The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-10-29
CANNOT FIND
ADAM SCHMIDT
Officers Of WaI|a WaIIa Unable
to Locate Him.
WAS SEEN IN CITY SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Authorities in Other Cities Have Been
Notified to Apprehend the Flee
ing Fugitive.
WAS SEEN IN CITY SUNDAY AFTERNOON

John Adam Schmidt has either left
Walla Walla or is in hiding somewhere
in the city. Yesterday Chief of Police
Brown was requested by Deputy Unit
ed States Marshal John Stringer at
Seattle to take Schmidt into custody
| and hold him until a federal court Off
Ger could arrive in Walla Walla Chief
Brown and his policemen Immediately
started out to find Schmidt. but up to
noon today they were unable to locate
him.
Schmidt was seen in the city Sunday
afternoon and last week was engaged
in working on the new school house
now being erected in the Seeber school
district.
United States Marshal C. B. Hopkins
was in Walla Walla on Wednesday, the
day that the information that the cir
cult court of appeals had affirmed the
judgment of the lower court. was given
out, but made no effort to take charge
of Schmidt When asked by a States
man reporter if he had come to Walla
Walla to take Schmidt to the peniten-
tiary Mr. Hopkins said: Il was in
formed by Schmidts attorney of the
action of the higher court, but as yet
have received no official knowledge of
the decision; his bondsmen are respon-
sible for him, are they not?"
The local officers have not yet been
able to secure any information that
will lead to locating Schmidt. AS far
as can be ascertained Schmidt did not
leave the city by any of the railroad
trains and if he succeeded in getting
away. he has probably taken one of
the roads leading over the Blue noun
tains.
When Schmidt was convicted of the
crime of perjury in the federal court in
connection with the Illegal naturaliza-
ton of six Russians in July, 1903, his
attorneys took an appeal to the circuit
court of appeals. He was released
from custody on filing a bond in the
sum of $4,000 with the late A. S. Lee
grow and Duncan McGillivray as sure
ties.
The authorities in the cities of east
ern Washington, Oregon, Idaho ana
Montana have been notified that
Schmidt is wanted in Walla Walla and
if he puts in an appearance to arrest
him and notify the officers in this city.
In printing the story of the circuit
court decision the Seattle Post-lntel-
ligencer had this to say.
BY the affirmation by the United
States circuit court of appeals yester-
day of the decision Of Circuit Judge
Hartford was removed the last hope of
Adam Schmidt, Walla Walla's former
political boss, to escape the siX-year
sentence imposed as punishment for
I his violation of the registration laws
of the country.
Immediately upon receiving the
news of the decision, Schmidts bonds
men wired the United States marshal's
office in this city that they wished to
surrender him, and instructions were
| forwarded to the sheriff at Walla Wal
la to take the man into custody pend
| ing the marshal's arrival.
The case has been a hard fought
one and has caused much interest from
| the fact that at the time of his arrest
Schmidt boosted that his pull would
protect him. The department of justice
took the matter up, however, and the
much wanted pull failed to materialize.
"Schmidt's political stronghold was
| his influence with and practical control
of the Russian and Polish vote. He in
| duced a number of the new arrivals
| from those countries to take out nat
uralization papers at Walla Walla, de-
spite the fact that they had been in
this country but a few weeks, promis-
! ing them protection should they get
! into trouble through SO doing. AS soon
| as they received their first papers
| Schmidt would register them and later
see that they voted. Captain Bell, of
| the local secret service bureau, was de-
tailed to take charge of the case, and
it was through his efforts that con-
viction was finally secured