Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-05
OSWALD TELLS
OF CONSPIRACY
TO SHIELD VICE
REVEALS PLANS TO REOPEN
REDLIGHT DISTRICT
BRoADHEAD ATTORNEYS FIGHT
EVERY ADMITTANCE
Jury Completed and Trial Of Indicted
Former Police Chief Is Begun.
Other Officials Are
Involved

N THE face of a storm of objections
from counsel for the defense in the
\ case of Thomas II. Broadhead,
former chief of police. on trial in the
superior court ON a charge of bribery
in connection with the opening of the
redlight district in Los Angeles last
year. Nicholas II. oswald testified yes
terday afternoon to the forming of a
conspiracy between Arthur c. Harper,
mayor; Samuel Schenck, police COM
missioner, and Edward Kern, chief of
police, to effect the opening of the dis
trict in violation of the law. With this
conspiracy the district attorney, j. d.
Fredericks, in his opening address to
the completed jury yesterday morning,
promised to connect the defendant,
Thomas Broadhead.
Il told them" testified oswald, re-
ferring to a meeting between himself
Samuel Schenck and Mayor Harper, in
the mayors office at the city hall,
about January l, 1907, that l could
get hold of the old Ballerno property
on North Alameda street. between Fer
guson and Niger alleys, and that there
were more than 200 rooms there that
could be fitted up, and for which we
could get at least 81 a day each. That
would mean about $500 day income
from the redlight district If we could
open ii and close all the other places.
| figured out the expenses and showed
the mayor and MIR. Schenck that there
would be big money In it, Mr.. Schenck
said. Wen cut that three ways, and
each of us take a third Afterward
they told me I had better pay Chief
Kern and Captain Broadhead each $3.50
a month"
Testimony Brought Out Slowly
The testimony was brought out very
slowly, not only every question OF
counsel for the prosecution being fierce
I.r ohiarfah n GnO1afinp1 hU the three
attorneys in chorus, but almost every
phrase of the answers as given by the
witness was met with similar obJec'
tions, supported by heated arguments,
and finally with "Exception!' when the
objections were overruled by the court
or motions to strike out the testimony
denied.
At length Judge Davis requested
counsel for the defense TO select one
of their number to make the objections
and arguments, adding kindly that he
thought 1t would save time. J. w. Nc
Kinley assumed this duty, and there
after, little by little. the conduct OF the
case for the defense was gathered into
his hands, while Attorney Appel moved
his chair from place to place, or him
self from chair to chair, growing un-
der his breath, scowling at witness,
Judge and his associates In the case.
Occasionally, unable to bear the strain,
he would spring to his feet and pour
out his pent up feelings in regard to
the things which the court was allow
ing the witness, Oswald, to tell Attor-
ney Paul Schenck occupied his time in
studying the elaborate design of the
stained glass ceiling of the court ROOM
Breaches Subject to Schenck
"It was to Sam Schenck" said Os-
valid. that l first spoke about opening
the redlight district. l met him in my
office or on the street, I've forgotten
which, and told him Tom Savage was
going to take my lease away from me.
Il was proprietor of a saloon on the
corner of Commercial and Los Angeles
streets, in which building, upstairs, was
the Belmont lodging house, a place oc-
cupied almost entirely by loose women
The Belmont was run by Tom Savage
He had another lodging house, the Ar
lngton hotel, with about forty rooms,
which was used for the same purpose.
Il told Schenck about losing my
lease, and said l wished 1 could put
Tom Savage out of business. He said
maybe we could. Then l said If that
was DONE what would be the matter
with opening a new redlight district!
He said we'd see about that"
All this was brought out, not In con-
nected statements, but piecemeal in
response to many questions. Whlle the
objections by counsel for the defense
were being flung at the witness as II
weight of them.
Rroadhead seemed bewidered by the
play of questions and answers, the vol
leys of objections, the heated argu-
ments between counsel and the monot-
onous rulings of the quiet judge. the
court remained outwardly unruffied
throughout the storm of words and the
electrical atmosphere of human feeling, |
}hut there was a suggestion of conscious
effort in the appearance of calm.
Broadhead Takes Snuff
Broadhead took snuff frequently,
sbeezing loudly at one of the court
room cuspidors, and then raising his
head quickly, with blank expression,
asbif in fear he had missed some inn
portant point of the trial by his in
duleence.
Oswald testifying, rarely looked at
his duestioners, or any one else in the
COURTROOM Sometimes he stared down !
at tho floor in front of the witness |
stand,k but the greater part of the
time and sometimes even when an
sweringS a question, he would keep his
eyes fixe1 on the moving pencil of the
court reporter, in seeming fascination,
as it sped across the paper leaving |
behind row on row of pothooks and
curleques by which was being fixed |
for record the public confession of the
witness shame
II secured the lease of the Ballerino |
properties" Oswald went on. sullenly |
dispassionate in his mann err, "and told |
Mayor Harper about 1t, He told me |
to go ahead and get the rooms fitted1
up. I gave instructions to have GER
tain number of rooms papered and |
furnished. | put up the money, about |
$4,000 for the citing. and $3.50 or $1700 |
for the furnishing.
"When this was done l met Harper |
and Schenck in the office of the chief |
of police. Kern was there. l told him |
I wanted the Arln ton closed up. and |
Continued Page rwoI