The San Francisco call., 1907-06-16
Continued From Page Fl, oolun.

he had talked the matter over
with Schmitz, and that both
had agreed to indorse the en-
terprise-
The testimony of Umb-
sen, Watson and Ruef fol
lows:
G. h. Umbsen. called C2Sol Broad
way).
Mr.. Heney-We are investigating the
alleged attempted bribery of the boaro
of supervisors in the matter of the
Parkside trolley franchise; think IL Is
called the Parkside? A--Yes, sir.
Q.-That is Nineteenth avenue,
think, the franchise is for. / think II
is proper to advise you that If you feel
that your evidence might have ten
dency to incriminate yourself 1t is your
privilege and right to decline TO tes-
tifv. and If you are willing to TESTIFY
and your evidence may be used against
yourself. or any one else il may have
A tendency to incriminate, we would
like TO swear your A-Willing TO give
ali the testimony you want tswornD
Q.-Are you a stock holder IN the
Parkside realty company? A-No-yes'
sir; recently.
o.-You were not in April, May and
June of 1906? An this way only:
Mr.. Crocker-William II Crocker-
sent for me and asked me what 1
thought Of that Parkside district, and
said what my Judgment was. whether
he ought to go into it, and told him
I thought ii was good thing. DE SAID
to me, have got a block of that stock,
and IL you feel as though you want
some of II I viii give It to you. 1 told
him nv finances were low at the time.
He said, I will carry you for portion
Of the stock, whatever you may want,
and in that way / am a stock holder. 1
don't know whether you call II stock
holder or not He is taking care OF a
block Of stock for me.
Q-were you director IN the COM
pany? A-No. sir.
Odd you have anything to do with
the running Of it, participate in the
management any? A--No.
Odd you have anything to do with
the securing of the franchise? A--Par-
tally.
o-what did you have to do with
that matter? A.-Wen 1 will COM
mence at the beginning. I don't know
how long ago it was. possibly year
and a half ago, In consultation with
J. F. Green. who is president and also
the manager of this company, in talk
ing the thing over with him one day l
was at his ofice-I will preface that
by saying that when they put that
property on the market I took a friend
ly interest in the matter, in this, that
any one that wanted to buy q lot in
Parkside I would take 70 the Office of
the Parkside company. 1 consulted
about the thing from time to time with
J. Z. Green, and I used to say. Well,
Joe, how are things going along? He
says. We are selling so many lots q
day; we have lot Of trouble about the
franchise. I said, How is that? - Well,
he said, the mayor promised through
Dingee to William H Crocker the fran
chise for that property. He says we
have had il since right straight along
from the mayor he was agreeable to
this proposition, that he thought 1t was
a good thing for the betterment Of the
city. inasmuch as they collected great
deal of taxable value over there he
was IN favor of it He said. "By God,
we don't seem to be able to come
through with it at all" said, I guess
you will have a whole lot of trouble
with that He says, I know IL, but still
Dingee assures us that the mayor said
he could get the franchise for US. And
some time after that, they hadn't been
able to get il, and ] said to him, said,
you had better go and see Ruef about
that thing. otherwise 1 don't think you
will get It. He said. So L understand
that So he took the matter under con-
sfderation and he said to me, do you
ever see Ruef2 I said. yes. occasion
ally I transact more or less business
rr-f+ n IA 171f Hn zr,lr
OF employing him as the attorney for
US? I think that would be the only
way to do. So one time I had occasion
10 lease the Unique theater on Market
street to Sam Davis one of the super
visors, and Ruef was his adviser and
attorney and also Endorsed the lease,
and 1 said TO Ruef, why don't you let
those people get the franchise; and he
says, oh, well, the mayor has agreed to
give ii to them; now let him give IT
and get II for them. I said, why don't
you give il for the city, 1T is a good
thing2 He said, not unless am taken
in as the attorney. So I reported to
Green and told him of his attitude. A
few days after he said to me- L wish
you would go and see him and tell him
we viii employ him as the attorney. I
did so. About this time this bond was
being signed. I don't know exactly
that I said, are you block
ing that thing with the mayor and su-
pervisors. Well, he said. I am not the
attorney. / said, I will tell you, Mr.
Ruef, 1 am Instructed to employ you
Well he said, I will accept the employ
ment but viii talk to the mayor first
The next day he telephoned to me. In
the meantime, I told Green that / told
Ruef that he should be the attorney fol
the company.
Q. Did you tell him that he said he
would talk TO the mayor first. A. Yes
sir
Q. And he said. call it off He said
call that thing of. So I told Ruef
And he said what is the matter. I said
Mr.. Green says to call the thing off. Sc
they were going to get IT through the
mayor. The mayor had assured them
again that was the intimation I under.
stood from Mr.. Green that the mayor
had given. So with that dropped the
thing and had nothing further to dc
with it.
Q. Mr. Green said the mayor had said
you don't need TO get Ruef7 A Yes
sir, the thing dragged for some time
and Green met me one day and he said
I wish I had taken that step In the
beginning and employed Ruef IN this
thing, We would have had the franchise
by this time. He said, we sent Judge
Cope to him and he wants. think hs