The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-11-07
CONFESSION
IN COURT
ONE MORE SENSATION IN
SAN FRANCISCO CRAFT
CASES.
E. A. S. Blake, a Contractor, Says
That on Instigation of Ruef's
Attorneys He Attempted to In
fluence Jury to Return Favora-
BILE Verdict.

San Francisco, Oct. 31.-Another
sensational chapter in the San Francis
co bribery graft cases, growing out OF
the alleged wholesale bribery of the
Schmitz board Of supervisors by Abra-
ham Ruef, the former political boss,
and the resultant grand jury indict-
ments and prosecution, was added when
E. A. S. Blake, a contractor, confessed
in open court that at the instigation of
A. S. Newburgh and Frank J. Murphy,
two of Ruef's attorneys, he had at
tempted to bride John M. Kelly with
an offer of 81 900 to get on the jury
now being secured to try Ruef, and
vote for the acquittal of Ruef. Blake
also made the statement that after his
arrest and conviction, Murphy came
to him and agreed to put $40, 900 in
the hands of third person, to be paid
Blake Immediately after he was SEN
fenced, and that his wife was to re-
ceive 500 month during the time
that he was serving his sentence in the
penitentiary, if Blake would keep
quiet and not implicate Murphy and
Newburgh.
The $4,000 in promisory notes,
signed by Ruef and Endorsed by his
father and sister, and made payable to
Murphy, the prisoner declared, we're
now in the hands of a third person,
who had been named by him to receive
it, and hold it subject to his order.
Dramatic Scene in Court.
Blake had been convicted of an at
tempt to bribe John M. Kelly, a We
nireman drawn on the panel Of the
Ruef jury, and he was about to be SEN
fenced by Judge Frank H. Dunno,
when he said he had a statement to
make.
The disclosure made by Blake came
as surprise to his counsel, but was
not entirely unexpected to the crowded
court room, as it had been rumored
for some time that he would ''come
through" and be a witness for the
prosecution against Newburgh and
Murphy, both of whom were indicted
on the same charge Of which Blake
was convicted.
Blake's face was pale but composed,
and with a demeanor that indicated
that he had prepared himself for the
ordeal, Blake, in calm, subdued
voice told of his participation in the
attmept to bride Kelly, prefacing it
with statement that he had been
promised no reward or immunity, and
that his confession was made freely
and voluntarily.
Confession Startles Reuf Defense
At the earnest request of District
Attorney Langdon, Judge Dunno, after
broadly intimating that Blake's con-
fession would not influence the court
in passing severe sentence upon the
contrctaor for crime which he char
acterized as zone of the most serious
under the law" postponed sentence
for two weeks
In the court room Of Judge Lawlor,
just across the corridor, where the at
torneys for both sides are now in the
third month of the work Of securing
a jury to try Ruef, and had just passed
the twelfth man, the news Of Blake's
confession caused CONSERVATION to the
defense Ruef paled visibly, but
otherwise showed no emotion, and i'm
mediately engaged in conversation
with Attorney Ach.
A block away Frank ]. Murphy and
A. S. Newburgh were restlessly pac-
ing the corridor in front of Judge
Murasky's court room, waiting to hear
what happened in the Blake case,"
while their attorneys were arguing
a motion to set aside the indictments
against them, which was denied.