The San Francisco call., 1897-11-30
COLLECTED
COIN FROM
TEACHERS
Climax Reached in the
Los Angeles School
Scandal.
AXTELL MAKES FULL
COMES SSiON.
SWearS That Directors Webb
and Adam Levied the
BlaCkmail.
WEEPS AS HE TELLS HIS
STORY.
Was the Middle Man and Handled
Money Ex.orted From In
StruCtOrS.
SWearS That Directors Webb
and Adam Levied the
BlaCkmail.
WEEPS AS HE TELLS HIS
STORY.
Was the Middle Man and Handled
Money Ex.orted From In
StruCtOrS.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 29.-The climax
was reached this evening in the investiga-
| ton IN progress as to the blackmail and
extortion levied by certain School Dlrec-
tors upon the employees of the department.
| Superintendent of Buildings G. H. Axtell,
the collector of the bribe fund, made full
| confession before the board aud 1000 as
sem bled spectators. By his confession he
makes Director Walter L. Webb and
Director Joseph F. Adams the offending
me n Ders of the board.
The scene in the council chamber dur
ing the time when Axtell told the detail 8
of the plan whereby principals and jani-
tors OF the city schools were to be muIcted
to retain their positions was most dra-
matte one. Axtell is 60 years of age. His
hair is as white as snow, and as he told OF
how he collected or attempted to collect
the bribe fund the, tears rolled down his
cheeks. His voice was repeatedly failing
him. and on numerous occasions he was
unable to proceed until he had recovered
from par fainting spell. There were
many ladies present, and as AXtell told
why he had done what he had they mani
tested their sympathy with sobs.
Axtell took the witness-stand, and,
after being duly sworn, he stated that he
had first intended, when the public be-
came informed as 10 the charges OF e1tor-
ton, to deny ever vthing; but since the
first publication had been made the
D ressure upon him had been very great
The pape rs had condemned him, and. he
said, ali that ha been said of him was
justified.
This l could have withstood," said the
ola gentleman, as the tears rolled down
mis- face, "but when my poor old wife
cam to me, as she did last Thursday,
and made an appeal to me to save what
little there might be left of my good
name, if there was any to be saved at all.
then. l concluded that l would make a
clean breast of it all and | did so to her.
1t was the first she knew OF the matter
at ALL"
Here the witness broke down completely,
and il was several minutes before he could
proceed. w hen he did he told the ia le OF
infamv in its entirety. He said that in
the Board of Education rooms he had
been approached by Director Walter L.
Webb and given a list of priu cipals who
ought to paw to retain their positions.
This list he had jotted down, and five of
the princi pals be had agreed TO see and
did see. His motive In doing so was to
save them their positions, as they were
personal friends of his, and be felt certain
that unless they paid they would certainly
be removed. He was not himself TO re-
ceive one dollar OF the money. His under
standing with Webb was that be was to
see the principals named and secure the
money from them for WEBB, who was on
the teachers committee and who was an
influential me EN- ber OF the board
After TINS list of princi pals whom Axtell
N iDrnctOr
Webb, Director Adams had come to him
and had asked him how be was progress
ing with them. He told him that he was
doing the best that he could. Then Adams
had a ked him about getting months s
salary ($65) OF Janitor E. E. Cooper Of the
Stentons-street School.
Axtell swore that he saw Principals
Keppel, Emery. Bonebrake and Phillips
and told them as friend that he thought
if they wished to retain their positions
| they had better pay. Later, he had in
formed Elder J. S. Pitman, of whose
| church he was a member, OF the matter
and more particularly OF the case of
/ Janitor Cooper, who was also OF the Pit
M an flock. Some few days after this Pit
man had come 10 him and paid him $50
| for Cooper. THIS money he had taken at
once to the Board of Education rooms.
| Webb was not there and he had sent for
! him. Finally Webb did come to the
rooms and Axtell swore that he turned the
$50 over to him with the remark:
Here is Cooper's monev."
Webb said to this: That's not my
money; it belongs to Adams"
To this Ax:ell. claimed that he said: 81
don't care whose it Is; l don't want it."
| Webb took it and that was the last Ak
tell saw OF il. Axtell admitted that he
had on previous occasions denied having
received this money, but that was prior to
a decided
| whole truth. lie swore that before he
had testified in the Grand Jury room he
had conversed with Webb anG Adams
| and il was then agreed that the money
| paid by Cooper should be left in Pitman's s
hands by the testimony of all three of
| them.
Axtell swore that all Iaborers in the de-
partment were hired through Webb, but
| that he had never heard of any of them
| paving Tor their positions. About six
months ago he had placed his own reslg-
| nation in the hands OF, Director Webb
without any date attached. but he de-
! clired to state for what reason, and the
| II after was not pushed. Asked if he in
| tented to hold his position until he was
removed, Axtell said that he did. Asked
| if he thought he was from moral stand
| point qualified he said:
II Will average up morally with the rest
| of the department., and know, for l have
| been connected with 1t seven years.
AxtelPs testimony. o! course, created a
sensation. Director Webb arose, and in a
| voice tIem bling with passion denied hav-
| ing ever received a dollar from Axtell or
| any one else He then proceeded to de-
nounce Attorney T. E. Gibbon, who is
| conducting the prosecution as the repre-
sentative of the League for Better City
| Government. He accused Gibbon of mai
ice, and claimed that the reason of his
ill-feeling was that he (Webb) had refused
to appoint lady friend as teacher.
Gibbon arose and very broadly init
mated that Webb lied. Webb insisted
that he had told the truth. Gibbon said
that he would give Webb an oppor. unity
to prove it in court OF justice.
The prosecution then rested and to-
morrow evening the defense will take up