Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-07-13
Recites How He Was
Caught with the
YGoods On"
Admits He Accepted $500
to Vote Against
Ordinance
Boxton's Examination Concluded and
He Appears to Enjoy Sensation.
Has Written Guarantee of
Immunity
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, July 12.-Mayor
Charles Boxton, major of volunteers in
the Spanish war, head of the department
of dentistry of the College of Physicians
and Surgeons, twice elected supervisor
of the city and county of San Francisco
the first of the city officials to fall into
the net spread by the bribery-graft prose-
cution today on the witness stand in the
Glass trial did much to earn the immunity
from punishment promised him condi-
tionally by Rudolph Spreckels, District
Attorney Langdon, Francis j. Heney and
Detective William j. Burns
He told in detail the story of his en-
trapment last fall at the home of one
Roy, a restaurateur, who, cooperating
with the prosecution, bought for $5OO MS
supervisorial vote against an ordinance
prohibiting child patronage of skating
rinks-only to turn him over to the law.
He told how Spreckels and Heney and
Langdon and Burns land dozen others
outside the DOORS walked in on him and
confronted him with statements of proof
and threats of punishment; how they
offered to let him go free if he would
turn up his confederates and accom-
plices inside and outside of the board OF
supervisors how he agreed, and writ
ten guaranty of immunity was drawn up
and signed and placed in Spreckels' pock-
ct: how. at midnight, they sent him home
under escort in an automobile, and there
after for week watched and guarded
him like prisoner.
Tells Story of Perfidy
The mayor of San Francisco told the
story of his perfidy without visible sign
OF embarrassment or show of unusual dis
comfort. Often he smiled at his inquisit-
ors, and passages at arms between op-
posing counsel were apparently as much
appreciated by him as by any spectator
in the lofty synagogue of Temple Israel,
whose richly frescoed walls, painted
windows and cushioned pews lend so
much of circumstance to trial. the de-
termination of whose issue is to estab-
lish in great measure the legal strength
or frailty of the whole bribery prosecu-
tion.
Both the arect and the cross -examina-
tion of Mayor Boxton were concluded
with today. Other witnesses called were
President Homer S. King of the Bank of
California, a director of the Pacific States
Telephone and Telegraph company, and
Henry T. Scott and Frank L. Drum re-
spectivey president and director of that
corporation. The last named is under in
'dictment on a charge of bribing fourteen
instead of rs cents.
Into the cross s-examinati ton of Mayor
Boxton Attorney Delmas injected the
Identification by the witness of certain
court papers connected with lhe attempt
last fall to remove District attorney
Iangdon from office and appoint in his
stead Abraham Ruef, the presumed OBJ
ject being to kill the graft investigation
in the bud.
Wanted to Prosecute
Among these papers were Langdons
Injunction complaint and the supervisors
answer. In the former Langdon swore
that one of his objects in resisting re-
moVal from office was the prosecution of
the various members of the supervsorial
board for crimes of bribe-taking. Now
these supervisors have turned states evi-
dence and been by Langdon promised
immunity, hence Delmas' purpose in get
ting this paper into the record, to dis
credit the prosecutor in his argument to
the jury.
In the latter-the answer to Langdon &
complaint-the eighteen supervisors, in
Guiding Boxton, swore that they were
each and all guiltless of the crimes OF
bribe-taking or of any crimes. From this
Delmas can argue to the jury that BoXton
is perjurer and therefore his testimony
against Glass in having accepted bribe
from Halsey of the telephone company Is
not worthy of belief.
The examination of Homer S. King was
to draw from him the statement in effect
that Louis Glass, as acting president of
the Pacific States Telephone company
was the only official who had authority to
sign checks. or o K disbursements with
out authorization by the board of direc-
tors. The attempt was moderately sue
cessful. Mr.. King was very anxious to
be excused that he might accompany his
sick daughter to the mountains near
Shasta. He finally. suggested to Henev.
There are other directors here from
whom who can learn everything I know
I've already told you before the grand
jury that did not know anything. WHY
can't you let me go?'
"Mr King" replied Heney, with much
dignity, 1--WE know our business and we
shall conduct ii in our own way
Frank Drum was questioned at length
about his part in the renting of rooms in
the Mills building by Agent Halsey for
the alleged purpose of paying bribe money
to the supervisors. He said that he had
introduced Halsey to Agent Cannon of the
building, merely; but he confessed that in
a general way he knew, from Halsey, that
the rooms were to be used for the inter-
viewing of supervisors on the rival tele-
phone subject and that Halsey desired
secrecy in the matter.
Represented Tevis Interests
Drum said that at that time that he, as
manager of the Tevis estate, represented
the Tevis interests on the Pacific States
board of directors The capitalization of
that corporation he said was $4,000, 600
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