The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-06-06
MAYOR SCHMITz
SCORED BY HENEy
Prosecutor of Alleged Frisco
CRATER Does Not Mince
Words.
HOW SCHMITZ AND RUFF
SECURED BLACKMAIL MONEY
Taking of Testimony Begun;
Will Probably Last for
Two Weeks.

''.N.N L 'Ni.'coi DuhC u 4 hc
opening address for the prosecution
by Assistant District Attorney Heney
the partial, corroborative examination
of former Police Commissioner Thomas
Reagan, the introduction as evidence
of n mass of data from the minute
books of the police commission for the
years 190405, and the questioning
in relation thereto Of the secretary
of the commission. Officer Charles T,
Skully, were the incidents that made
up the first days actual trial of Mayor
Eugene L. Schmitz for eXtortion.
Officer Skully will resume the witness
stand ut the opening of court tomor-
row, to further identify and corrobo-
rate police commission records. He
viii be followed by Mr.. Reagan, who
will complete his testimony, and then
be turned over TO the defense for cross.
examination,
No night sessions Of the Schmitz
trial will be held. Judge Dunno hoped
to gain the consent of counsel To three
sessions daily but neither Mr. Heney,
for the prosecution. nor Mr.. Campbell,
for the defense. was willing. They
said they needed the evenings for
preparation and for rest
While this subject was under dis
cnssion. Just before adjournment this
afternoon. Juror O'Mara spoke up.
"Why, your honor, 'hc said, 1--WE
even got shook up in our beds last
night. This reference 10 a midnight
earthquake shock provoked the crowd
to laughter
it is expected that the trial will take
not less, and probably more, than three
weeks.
Systematic Blackmail
AT 1920 clock Mr.. Henev began
his opening statement to the Jury AZ
great length and with extreme minute
ness he laid before the Jury The plot
as alleged by the prosecution, on the
on n systematic scheme of blackmail.
through the instrumentalitv of the po
lice commission Prelmlnarily. Mr.
Heney outlined the Mayors entrance
into politics and traced the political
friendship and association of Schmlt1
and Ruef from the time of its incep-
tion throughout the Mayor first two
terms of Office He recited with much
circumstance the facts ms alleged in
the Indictment, and their surrounding
incidents.
''You are to try the defendant
Schmitz and him only who stands here
accused jointly with Abraham Ruef of
the crime of eXtortion from Joseph NAL
fanti the sum of Sll15, under the fear
of threat that he would be deprived
of his license to sell liquor and his
business be thereby injured if he did
not pay this sum.
1--WE expect to prove to thls Jury
that the defendant Schmitz in Novem-
Der, 1901, became the candidate of the
Union Labor party, then as created;
Tor the office of Mayor of the city and
county of San Francisco. That the con
yention which nominated him was made
up Of delegates from the different
unions and that they and the party
they represented were acting independ-
emily Of anv advice of Ruef. We shall
show that Schmitz sought and secured
the influence of Ruef, who had become
his friend to MD him in securing ms
election and that Ruet supported nm
and furnished him with money and
thereby won his confidence and graft
tude and became his adviser political
When Ruef Came In.
Mr.. Henev described to the grand
mrv the character and lloor arrange.
ment of the French restaurants IN PROOF
of their necessity for police protectlon'
He rccited al great length the ale
cations of the prosecutions as TO the
methods used by the Mayor and Ruef
70 intimidate the French restauranteurs
and to show them that there was only
one man who could secure their licenses
TO them and that money was the only
thing that would obtain his influence;
that that man was Abraham Ruet.,
s'To show the bad intention OF the
Mavor,' said Heney, I'VE expect to
prove that during this time he was CIV
ing protection TO disreputable place,
whose profits he and Ruet were. tc
share. We shall show that the hight
against Commissioner Sutton. which
eTentuated in his removal by the
Nnvor, was made because he was try
ING 10 close up disreputable institu'
Quoting dates. events and incidents
minutely. Nh Heuev recited the CIR
of the alleged visits to the
restaurant keepers by Jean Loupee. as
agent for Rnef: the raising OF S30oC
bv them and its payment to Ruef by
one Priet, as the first installment OF a
fee under legal contract and the
subsequent demand by Ruef, one year
later, for a second $4,000. Mr., Heney
said that the prosecution would show
that after the payment of this black
mail money the Mayor did bis best to
compel Commissioner Reagan to face
about and vote for the renewal of the
licenses