The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-13

long-moOEed French resta urant contract,
relied upon by the defense and by them
pointed to with pride as the legal and
moral exculpator of Ruef. consequently
of the mayor. from the charges one and
all of eXtortion lodged by the grand jury
and denounced openly and Indignantly Dy
the prosecution as q fake, a fraud, a
flimSy subterfuge for the diversion of Jus
t1ce. was about to be produced at last.
as the seconds flew by in silence with
Ruef's right hand fiddling and fumbling
about in that hidden pocket his eyes
downcast, his expression in a mask.
Contract Is Produced.
At last he dragged 1t forth-a long, thin
white envelope, sealed. Another walt
while he fished his pen knife from a trou-
sers' pocket Very slowly and with a
hand that trembled slightly, he slit the
packet lengthwise, drew out a folded slip
of paper and nervOusly dropped that into
a crack between the witness stand and
the altar. With every eye on him, he
stopped and picked it up with painful
elaboration.
Let me have it, please" said Mr..
Campbell, softly.
Ruef hesitated, apparently drew back
then thrust the contract at the mayor
lawyer almost rudely.
The latter, standing between Ruef and
the jury, opened the paper, glanced it
over with his eye and said:
''Mr. Ruef. kindly state to the jury
whose signature that isl
Ruef cleared his throat.
1T is the signature of Pierre Priet," he
said.
Did you see him sign it?'
Il did"
Ruef's gaze was down and his eyelids
fluttered fast as he made his final dec
!aration unfolding the genuiness of the
contract"
Mr.. Campbell walked back to the cour-
sci table and seated himself. AS he read
to himself the piece of paper Ruef had
handed him. the eyes of every one of the
twelve jurors was fastened upon him.
MIR. Ruef." asked Mr. Campbell lis
this the contract referred to when you
told the defendant Schmitz that you had
a contract with the French restaurant
men?
at is"
81 offer it in evidence in cross-exam-
nation" said Mr.. Campbell, and after
Clerk McManus had fixed the exhibit
number the mayors senior counsel read
1t aloud to the jury.
There is nothing out OF the ordinary to
be CLEANED from the wording of this con-
tract. In substance it recites the reten-
term OF two years by the prOprietors of
what were before the fire the five fore
most French restaurants of the city-Del-
monfco's, Marchand's. the New Poodle
Dog, the Pup, and the Bay State; and
sets 5000 per year as the retaining fec.
1t is signed Pierre Priet, President" of
the French Restaurant Mems association.
Was this contract signed in duplicate?'
asked Mr.. Campbell.
'It was" replied Ruef ITO the best
of my knowledge, Mr.. Priet signed both
contracts and | signed only the one
gave to him.
WAS that the contract under which YOU
performed services for the French res
taurant Keepers
Il object to that" exclaimed Mr. Haw-
ley. 1t is immateria and
Il think so myself" consented Mr.
Campbell I withdraw it. Mr. Ruef
kindly state all the conversation you had
with Mayor SchmitZ at the time this
money was paid by you to him.
We object to that" said Henev. ut
would open the whole case again and
that's what we want to prevent
Il have already stated" interposed Ruef
quietly, all of that conversation substan-
TALLY"
Then that's all right" agreed Camp
bell.
Now. can you fix definitely the date
when you had YOUR conversation with
Pierre Priet about taking the French res
taurant mems cases?'
Il cannot" answered Ruef. II think it
was in February-February of 1866
Il know this contract was signed on
that occasion and it was a few weeks
after had received the 5000
This answer created something of a SEN
sation, indicating as IL did that the con-
tract was an afterthought, rather than
q preliminary to the employment of the
then political boss of San Francisco
Did you at the time you say you gave
half of this money to the mayor know
Police Commissioners Reagan. Hutton,
DTinkhouse, Poheim and Howell?"
Said Ruef:
II did -
AT that time what were your rela-