The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-10-30
Dramatic Scene When Blake Confesses

had been held up to him, that freely
and voluntarily he had come forward
with his statement
Il want to ask him If he has stated
to his counsel that he was going to
make statement" Lindsay put in, see
ing the drift of the proceedings and
standing from under.
Blake answered that he had not
You protested your innocence of
this crime to me up to the present
timer Lindsay asked.
Yes" replied Blake.
QUESTIONED BY LAWYERS
Schooler put the same question and
Blake satisfied him with the same an
swer. Lindsay drew from the witness
the fact that he (Blake) had told him
only that morning that when Burns
approached him and asked him to clear
his conscience he had replied to Lind
say that he had told Burns that he had
nothing to confess.
Then Blake went further and said
that he had conferred with Matt /. Sui
Ivan and Sullivan had agreed to ap-
pear for him. Lindsay and Schooler
then withdrew from the case and Sulli-
van was put in. That remarkable pro-
ceeding required but a few words. and
seemed commonplace in the weller OF
SENSATION Lndl was ABOUT 10 COHc.
Sullivan, installed as counsel, asked
II all statements made to him had been
made freely and without hope of i'm
munfty, and Blake answered in the af-
firmative
Then Langdon took Blake in hand.
He drew from the willing witness the
running narrative of how he had been
approached by Murphy and Newburgh
to bride Kelly and of how he had Of
g011 fol
lowed in detail the testimony given by
Kelly before the grand jury and at
Blakes own trial 1t followed the cor
roborative evidence given by other wit
nesses at the Blake trial in so far as 1t
went. 1t was not the complete story
simply a strong, firm foundation of the
entire plot and movement
RELATES DETAILS
He told how, after his arrest Attor-
ney Schooler had come to him and told
him that he was engaged by Newburgh
to defend Blake. He testified that
Schooler secured his bondsmen, and said
that the only payment he had made to
him was the assignment of lease val
uel at $500.
Then, with some detail. he went into
the matter of Murphy's anxiety to pro-
vide for him if he would not turn state
evidence. He told OF Murphy offering
MIN S4V,VUU ana SlUU a IIlOnGH LUZ Iul
Blake during the term of imprison-
ment. He told of seeing the notes ex-
ecuted by Ruef and Endorsed by Ruef's
father, and his sister, Mrs. Sittenfelt.
He did not mention the name of the
custodian, who, it later developed, was
Martin Stevens, the attorney frequently
mixed up with Ruef.
After the story had been told. Sui
livan repeated his question regarding
the fact that no promise of immunity
was made to the defendant. Judge
Dunno asked the same question and
secured the same assurance.
Langdon said that he desired that the
witness (Blake) be kept at the county
jail free from the influence of those
who might seek to further tempt or
annoy him. He asked that an order
be issued that no one could see him
who had not been summoned by the
defendant himself.
Judge Dunno issued the order.
TELLS STORY CALMLY
Thomas B. Dozier, Ruefs attorney,
was In the courtroom during the lat
ter part of this proceeding. Blake told
his story calmly and without tremor,
though he was pale and his voice was
low.
Judge Dunno concluded the hearing
/ with a vigorous SIdlSIuSAI dluS( lho
kind of crime of which Blake stands
convicted and said that his sentence
would not be affected by the statement
made in court.
Before leaving court Lindsay thanked
Judge Dunno for the courtesy extend
ed, saying that he considered the
| courts instructions in the case the
fairest he had ever listened to.
After court adjourned Mrs. Blake
was admitted into the room and en-
| braced her husband and carried on a
whispered conversation.
Blake said that he might have a
statement to make in a few days. He
was returned to the county JAIL
| Schroeder refused to be interviewed,
! but Lindsay made a short statement
declaring that Blake had assured him
of his innocence up to that very morn
! ing.
Dozier Immediately left the court
room and joined Ach and Ruef. He and
Ach called in Murphy later in the day
and both Ruef and Murphy assured the
two attorneys that the Blake story was
a tissue of lies. On that flimsy show
/ ing the attorneys said that they be-
! lieved their client and their discredited