The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-18
Board of Supervisors Formally
DepOses the Mayor.
An Acting Head of City Govern
ment Is Appointed.
WILL BE A BIG FIGHT
Removal Made Possible by Votes
OF Confessed Bribe Takers.
Immunity From Prosecution
Alleged to Be Their Reward,

San Francisco June 1S.-The board
or supervisors shortly after O'Clock
last night adopted resolution declar-
ing Mayor Eugene Schmitz temporari-
ly unable to perform his official duties
and appointing Supervisor James L.
Gallagher acting mayor. The latter
says he will assume the mayoralty and
he denies that he has made an agree
ment with the district attorney to re-
sign at demand, in order to make way
for reform mayor whose name is yet
to be announced.
District Attorney Heney, Rudolph
Speckels and Mr.. Langdon and their
immediate associates in the bribery
graft prosecution are by this move
placed in actual control of the mu-
nicipal situation. That they will be
allowed to SO remain without legal
contest by the convicted mayors at
torneys is not expected. It is the plan
of the prosecution to call for the
resignation in a few days of some one
of the eighteen supervisors. This
forthcoming, Acting Mayor Gallagher
will appoint to the vacancy a man
named by the district attorney. As
soon as he takes Office Gallagher will
resign from the mayors chair and his
resignation will be accepted The
board acting under orders from the
prosecution will select the new MEM
ber as president pro tempore and by
virtue OF the ONCE ne Will at once De-
come acting mayor. The man most
persistently mentioned for this place
is Joseph Dwyer, president of the In
dependence league. but that political
connection is said to render him un-
acceptable to Mr.. Spreckels, the finan-
cial guarantor of the whole bribery
graft investigation.
The first act of the reform mayor. II
the prosecution programme is carried
out, will be to demand the resignation
of practically the entire Schmitz ad-
ministration, whose places will be fill
ed with reform agents as fast as va
caneies are created. Unless disturbed
by the courts the new regime VIII en-
dure until next January.
Mayor Schmitz, convicted last week
of the crime of extortion, remains
prisoner in the city and county jail
He is to be sentenced by Judge Dunno
June 27. His lawyers maintain that
his incarceration does not disable him
from performing the duties of his Of
flee and they say the action OF the
board of supervisors is revolutionary
and entirely Illegal. 1t is understood
they will test the latter claim by in
stituting quo warranto proceeding
applying for a writ of review, or ask
ing for an injunction restraining Gal
Iagher from assuming the mayoralty
The resolution declaring the mayors
chair vacant and appointing Super
visor Gallagher to fill it was adopted
after a fight
1t was opposed by Supervisors
Tveilmoe and O'Neil. 1t was voted for
by twelve supervisors. each of whose
confession to bribe taking is tran
scribed in grand jury records. As
none of these has been indicted for
bribe taking, the general opinion. i
that they are to escape punishment If
they continue to do the bidding of the
district attorney and his prosecuting
associates. No denial of this has been
made by Langdon, Mr.. Henri or Mr-
Speckels.