Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-07
At I ORNEYS
FOR SCHM|Tz
SCORE POINT
No Offer to Renew
Licenses if Fee
Was Paid
Police Commissioner Re-
lates Story Of the
Changed Vote
Set of Dummy Rules for French Res
taurant Caused Ruef and the
Mayor to Laugh, Says
Reagan
BY Associat ted Press.

SAN FRANCISCO, June GA few
minutes before adjournment of court
this afternoon the defense in the trial
Of Mayor Schmitz for extortion scored
what they consider a signal point dur
ing the cross examination IF one Of
the prosecutions chief witnesses, An
tonic B. Blanco. Until the great fire
Blanco was proprietor of Delmonico's,
one of the five French restaurants
from whose owners the mayor and
Abraham Ruef are accused of having
extorted thousands of dollars under
threat implied, if not expressed" to
prevent the reissuance of their liquor
licenses.
"Did Ruef ever tell you that if you
did not pay this money you would not
get your licenses renewed?" asked At
torney Campbell, the mayors senior
counsel.
mo- replied Blanco promptly, The
did not"
did the mayor ever tell you that ?"
mo"
"Did anybody ever tell you so?"
NO Nobody ever made that threat
to me-" said Blanco.
Four witnesses were on the STAND
todav. Officer Charles F. Skelly, sec
retarv of the board of police commits
sioners: former Police Commissioners
Thomas Reagan and DR.. Joseph Po-
helm and Antonio Blanco. The first
witness tomorrow morning Will be
Joseph Malfanti, proprietor of Del
monico's restaurant. He acted as
agent for the other French restaurants
and handed to Ruef the money which
the prosecution claims was extorted
and which the defense maintains was
paid purely as a retainer and In pur-
suance of legal contract by which
Ruef was to act as attorney for the
Frenchmen in the matter of securing
the renewal of their licenses which had
been held UP by Commissioners Hut
ton and Reagan on charges of i'm
morality.
Priet, who conducted the negotia-
tions with Ruef on behalf of the other
restaurant keepers and himself, whose
name appears as a signature to the
contract alleged, is dead.
Reagan Is Damaging
Former Commissioner Reagan today
testified minutely to the sudden and
determined change of the mayors at
titude on French license renewals
from advising their refusal to demand
ing that they be granted-simul-
taneously with the appearance of Abe
Ruef. a sattorney for the restaurants,
and his testimony implicated the
Walters union in a plot to expose the
immortality of these places as result
of union difficulties with their pro-
prietors.
Former Commissioner Poheim told
of the compiling by Ruef of set OF
bogus regulations for the government
of the restaurants, how he and the boss
fhecp and how after
they had been by Ruef submitted to
the police board the held-up licenses
were renewed.
Antonio Blanco testified that he and
the proprietors of the Pup. Delmonicos
Marchand's and Tortoni's had raised
fund of $4,000 to be paid to Ruef "as
a LAWYER and the political boss" for
"taking care of their licenses for
them.
Assistant District Attorney Heney
conducted the examinations for the
state. Former Judge ]. c. Compbell
cross-examined for the defense.
After adjournment Mr.. Heney was
asked when Ruef will be called to the
stand. He replied that he was un-
willing to say because he did not want
to s'give Mr.. Campbell chance to
prepare for Ruef's cross-examination.'
Today's attendance at the trial was
larger than ever before. The crowds
pressed about the locked doors of the
Rush street synagogue before the open
ing of court in the morning and during
the afternoon sessions every pew IN
the large auditorium was filled and
scores of persons stood. Late In the
morning session the women spectators
withdrew at the suggestion OF Mr.
Campbell that they might save them-
selves embarrassment by doing so.
DR.. Poheim Testifies
"Call DR.. Poheim," said Mr. Heney
DR.. Joseph Poheim was at one time
a member of the board or health anu
later of the police commission.
He said he had secured MS appoint
ment to the health board partly
through the influence of Ruef. He was
in the habit of meeting Ruef nearly
every night at the Pup restaurant anu
he had often met Schmitz there with
other political friends" after in the
evening, the Pup being the boss
poIiticaI quarters. Some months be-
fore Poheim's appointment to the police
commission Ruef talked it over with
himA saying he wanted some OF his
friends on that board. The witness
expressed his willingness to leave, the
health body for the police board and
they talked over the matter of the
French restaurants. 81 told Ruef
would favor them" testified Poheim.
DR.. Poheim's testimony was gener-
ally corroborative of Mr.. Reagan's with
respect to the Sunday basement room
meeting at the mayors house
I'VE have to give these restaurant
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