The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-07
Former Proprietor of Big
French Restaurant Swears He
Was Not Threatened.
OTHER WITNESSES TELL OF
MAYORS CHANGE OF FRONT
Testimony That Fund of $4,000
Was Raised for Ruef to
Secure Licenses.

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 of one of tho
prosecution s chief witnesses, Antonio
b. Blanco. Until the great fire, Blanco
was proprietor of Delmonlco's, one of
the five French restaurants from whose
owners the Mayor and Abraham Ruef
and accused of having extorted thou
sands Of dollars under threat, implied
if not expressed, :" TO prevent the reis.
suance of their liquor licenses.
"Did Ruef ever tell you that if you
didn { pay this money you would not
get your licenses renewed 90 asked At
torney Campbell, the Mayors senior
counsel
No, replied Blanco, promptly, ''hs
did not.
Did the Mayor ever tell you that7"
''Did anybody ever tell you so2''
ono Nobody ever made that threat
to me, said Blanco.
Four Witnesses Heard.
Four witnesses were on the stand TO.
day, Officer Charles +. Skelley, secre.
tary of the board of police commission
ers; former Police Commissioners Thom~
as Reagan and Dr. Joseph Poheim, and
Antonio Blanco. The first witness to-
morrow morning will be Joseph NAL
fnnti, proprietor of Delmonico s res
taurant. He acted as agent for the
other French restauranteurs aud handed
to Ruef the money which the prose
cution claims was extorted and which
the defense maintains was paid purely
as a retainer and in pursuance of 4
legal contract by which Ruef was TO
act as attorney for the Frcnchmen IN
the matter of securing the renewal of
their licenses which had been held up
by Police Commissioners Reagan and
Hutton on charges of immortality,
Pierre Priet, who conducted the ne"
gotiations with Ruef on behalf OF
the other restaurant keepers and him
self, and whose name appears as
signature to the contract alleged, is
dead.
How Mayor Changed Front.
Former Commissioner Reagan testi-
fed minutely to the sudden and de,
termined change of the Mayor S at
titude on French license renewals
from advising their refusal to demand
ing that they be granted-simul-
taneously with the appearance of
Abe Rucf as attorney for teh restaG-
the Walters union IN plot TO expose
IUe lnlNpEdllN pl iHtee pldctS dS IL
result of union difficulties with their
proprietors.
Former Commissioner Poheim told
of the compiling by Ruef of set Of
bogus regulations for the government
of the restaurants; how ne and the
boss had laughed over these. and how,
after they had been by Ruef sub
mitted to the police board. the hold-up
licenses were renewed.
Antonio Banco testified that he and
the proprietors of the Pup, Del
monico 5. Marsh and Sand Tortonis
had raised a fund of $4,000 to be
paid To Ruef '.as lawyer and the
political boss. for "taling care of
their licenses for them.
Assistant District Attorney Heney
conducted the examination for the
State. Former Judge J. C. Campbell
cross examined 70 rthe defense.
After adjournment Mr.. Heney was
asked when Ruef Will be called to the
stand He replied that he was unwill
ing 10 say, because he did not want 10
give Mr Campbell u chance to pre-
pare for Ruef s cross examination.
Today s attendance on the trial was
larger than ever before. Crowds pressed
about the locked doors of the Bush
Street Synagogue before the opening of
court in the morning and afternoon, and
during the 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 themselves embarrass-
mpnt by doing so.