The San Francisco call., 1905-05-04
PRISONER DECLARES THAT WOMEN
CAUSED HIS DOWNFALL.
Leona Brooks is Released After Po-
lice Question Her.
Absconder Denies Report OF a Conspiracy
Continued From Page /, Column Z.

Such is Smiths platform as expressed
to-day and he seeks to divert all SYM
pathy intended for him to his wife and
baby.
For The Call the prisoner, though re-
luctant to discuss the case, gave de-
NAL to some of the stories current
about his flight and what led to it. He
said:
so they are trying to inject pol
itics into my downfall Well, it is long
range fighting, which will be cleared
UP In the end. l am the culprit and
alone should suffer. I was one OF
the boys made merry with the girls
and the pace brought ruin to me, as 1t
will to every one who pursues the
course unchecked. No one knew Of the
impending crash unless 1t was my
brothers. l kept my own counsel.
DENIES STORY OF CONSPIRACY
mo one prof1ted by the peculations
except the women whom / favored. /
had no confederate and now that the
money is spent / have no friends. ]
make this as a statement of fact, not
as plea for sympathy. You say they
are trying to show that conspiracy ex-
listed by which the delinQuents were
not notified in order to make penalties
effective against them unawares? Well,
that Is not true. No, nor did l have
any legal advice toward furthering
conspiracy of this kind. Attorney Ruef
was engaged by my predecessor ito
push the delinquent tax collections, and
has done SO. He was not an appointee
or mine and what he has done has no
bearing on my case whatever. / took
funds from the big corporations, not
from the poor people and the losers are
those who can best afford 1t.
When II was impossible to longer
avoid detection 1 left. 1 went to New
York. where hoped to hide. On the
way l gave way under the nervous
strain, and when I reached New York
City went to sanitarium, where l
recuperated. The moneys that alb
stracted slipped through my fingers so
fast that hardly realize what has be-
come of them. Nothing is left now.
squandered 1t on others.
SAYS HE WOULD SURRENDER.
"Tiring of being hunted I resolved
to surrender and was on my way back
to Los Angeles when apprehended.
The sleeping car ticket which was
found on me shows that I stopped
over here in st. Louis for two days,
awaiting friends from Hot Springs,
whom 1 expected to assist me in get
ting into communication with my
brothers in order to pave the way for
surrender. These friends failed to
come and there was nothing to do but
take a train West. / was prevented
by the detectives from boarding the
train.
when / first started borrowing
from the tax funds / always refunded
the amounts. Then I found myself
unable to make good and before I
knew 1t / was an embezzler. Giving
and entertaining was a passion with
me. Through my drug business I was
thrown into contcat with many
charming women and I succumbed to
their smiles. That is the only excuse
which 1 seek no leniency in the pub
lies judgment.
mo one knew what was going on.
1t was my secret and 1t troubled me
as time went on until I thought I
would be crazed by the weight of
guilt. Now that 1 am locked up,
crave only to be taken West at once
to face the music and take my punish
ment.
mo, don't talk of my family. I am
unworthy of them. I brought dis
grace on them and have forfeited
every human claim for. consideration"
Smiths frame shook and he sobbed
when informed that his wife was very
low and that she had on her sick bed
inquired about her recreant spouse.
TALKS OF LILLIAN LESLIE.
"Of Lillian Leslie much that has been
printed is felton," he continued. II will
refuse to deny or affirm the story that
1 gave her $4,000 cash and $4,000 in
jewelry. 1t is silly. do not know
where she is and have not been in
communication with her. You newspa-
per men can do me no good and no
n rr11 no I 40
want to talk and appear to be working
up sympathy for myself. All 1 ask is
to be left alone. My nerves are all
gone and / am q wreck
Blanche Smythe, also known as Leona
Brooks, admits that she formerly lived
in Chicago and Lewiston, Ill. She says
she is an orphan. but having brothers
and sisters, is unwilling to tell of her
past. She was released from custody
tonight, and will start for San Fran
cisco, she declares, tomorrow.
II have known Mr.. Smith four
years." she stated to Assistant Chief of
, Detectives Keeley, but was never In
innate with him until September. Then
he began paying me attentions. He
gave me on an average OF 5000 q
month Four weeks before he left San
a woman friend. He gave me $3.50
then. 1 was there until I got a tele-
gram from him. which informed me
that he was here. / suppose the detec-
tives had been watching me and fol-
lowed me up."
LEONA BROOKS SHEDS TEARS.
She was assured that this was the
truth, and gave way once again to
tears Miss Brooks asserted that she
knew all the time that Smith was mar
! ried, but that while he would talk for
hours about his baby he never men,
toned his wife while they were to-
gether.
Did he tell you about his shortage ?'
she was asked.
Yes, when we met here he told
me that he was 100000 short / asked
him how In the world he lost that
much money and he assured me that
1t was lost on stocks and bonds in Wall
street. He told me that he had got to
plunging there and dropped everything
| faster than tes ever thought money
could CO."
Miss Brooks said she believed Smith
had been quite liberal with Miss Les
lie She was q vaudeville actress.
quite the handsomest woman she ever
saw, though she confessed.
MIR. Smith was good to all the girls.
Il -