The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-06-21
GRAFT MAYOR
FOUND GUILTY
Jury in San Francisco Court Con-
victs Schmitz Of Extortion.
VERDICT IS APPROVED
Many in Crowded Court Room Expressed
Pleasure at Outcome of Case--Sen-
tence Temporarily Deferred.

At San Francisco Thursday, jury
of twelve of his people declared May
Or Eugene H. Schmitz guilty of the
crime of extortion as charged against
him by the grand jury.
The jury was out just one hour and
thirty-fve minutes. It elected Charles
e. Capp foreman and at once proceed
ed to an informal ballot. This was
cast verbally, and stood IL for convic-
ton and l for acquittal, Juror Burns,
q shoemaker, casting the dissenting
vote.
Then the twelve men began dis,
,cussiOn of the evidence, which lasted
for nearly an hour. At the end Of that
time the first formal ballot was cast.
1T was a written ballot, and was unan-
imous for conviction.
Even before Judge Dunno reached
the courtroom, hurried thither by an
automobile on receiving word that a
verdict had been reached, nearly a
thousand men had gathered in Bush
street, and were clamoring at the
doors to be let in. They were kept out
until the twelve men had been brought
in and seated.
AS Judge Dunno entered his cham
bers by a rear way the crowd surged
into the building from the front.
Judge Dunno took the bench at
once. ''Let the jury be polled," he
said quietly. The jury was polled and
on being asked for the verdict Fore
man Capp said, very slowly, and very
low, Guilty
The silence was broken in a hun
tdred places at once. A long drawn
"Ah" ran through the crowd. Then
Good" cried a voice in a far corner
and Good! good" echoed another
spectator farther in front. Rudolph
-Spreckles, whose wealth made posi-
Die the whole bride. graft prosecu-
&ion, was walking swiftly down the
aisle as the sentence fell from the
foreman's lips. He sank into a nearby
seat as though arrested by some
sharp command.
All over the house people were
jumping up, and some of them turned
to the strangers at their elbows and
thrust out their hands in enthusiasm
of the lOng-lOoked-fOr moment and
said: Shake"
"The judgment of the court will be
pronounced on Wednesday, June 81"
said Judge Dunno.
"The court will, at this time listen
to any motion that may suggest itself
to the prosecution"
District Attorney Langdon arose.
eve will ask that the usual way be
pursued" he said
"You mean," asked Judge Dunno,
''that you desire the defendant be
taken into custody pending the pro.
nouncement Of sentence?"
eyes, your honor we think that
should be DONE" responded the state.
Mayor Schmitz, who was carried
back to jail, at first declined to make
any statement, but later by advice Of
ais attorneys, he dictated the follow
ing statement to the Associated Press:
mo matter what the decision of
the jury, which was gotten under most
adverse circumstances, regarding my
self, still maintain and affirm that |
am absolutely innocent Of the crime
charged, and will fight the case to the
last resort. AS 1 said before any trial,
did not expect nor did receive fair
or even decent treatment at the hands
of Judge Dunno; and realizing his
prejudice, l made every effort to have
the case transferred to any other
judge in the state. I - not take this
as a defeat, and the decision makes
me all the more determined to seek
and secure justice in another court"