New-York tribune., 1908-06-28
ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE
Conuaction of Walter J. BARNETT
Due to Broon Confession.
rBy Telegraph to Tho Tribune ]

rBy Telegraph to The Tribune1
San Francisco, June 27-The conviction or Wot-
| ter J. Bsrtnett. president of the California
! Safe Deposit and Trust Company OF enihezzfns
CcIton trust funds followed trial of one week. the
! sensational feature of which was the damasms
testimony given by J. Dalzell Brown, manager OF
the bank, against his former associate. Brown put
all the blame for wrecking the bank on the shoui-
ders of Bartnett and produced letters that con-
victed the latter of selling the Cotton funds IN an
atrenpt to save the bank from failure The pen
atty for Bartnett's offence is ten years In state
prison. but the indictment on which he was CON
victed is only one of several found against him
Brown sentenced to only eighteen months IN
prison because he made full confession which
it is believed will the conviction OF all tfe
officials of the wrecked bank who have been IN
dicted for malfeasance embezzement
The Spring Valley Water Company astonshed
San Francscans this week by applying to the tir-
cult Court authority to increase lts rates lo
water to local consumers. The company declared
that the fixed by the supervisors Woulu nol
produce ordinary interest the con1panys invest
ment. Recently the company offered rs eh''io
plant the city for $320oo,o0O but thlS oIer wac
not accepted. Instead the city has entered tr'Lo
negotiations for water supply from 1etcn1
Valley, in the high Serras, a scheme whch VIII
| entail an expenditure of over S5eGnoW Tor resei
voirs and piping. The Spring Valley onlcals pe-
| Iieve the city should rely on the Spring VaiicE
Company for water for at least ten years uhth t7
| Hetch-Hetchy plan can be developed, and In th'S
interval they contend that reasonable water ra'es
should be imposed
| Abraham Ruef who has spent several months IN
| the county iai is extremely anxious to obtain MS
| liberty bail He has submitted list Oh oo.auS
men whose aggregate wealth he declares IS sW'-
600 ooo but District Attorney Langdon ano Assist
ant District Attorney Heney insist upon an clad
orate investigation all his sureties. which at the
| present rate of progress will take several weeks
Ruef is willing qualify in ssSoooo, but there ls
will
| half of Ruefs list. Among those willing TO De
como bondsmen are Ruefs father, to whom ne mas
| transferred of his property and his sister,
who Is also wealthy.
Much attention is being given by government
agents to the smuggling Of Chinese and othcr
Orientals over the Mexican border. The nuInoer
of these smuggled Chinese caught in railroad cars
recently shows that there is some central r1ng
managing these operations. Local government
agents believe the headquarters of the smusgers
in Los Angeles, and that most or the cooies
who succeed in passing the border are destined for
that city. Twenty-sx japanese and one CoHedIl
woman arrived here this week from Ell Paso. ana
will be deported. The Corean woman tired 10
swim the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass
The San Francisco Gas and Electric Company is
endeayoring to secure the testimony of Harry
Orchard in its Linforth apartments explosion suit
Walter H. Lnforth recently obtained damages or
SO 500 against the gas company. because of an al
legged gas explosion which damaged the apartment
house owned by him. Afterward Orchard confessed
he had tried to blow up Fred ". Bradley, who hVed
in the house. The gas company tried in the usual
way 10 get Orchard as Witness but failed II
has now appealed to the Supreme Court. the case
being set for July 6. Orchard has been condemned
TO be hanged July ., unless again reprieved by
Governor Gooding OF Idaho.
The death In Berlin of Otto F. Rhein re
moved one of the known real estate agents In
San Francisco. Since the fire he had been prae-
tically out of business because of poor health
Won Rhein conspicuous in advocating public
improvements and made large fortune here.
The harbor commissioners propose to build the
finest pier the United States the site of the
old Pacific Mall wharf. The pier Will be constructed
of steel and cement and will cost upward Of
s4oo, coo.
Jacob Eppinger, who the main figure in a
sensational trial for obtaining under false
pretences died this week. Eppinger of
the largest wheat dealers in the state, but just be-
fore the great fire he was accused Of securing
funds on wheat In Port Costa warehouses when
the grain was not there He was tried once, and
the Jury disagreed: then came the fire, which de-
stroyed the records of the and the District
Attorneys Office unable to revive the charge
..The Thief" with Margaret Ellington the
star, made great hit at the Van Ness Theatre
this week Daniel Frohman came here specially TO
superintend the production his first visit to San
Francisco in twelve years.
State MineraIogist Aubury estimates that the
total mineral production of California last year
| will exceed S50Geo,0oO. This includes over forty
| million barrels of petroleum, valued at nearly
81 7Oooeoo which is than double the value of
| the oil produced in 1896.
The Southern Pacific Company will cut in half
excess baggage rates July l. Heretofore the
rates have been cent n mile for every hundred
but
one-sixth Of the passenger fare for the trip.
half cent a mile for each hundred pounds.
The new issue of 81 900 of Sacramento city |
bonds for municipal improvements sold this |
week premium of $1,000. with accrued interest
for months This is taken by local fnanciers !
TO assure the ready sale of the SIS 100000 San Fran
cisco bonds which will be offered.
The first shipment OF barley reached Stock |
ton this week and sold at premium. It fine |
| brewing grain and grown the west side of |,
the San Joaquin Valley, San Joaquin City. |
This year the river is low that most of the San
Joaquin grain crop will have to be moved by rail. |
which Will great congestion there is not |
| enough rolling stock TO handle the crops
After August i American vessels in the |
Alaskan trade call at British Columbia ports |
| and pick up goods for Atlin. Dawson other |
points the Yukon. This is the enforcement on |
| the Pacific of the coasting laws that prevail |
the Atlantic side OF the Dominion.
DISINFECTED TaANSMITTERS. |
a number of suggestions have been made from |
time TO time with view of disnfecting properly
posals have usually involved a great deal of ex- |
pense. An Englishman has invented an inexpensive