Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-25
SCOTTY AND KING
CONFER TODAY
DEVELOPMENTS LOOKED FOR
NEXT WEEK
Politics, Spite and Notorlety Seeking
Are Alleged Factors In Prosecu-
ton Of the Desert Mystery
Scott Coming

Ttol King, local manager for Walter
Scott, the desert mystery, left Los An
geles late yesterday afternoon and
started for San Francisco, where he
will meet "Scotty' today and talk over
old times and the prospect of "Scotty's"
arrest on warrants from San Bernar-
dino county.
Startling developments are promised
In the case within a few days, especially
in the alleged attempted bribery by At
torney Wallace w. Wideman of Los
Angeles, who represented "Scotty''
here.
Politics, spite and several other
causes are given as the reason for the
petition for the warrant against Wide
man, and a host of the young attor-
ney's friends have gathered around him
and when he Is examined before Justice
Young April A, a number of entirely
new features in the case of the desert
mystery may come to light
1t was stated yesterday by Wide
mans friends that at the battle of
Wingate pass. the details OF which were
fully given by A. w. de Lyle st. Clair,
st. Clair was not in a position to take
notice of details but was curled up
under the wagon seat, with the pro-
visions piled up around him and his
revolvers lying useless some distance
from him.
Desert Sentiment
St Clair, known in San Bernardino
assthe Desert Turtle" and supposed to
have been in hiding for several days
prior to the alleged scene between him
self and young Wideman at a South
Main street lodging house Thursday
night, is said to be the chief witness
in the two criminal complaints against
"Scotty."
According to statements made yes
terday by a number of desert men,
there is general opinion on the desert
that the San Bernardino officials are
burning with a desire to become popu-
lar without knowing how to go about it.
A mining engineer from Barstow
stated yesterday that desert men have
absolute faith that no vigorous prose-
cution, if any, of "Scotty'' will be
made.
The warrants were issued several
days ago and Shorty Smith was ar
rested Smith was in San Bernardino
at the time of the issuance of the war
rants and deputy sherffs captured him,
but for some unknown reason he was
released the next day.
st. Clair the alleged prosecuting wit
ness, was the next to be looked after,
and although two officers were given
the special duty of watching him he
did not take kindly to them and re-
manned al large in Los Angeles several
days, finally coming forth with a
charge of attempted bribery against
Wideman.
Then deputies who had been looking
for St. Clair, alleging that they did the
"hide in the closet and peek act in
the South Main street house, went be-
fore a deputy district attorney of Los
Angeles, and the first and only regular
arrest in the "Scotty'' transaction was
made when Attorney Wideman was
arrested by Sheriff White. In the
meantime "Scotty" has been coming
south, paying no attention to the war
rants.
If "Scotty" is not arrested he will
probably appear in Los Angeles within
two weeks and further interesting de-
velopments are promised when he ar
rives.
Attorney Andrew ]. Copp, jr.. who
went with young Wideman to act as
notary public in the st. Clair transac-
tion, made the following statement
yesterday of the case. and it is under
stood he will file an affidavit in Wide
mans defense:
'I wish to make a correction of a
statement to the effect that am asso-
ciatei with Wallace w. Wideman as
attorney or in any other capacity in the
Walter Scott matter. My presence at
the meeting between Wideman and St
Clair on March %, 1906 at the Wood
lawn rooming house was due to the
fact that l was called over the tele-
phone that same evening to take St
Clair's acknowledgement. l had not
previously known, nor did 1 at that
time know of the purpose of the meet
ing, other than that notary public
was wanted to take an acknowledge
ment and to swear st. Clair. I took
my notorial seal to the place of meet
ing in response to that message, and
the interview lasted about ten minutes
in which time st. Clair refused to
make any statement. There being no
further use for a notary public 1 imme-
diately left
''That constitutes my entire connec-
tion with the Scott matter, and from
that time l have had nothing to dc
with any of the parties or participants
nor had had any connection with any
of them previously thereto and did not
go to that meeting for any other pur-
pose than to perform a ministerial act
as notary public, and did not at any
time know of the nature of the state
mont that Mr. ST Clair WAS to make u