Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-10-30
BLAKE ADMITS
ATTEMPTING TO
BRIBE JUROR
MAKES STARTLING CONFESS
SION IN COURT
WOULD HAVE RECEIVED $4,000
FOR SILENCE
Promissory Notes Signed by Ruef and
Indorsed by Father and Sister
In Third Persons
Hands

N AN FRANCISCO, Oct. 29.-Another
sensational chapter in the San
~ Francisco bribery graft cases
growing out of the alleged wholesale
bribery of the Schmitz board of super
visors by Abraham Ruef, the former
political boss, and the resultant grand
jury indictments and prosecution, was
added today when 10. A. S. Blake,
contractor. confessed in open court
that at the instigation of A. s. New
burgh and Frank J. Murphy, two of
Ruef's attorneys, he had attempted to
bribe John M. Kelly with an offer of
$1,000 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 $4,000
in the hands of third person to be
paid to Blake Immediately after he
was sentenced, and that his wife was
to receive $100 a month during the time
that he was serving his sentence in
the penitentiary if Blake would keep
quiet" and not implicate Murphy and
Newburgh.
Notes Signed by Ruef
The $4,000 in promissory notes signed
by Ruef and indorsed by his father and
his sister and made payable to Murphy,
the prisoner declared, was now in the
hands of third person, who had
been named by him to receive 1t and
hold it subject to his order.
Blake had been convicted of an at
tempt to bribe John NJ Kelly, a venire-
man drawn on the panel of the Ruef
jury and was about to be sentenced
by Judge Frank III. Dunno when he
said he had a statement to make.
The disclosures 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 wife arose in the court room
and protested Historically with mo,
no." when Judge Dunno called upon
her husband to 'stand up" that judg-
ment might be passed upon him. She
was led out by deputy sheriff.
His face pale, but composed and
with demeanor that indicated that
he had prepared himself for the ordeal,
Blake in a calm. subdued voice, told
of his participation in the attempt to
bribe Kelly, prefacing it with the
statement that he had been promised
no reward or immunity and that his
confession was made freely and vol
unfairly.
Calls Crime Serious
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
contractor for a crime which he char
acterized as lone 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
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 Immediately
engaged in whispered conversation
with his attorneys. Henry Ach and
Thomas b. Dozier.
A block away Frank J. Murphy and
A. s. Newburgh were restlessly pacing
the corridor in front of Judge Muras-
ky'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.