The San Francisco call., 1908-09-05
BLAKE ARRESTED
WHILE IN FLIGHT

Continued from Page L. Column 2.
In search of the fugitive. They recog-
n1zed him at once and before the train
had left San Francisco. served him with
subpoena commanding his attendance
before the grand jury. They took
their prisoner off at South San Fran
cisco for luncheon and then returned
10 the city. They were met at the de-
pot by Detectives Conlon and Mackey,
VINO put Blake under arrest on the
warrant sworn out against him Thurs
day night by Kelly. Blake was taken
direct to the grand jury room, refused
to testify, and then was hurried away
to the city prison and booked for at
tempted bribery His bonds in this
case were set at $4,000 or $500 cash.
During the afternoon he-was ''sweated"
at some length by Burns, but main
tanned his innocence, declaring that all
the statements made in his affidavit
accusing Kelly of soliciting a bribe
were true.
MURPHY is C0NTR
In general, the testimony given be-
fore the grand jury yesterday was the
same as that adduced during the hear
ing In Judge Lawlors court the pre-
ceding afternoon and evening, yet sew
eral new features with direct bear
ply, in his sworn testimony, declared
that he had never known Blake until
the alleged bribery matter was brought
to his attention in the last of August.
yet 1t was shown from other testimony
that he actually met Blake two months
ago In Newburgh's office and was in
troduced to him by Newburgh. In the
face of another statement by Murphy
that he was not at the Pacific build
ing Thursday, two witnesses were
called who swore to having seen him
walking around the building.
John Martin Kelly, the venireman
who went to District Attorney Lang
don with the story of Blake's advances
to him at the time the offer of bribe
was made, was the most important wit
ness examined, and his testimony went
far to involve both Murphy and New
burgh in the crime. After he had re-
ported the offer-to Langdon and Burns,
Kelly said he told Blake that he did
not see how he could get on the Ruef
jury, as his name was not on the as
sessment roll. Blake's answer, accord
ing to his story, was:
Don't worry about that. Our at
torneys will keep away from the sort
OF questions that would bring that out,
and there won't be any danger"
EXPOSES PLAN TO PACK JURY
1t was this exposure of a program to
pack the jury-a program that in
volved the trial attorneys themselves
that caused Henry Ach of Ruef's coun-
sci to lose his composure and his usual
air OF disdain when the statement was
made by Kelly Thursday night in court.
Kelly also drove the discriminating facts
closer home to Ruef and his attorneys
when he said that Blake had told him
there would be no danger in his ac-
ont Of n.
jury had been fixed and nobody had
found it out
Blake's record was shown up as
most unsavory one by the new testi-
mony brought out for the considera-
tion of the grand jury yesterday. This
is not the first time he has been ar
rested In February he was charged
with the embezzlement of valuable
plans from A. M. Armstrong of the
Armstrong construction company. He
was held to answer in the superior
court and his trial before Judge Con-
ley, sitting in Judge Cooks department,
resulted in an acquittal on a techni-
cality. The plans are said to have
been for a residence which was being
built by Attorney Bert Schlesinger.
and the defendant was said to have
used them himself, erecting the dwell
ing at lower price than Armstrong
would have done. When Blake was
brought to trial on the charge Schles-
niger acted as his attorney and was
supposed to have conducted the case
free of charge to his client.
BLAKE's BAD CHARACTER
Armstrong was one of the witnesses
called yesterday to testify to Blakes
character and reputation, and it was
a dark picture that he painted. George
T of p M
and Kelly both worked formerly in the
engraving department, was another
witness who gave Blake a bad charac-
ter and spoke highly Of Kelly Miss
Swain and Miss Ogden, stenographers
from Martin Stevens office, told of Wis
its made by the defendant to Stevens
and of their business relations as far
as they were generally known about
the office. Substantiation of Kelly's
statements concerning Blake's visits
to him in the real estate Office at 7S7
Market street was given by Samuel N
Snyder, who is Kelly's employer; J. C.
Butler, tenant of the office, and Mrs
Laura M Cowan, Snyder's stenographer.
Miss LYDIA Hutchins,. Blake's own
stenographer, also told of seeing Kelly
in Blake's office and of overhearing
scraps Of conversation between them
LAWYERS FACE ORDEAL
Murphy and Newburgh, however.
proved to be the most interesting and
Interested witnesses of the entire day.
1t was an ordeal for each of them
Murphy went in first. Left alone in
the hallway outside the grand jury
room Newburgh paced nervously back
and forth, every movement and every
expression eloquent of the terrible
strain he was undergoing.
Murphy was a physical wreck when
he finally emerged after more than an
hour of cross examination. Beads of
perspiration stood on his forehead, his
face was flushed to a deep red, his
hands were twitching and he was so
wrought up that his conversation was
reduced to almost inaudible monosyl-
lables. Newburgh, when he came out
of the room, made second picture of
the same kind. Blake was calmer. He
spent less than five minutes before the
nquisitors-just long enough to re-.
fuse to testify-and when he returned