Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-08
EMBEZZLEMENT
CHARGE FILED
AGAINST BRUSIE
FORMER MEMBER nF LEGISLA-
TURE ARRESTED
IS SECRETARY OF STATE RAIL-
ROAD COMMISSION
Prominent Politician of San Francisco
indignant at Being Taken Into
Custody-ClaIms Action is
Work of Enemies

Judson C. Brusie, one Of the most
prominent politician of San Francisco
secretary of the state railroad COM
mission. former member OF the state
legislature and a we'll known insurance
man. was arrested at the van Nuys
hotel yesterday by Detectives Chap-
man and Home on warrant lssueo
by a San Francisco justice charging
felony embezzlement.
instructions were telegraphed pollce
headquarters here to arrest Brusie ana
were received before the arrival OF the
Southern Pacific train yesterday AFTER
noon. Detectives Chapman and Home
were detailed at once on the case. They
boarded the train at River station ana
followed Brusie to the Van Nuys no.
tel. where he was arrested as ne
signed his name to the hotel register
The prisoner was taken in cab to
the central police station. lmneol-
ately upon the arrival of the prisoner
and officers he was taken to the oIice
of Captain Aube. Brusie asked that
he be allowed to use the long olstance
telephone so he could communicate
with his friends in San Francisco and
apprise them of his predicament. HIS
request was granted and he held sew
eral minutes conversation with the
northern city He then made state
ment regarding the circumstances
leading up to his arrest.
indignant at Arrest
Brusie was indignant at his arrest
and at the publicity that would be
given the affair. He denounced the
persons at the bottom of Ii and SAID
the whole thing was one of the most
outrageous he ever heard of.
at is simply a dispute over the af-
fairs of the Metropolitan Surety COM
pany, of which organization l nave
been Pacific coast manager for the last
two years" he said. because OF the
inability of the company to handie tne
large amount of business l secured
through my agents l rendered my
resignation, which was accepted June
/, The company was unable TO care
for the business because of the lack or
necessary funds. l thought L would
sever my connection with such an
organization and secure d position with
another company handling business or
a similar nature" ..-.,-
AS the conversation progressed Bru-
sic, evidently getting more angry as
he discussed the circumstances leading
up to his arrest, became more em-
phatic in his statements, and pounded
the desk at which he was sitting and
Kissed his denunciation of his enemies.
.'Thess people claim owe them
something like $780," he continued.
where, as a matter of fact, they are
indebted to me in the sum OF $1,000. An
expert was working on the DOCKS ana
I had every reason to believe the mat
ter would be settled satisfactorily.
Here on Pleasure Trip
at was not trying to run away when
T came 10 Los Angeles. My wife and
I decided to take a pleasure trip and
thought we would be benefited by the
delightful climate of this section OF the
state. Had l peen trying to escape
from the law / would never have regis
tered my own name when arrived at
the hotel.
'This affair will ruin my reputa-
tion. 1t does not matter If my expla-
nations are all right and L succeed in
vindicating myself The publicity of
NV arrest and the humiliation of being
brought to trial on a charge OF this
nature will ruin me.
81 have heen I'm politics for more
than twenty years. l was elected TO
the state legislature from Amador
county when l was 81 years of age and
served three consecutive terms, being
elected from Sacramento the two sue
ceeding terms.
mot only does my detention en-
barrass me, but 1t has severely
shocked my wife, who is almost In
state of nervous prostration because OF
the occurrence.
.'I was never more surprised in my
life at the turn of affairs. 1 came here
to pass a quiet vacation, but instead
have had most strenuous expert
ence."
Bruse was in Los Angeles a short
time ago acting In his official position
as secretary of the railroad commission
vestigating the Santa Fe rebate mat
ter. ~
Identified with Politics
l-sor almost a quarter of a century he
Fas been prominently identified with
2olitics in San Francisco, Oakland and
/Sacramento.
News of his arrest will come as
surprise to many, as there was not the
least indication that charges of such a
nature would be preferred against him.
The police say he will be taken back
to the northern city at once.
A short time after his conversation
in the police captains office Brusie
was marched to the desk sergeant's
office and then locked up in the city
Jail as a common prisoner. On his per-
son was found letter of introduction
to William H. Anderson, Stimson
building, and $3.50 in money.
His wife, a beautiful, handsomely
gowned woman visited him in the jail
late yesterday and held a long CONVEX
sation with the accused mani
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