The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-16
WHEN SCHMITZ
WAS SENTENCED
The Convict Mayor interrupted
the Sentencing
Judge.

1 SAN FRANCISCO, July 9.-Eugene
/ {, Sehmitz. for five years Mayor Of
San Francisco, was yesterday sentenced
/ by Judge Dunno TO serve a term Of
/ FIVE years-the extreme penalty for
his erime-in the Penitentiary al San
Quentin
Turbid with the outbursts Of unre-
/ strained passion, the scene IN. the court
room when sentence was pronounced on
+ the convict Mayor was marred by ugly
retort and elamor, and justice strove
+ with riot for voice Five times the
defendant broke in upon the Judge
and interrupted him with vehement de
maHds that he be sentenced and not
lectured, and when the Court : last
words were spoken that pronounced the
+ sentence Of five years of penal servI-
/ tude upon the arrogant SchmItz a cheer
I broke from the crowd.
i Jerry Oman rose from his seat, but
/ one in the back Of the crowd cried
out: Send Oman with him." and
/ the Chief OF Police; who was himself
/ IL court as q defendant. skunk back in
/ TO his chair beside his attorney.
- This Is rather an abnormal proceed
ing Attorney Fairall said TO the
Court. out the noise was such that only
] the stenographer and the Judge heard
I him. The baiIiffs stood by as though
they had been petrifed.
II We had a Sheriff worthy Of the
name, this exhibition would not hap
pen,' exclaimed the Judge. and Tom
/ . Neil came to 44e with the retorr:
1--WE could not stop that, your
honor.
! . think you might clear the court
/ room, suggested the Judge, and the
! Sheriff made a rush into the crowd and,
/ singing ont a detective IN the employ
/ OF Burns, whose affidavit had been used
| to disQuahfy him in the course Of the
/ Ruef trial. seized him by the coat
/ collar and started him doorward, push
/ ing the crowd IN front.
/ When order had been restored, Fair
/ all was addressing the Court and ask
/ ing that the clerk be instructed 10
enter the cheering and the kissing
on the record
| ''We ask the stenographer to enter
what happened just now-the cheering,
mob, he said.
With the picturesque braggadocio of
a pirate of romance, Schmitz had at
tempted to preside at his own judg-
ment and ten the Court what he should
and should not say about him. In this
course he was aided by his attorney,
William II. A4etson, who also broke IN
upon the stringent words Of denuneia-
ton which preceded the actual pass
ing OF sentence with the declaration:
1--WE take an exception to any cruel
or unusual punishment by the Judge
of this court -
Judge Dunno, who had remained calm
while struggling with the defendant for
| a chance to speak the words he had
prepared, lost control of his temper
and shouted:
IF l am interrupted again I viii
send You to Jail, Mr.. Metson. You
would be better engaged if you were
asking this Court TO set a day 70 in
quire into an accusation made against
YOU here, that you wilfully and DELHI
erately attempted to tamper with and
influence a witness in this case.
Violence seemed imminent, and all
the while Schmitz was standing with
both hands in his trousers pockets, de-
handing that the Court 90 its duty
and sentence him.
i am ready TO meet any charges
that your honor NAV make in court
or without. - came like trueulent
challenge from Nelson. and the hear
ing suggested by the Judge was not
set
When 1t was all over Schmitz turned
TO the newspaper men and dictated an
other statement that he would be a
candidate for Mayor in November, and,
with the yeus of the crowd still IN
his ears, said that 1.-THE people were
always right. - and that he would leave
II TO them to decide whether he was
innocent or guilty. Bathos rounded
out the anticlimax of turbulence.
- Eugene E. SchmitZ. stand up.
The fateful words that have preceded
longer sentences for many a less
prisoner were pronounced by /
the Judge In a loud tone. In the /
sitting stiffness OF the crowded room /
they had a ring 10 make man quake
Not so this defendant, however, who
arose with a conposure that amounted
to a swagger. and, thrustlng both hands
in his trousers pockets. stood between
the Judge and the crowd behind
REVIEWS THE CASE.
Leaning slightly forward and looking
suuareIv at the black-haiTed ex-Nayor.
md with an occasional reference to his
notes. the Judge began:
:. Eugene Z. Scbmitz, on the 18th day
f November. 1906, YOU were accused
" the Grand Jury Of this city and
.0untv by indictment Of the crime OF
elonv. 10 wit. extortion. Subsequent
o that date, and on the 9Th day Of De-
.ember, Of that year, you were az
aligned. and answered 10 your true
laIae Subsequent 10 that date, and on
he 18th day Of Alarch. 1907, you pleaded /
lot guilty 10 the charge preferred
against YOU. Subsequent 10 that time
nd on the 10th day O. May, 1897, You
we're placed on trial before a jury q
our own selection, and after trial
lad on she 18th day Of june. IN the
ear 1907. Won were found guilty ~
aid jury Of extorrion, as charged III
be Indictment.