The San Francisco call., 1908-11-20
D|NGFE ISCITFD
FORAPPEARANCE
BEFORE DUNE
Court Takes Judicial Notice of
Financial Difficulties of
Schmitz BOndsman
BOOdIing Ex-MayOr May Lose
Surety and Be Ordered
to Jail
CrOcker Takes Over Cement
Plants and George Cameron
Heads New Board

AS q result Of the financial difficulties
into which he has been plunged William
J. Dingee was cited yesterday to appear
on Saturday before Judge Dunno in con-
nection with the 100000 bond which
he rendered some time ago on behalf of
his much indicted friend. Eugene
Schmitz. The action was taken by
Judge Dunno upon the request of tho
district attorney, who had received in
formation that Dingees finances had
been seriously impaired
Official confirmation was given yes
terday TO the report that Dingee's large
cement interests in California had
passed into the hands of William H.
Croker A new board Of directors.
headed by George 7. Cameron, all allied
with the Crocker interests. has taken
possession Of the cement properties and
the former owner has been completely
eliminated from the management.
The court proceedings involving the
schmitz bond were brief and were
merely preliminary to the hearing,
which has been set for Saturday morn
ing al 10 o'clock. Assistant District
Attorney Deasy. acting under instruc-
tions from District Attorney Langdon.
applied for the citation. stating that in
formation had reached his Office that
Dingee had suffered serious monetary
reverses. The order issued by Dunno
was made 10 include not only Dingee
but Thomas H Williams. the other
bond.man, the boodling ex-mayor and
his attorneys.
QUALITIES FOR 100000
II was in May 1906, that Dingee and
Williams qualified on the bond Of
Schmitz in the sum Of s4OO, 600. Each
assumed liability for the full amount
Schmitz faced 40 indictments and the
surety was fixed in the sum of $4,000
on each count.
OF the 40 indictments II are pending
IN Judge DUNES court and % have
been set for hearing before Judge Law
lor. It was stated yesterday that no
steps viii be taken to bring Dingee be-
fore Lawlor until after the inquiry has
been completed before Judge Dunno II
it should develop that Dingee has not
sufficient unincumbered property to
ted to prison until some one else quail
fies on his bond.
The facts bearing on the cement
transaction were made public by George
Cameron on behalf of Crocker and At
torney Garret McEnerney, who repre-
sents Dingee.
Cameron. who is q confidential agent
OF Crocker, has assumed control Of the
two big cement plants in California. and
has begun the rganization of the
controlling companies. Crocker will as
sumo control Of both the Standard
Portland cement corporation. located at
Napa Junction, and the Santa Cruz Port
land cement company, located at Daven-
port near Santa Cruz. Dingee has been
president Of the former and his partner,
Irving Bachman, has been at the head
Of the latter. Under the new arrange
n9ent, however, neither Dingee nor
Bachman viii figure.
CAMERON HEADS BOARD
George Cameron will act as presi-
dent of both companies. He has or
ganized q board Of directors, which
will serve for the two concerns. as
follows: G Z. Green, manager Of the
Crocker estate company, vice presi-
dent; A. +. Morrison, attorney for Will
liam Il. Croker, second vice president;
William r. Berry, assistant cashier of
the Croker national bank; and L. F.
Young, formerly in the employ of the
Crocker bank Young has recently
acted as secretary to Dingee, and it
was due to his former connection with
the Crocker interests that he was al
lowed TO remain on the directorate.
The new board of directors will pro-
ceed at once to straighten out the affairs
Of the two cement companies. The
outstanding obligations, amounting in
all TO nearly 81 900 900, will be assumed
by the new management. A part of
this sum represents the Indebtedness
10 the Crocker bank
When the Dingee interests were first
pressed for ready money the plant was
offered TO the James 3. Smith and John
l. Howard interests, known as the
Western fuel company and the Western
building materials company. Smith
and Howard had acted as the selling
agents for the Dingee cement. In con-
sidering the purchase they placed the
matter before the Crockers and nego-
tlations were begun by all parties con-
cerneo. It is understood that the out
come is satisfactory to all interests.
The fact that Smith and Howard are
not represented on the board of direc-
tors has given rise to the belief that
an understanding has been reached by
which they VIII continue to act as sell
ing agents.
One explanation offered yesterday for
the Dingee embarrassment was his
failure to estimate properly the de-
mands Of the property, with a result
ant apitalization. The Santa
Cruz company was capitalized for only
Sl0ooooo- II has been valued as high
as S5.000,Oo0.