The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-07-09
MAYOR SGHhII
GETS YEARS
PEOPLE CHEER HEN CHATTING
OPTICAL is SENTENCED BY
THE JUDGE

THE JUDGE.
SAN FRANCISCO. July s.-Mayor
Eugene 3. schmitz, convicted Of ex.
tottlon was yesterday sentenced to
NE years In the penttentiary When
the sentence was pronounced there
ass d remarkable outburst Of applause
from the hundreds OF persons who
crowded Judge DUNES court room.
Judgs Dunno sentenced Mayor
Schmitz to tmprisonment IN San QUEEN
tin penitentiary. Sentence followed
the recent conviction Of schmitz for
extorting s1,175 from a French res,
tanrant Keeper in San Francisco.
As the last words of the sentence
tell from the judges lips the great
crowd that had stood throughout the
dramatic scene, sent up a thunderons
cheer, Good for you" shouted man
IN the back Of the room: His ejacula-
ton was echoed and re-echoed by one
after another of the spectators. Sew
eral others threw their hats into the
air; others scrambled upon chairs to
look over the shoulders of the crowd,
the greatest confusion prevailing.
Attorney Fairall, of the defense,
raising his voice above the din, called
out to. Judge Dunno: "Your honor,
this cheering is a very uuseemly &C.
currencs.
eWell,'l retorted the Judge, with splr.
ii, "if we had a sherlff worthy OF the
name 1t would have been stopped in,
stantly.g
Sheriff Thomas orEeill was standing
inside the rail,
He turned to the court and protest
ed, Nobody could have stopped that,
your honor
Special Agent Burns, Of the prosecu-
ton; led number of bailitts and said,
""Clear the court room, clear the. court
room
But only few of the hundreds OF
apparently delighted men obeyed tn.
sharp order. Some of them hustled
uncsremoniously out into the hall
ways. About one hundred others kept
their vantage places around the coun.
sci table where schmitz sat debating
a statement to the newspaper men.
The dramatic atmosphere was heigh-
tened by staff of newspaper photo.
graphers who exploded flashlights till
the court room was SO filled with
smoke that it became sitting.
The sentencing of the convicted
mayor was in one respect without a
parallel in the criminal annals of San
Francisco. Half dozen times Judge
Dunno VS. interrupted by schmitz,
who protested in strong words against
the Delivery of lecture" instead Of
the pronouncement of Judgment. He
accused the court of unnecessarily
humiliating him and giving opportuni-
ty for further humiliation by the re-
porting Of his remarks in the press.
Once, replying to the prisoner Judge
Dunno said:
esnch brazen effrontery was proba-
bly, no more than should be expected.
and 1t was the duty of the court to
bear 1t in patience"
At another time Attorney Metson, of
the defense, interposed vigorous OBJ
lection in support of his client, "to the
courts lecture" Judge DUNES reply
was that Mr.. Metsou instead Of inter-
rupting the proceedings, ought to be
given a day in court to answer the
charge that he had attempted to tam
per with the jury which convicted
schmitz.
Metson, restraining himself calmly
answered in the same spirit, saying
that he was ready to answer any Of
the charges that were made against
him.
Judge Dunno warned Metson that
another interruption would provoke a
Jail sentence for contempt.
u