Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-11-23

and countless cases of minor graft are
still to DE laid before the grand jury.
The penalty for cXtortion under the laws
of California is not more than five years
in the penitentiary.
At o'clock last night Abraham Ruef
went to the home of Superior Judge Mu-
rasky, where he surrendered himself to
Sheriff Thomas O'Neil. who met Ruef
there by appointment. a representative
of a surety company accompanied Ruef
and qualified for Ruef's bonds which
amounted on The five counts to $780,
600. An order of release from custody
was then made by the judge.
"Me and Rockefeller"
When asked for statement Ruef said:
"John ID. Rockefeller was indicted
Wednesday and [ am indicted now. The
matter is too absurd to be worth a state
ment from me. All | ask is an ImIne-
date trial on the charges on which l
have been indicted by the grand jury
The first two counts specify that IN
January, 1908. SchmitZ and Ruef eX-
torted $1175 from BlancO, who has one
of the finest FrenclF restaurants of the
city, in the heart of the tenderloln, and
that again in February, 1906, they com
PEELED Blanco to pay $1,000. The third
and fourth counts specify that these
same amounts were eXtorted from H. =,
Malfanti and his partners, Charles kelb
and William Lafrenz. The fifth count
is eXtortion of $1175 in January, 1909,
from Marchand and his partners. Pierre
Priet and Michel De Breto. Marchands.
before the fire, for twenty-five years was
one of the best-known resorts OF the
kind in the west. Blanco was theatened
with n refusal of a new license.
The announcement of the indictments
of the boss and his mayor came like
thunderbolt to the ASSOCIATED grafters.
For nearly two years the alleged OBJ
jectionable relations between the French
restaurants and the municipal admins
tration have been a subject OF severe
criticism and public denunciation.
These restaurants which were all de-
stroyed by the April confagra ton, were
frequently the cause of bitter assaults
from the pulpit and press, the accusa-
lions being made that they We're inn
moral and q menace to the welfare of
the community. The so-called restau-
rants were combination of eating and
clearinghouse and liquor resort.
The agitation for their suppression
two years ago apparently reached the
city officials and orders were issued that
they be deprived of licenses, which
would close them. The doors remained
locked but short time.
Grave Charges Made
The story of Mayor Schmitz's alleged
grating apparently comDrehends a null
titude of angles. Among the charges
are:
That he dipped his hand freely into the
fund for the relief of stricken San Francis
co following the earthquake and fire last
That he was associated with "Abe" Ruef
in the United Railroads trolley deal
That he has winked at vice and accepted
hush money from the criminal and de-
PRAYED
Another charge against Ruef is in the
trolley deal story. Eighteen supervisors
are also accused.
Special Assistant District Attorney
ton and the collection of evidence, was
the man who did much to disclose the
Oregon land frauds. He secured the
conviction of the late Senator Mitchell
Schmitz has been nicknamed the ia
Dor mayor of San Francisco" because
the labor vote doubtless elected him He
is AZ years old and formerly was a vio-
linist.
Ask Accounting of Fund
COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 1G.-Forty
thousand dollars were subscribed by the
people of Columbus and 100000 or
more raised by the people Of the state
for the relief of the sufferers in the San
Francisco earthquake.
1t is now seven months since the earth
quake and evidence is being brought to
light that but small per cent. of the
money raised has been sent to San Fran
cisco.
1t has been found that the national
Red Cross officers at Washington have
received S2,OO0,0UO, which they have
failed to forward to San Francisco. An
accounting will be demanded.