being de-
SPARED Of
The witnesses in the case begin their
evidence at This point. F. de Maras tells
this story to the District Attorney: He
saws Schweizer met him one day and re-
marked that be would like to kill this
man Lehman" To this De Marais re-
piled, iokingly:
"Wen, have shotgun. if you'd like to
borrow it."
"a few days after this continues De
Marais,. "ore John Barker, who has since
died of poison, came to me, saying that
Schweizer told him that l had shotgun
He said lie wanted to borrow il 10 shoot
doves. 7 loaned him the gun and he went
away. That same evening Lehman was
shot with shotgun. My gun was after.
ward found in guIch near the place.
Barker returned to me without the gun.
He called me to the back OF the saloon
where we were and said to me:
2 al have shot Lehman, and threw your
gun in ditch.
Why what did you do that for?' 1
said.
"Eo matter, he said, here is hat.