The herald., 1897-11-30

again; the time was. think. during the
week just previous to the election Of
teachers and yanitors. Cooper gave me
$65 at that time. and said: Here Ia the
money for Axtell. Please take it down
and give it to him for me-" told Cooper
I would take it, and II possible save at
least part of 1t for him. The same day
went to the Spring street school, where
l met Axtell. and l then gave him $50.
and told him this was CoOper's money.
and told him it was good deal for a
poor man to pay for position. He said
that was true. but he could not help 1t.
l held back S. and he did not object. The
next day I was in Santa Monica. where
Mr.. Cooper and his family were having
an outing with some friends. There
met Mrs. Cooper, at the table Of some
friends. She told me that Cooper had
gone to the city, and then gave her the
So, and told her it was all l could save
from the wreck.
OTHERS CONSULT HIM
Some time after this Keppel and Bone
brake came to me and told me that they
had seen Axtell and that he had told
them that their places were wanted for
other parties, and that they would each
have to pay a months salary Of S120, or
whatever the amount of their salary
was, in order to secure the reappoint-
ment to their positions.
Mr.. P. o. Bonebrake came to me alone
and talked about the matter, and told
him 1 could not advise him what to do.
but to go and see Major Bonebrake, his
relative, and tell him the whole matter.
and that he might be able to assist him.
He afterwards told me that he had done
as 1 advised him, and that Major Bone
brake had promised to help him. Mr..
Keppel talked to me several times about
his matter. and refused to advise him
to make any payment. but told him he
must do as he thought best.
l never, as far as remember at any
time had any conversations with Axtell
about these matters, other than those
have detailed herein, and never at any
time made any arrangements of any
kind with Axtell to carry any money to
him, and l was surprised when Cooper
asked me to take 1t to Axtell; and the
only thought that I had In taking the
money to Axtell was that might be
instrumental in saving some of 1t for
Cooper.
I did not know or suspect that any of
this money was to be paid to any men,
ber Of the board Of education by Axtell
or any one else. 1 supposed that some
politician who had a pull, and who had a
promise of this position, was holding
Cooper up. 1t never occurred to me as
being possible that Axtell represented
members Of the board of education in the
matter. / knew who the controlling
members of the board Of education were
from reports in the newspapers and from
general rumors. knew that the leading
ones Of these gentlemen were prominent
business men whom 1t was absolutely
unreasonable to suppose could engage in
any such nefarious business as the ex-
tortion Of money from poor janitOr or
school teacher.
After my return from the east, until
a long time after the election Of teach
ers and janitors, spent most of my
time at Catalina, and was in Los An
geles only for one or two days in week
for several weeks, and had but little op-
portunity to see any of the parties con-
cerned; otherwise probably would have
met Axtell oftener, and would have
made more inquiries of him than I did.
I had no doubt at the time but what
Axtell had simply come to Cooper as
his friend and had acted as he did as
go-between simply to enable Cooper to
hold his position, as the loss of the posi-
ton would have been a great calamity
to Mr.. Cooper.
ENTIRELY DISINTEREsTED
I have known Mr. Axtell for several
years, and believed him to be an hon
orable man, and believed that he was
working absolutely in Coopers interest;
the thought that he might be an inter-
ested party In a scheme to rob Cooper
never occurred to me. On the Monday
before the election of teachers was at
Catalina, and before going had been
told by Bonebrake and Keppel that they
had been notified that unless they paid
their assessments previous to the Fri
day night before the election Of teachers
they were to lose their positions. / saw
them, think, on Monday morning and
they told me they had not paid and did
not intend to. I told them was glad Of
1t, and did what I could to encourage
them in standing out and refusing to
pay.
The only members Of the present board
of education with whom was SUFFICIENT
ly friendly to justify me in asking
favor are Messrs. Braly, Davis. Coxrey
and pr. Mathis. and ! never had any