The San Francisco call., 1910-12-02
FISH TRUST Is
SUNK IN The
SEAOF JUSTICE
Water Front Buccaneers Plead
for Mercy as Pirate Ship
Grab" Goes Down
Eight of the Crew That Sailed
Under Black Flag Con-
Tess Guilt

before the senate committee. on my
advice, have decided to plead guilty.
have advised them that this is a
practical solution of the difficulty and
that IL would be far better for them
than to go to the expense of a pro-
tract5d trial The punishment. I plead.
oGght to be governed by the inchoate
idea Of what constitutes the law. At
tho time the statute was passed ahere
was public sentiment against com
.biuatious of capital THAT sentiment
las passed and another has taken its
place favoring such continuation
THE court is not TO concern itself
with thetreud Of public sentiment" in
terrupted Cabaniss. II viii take into
consideration ALI The mitigating cir
cumstances i'm passing sentence do
not care to hear any argument regard
.inE the constUUti0na5iTy- of the act
This is not lie place for il. DO / un-
dersrand YOU TO say that eight men
WISH to- plead guilty to the charges
against them?'
II do" Tejoined Madden saS
Vow L do not want any misappre-
hension about this natter warned the
court. Before the pleas Of not guilty
are withdfawn.-I wish all the defend
ants to thoroughly understand7 the sit
uation.. 7 wish TO impress upon them
that they, plead guilty too a serious
ollarse. r would like 10 hear them
plead. themselves.
CHANCES HIS PLEA
Tie first name called was that of
Giacemiho AIarclli. -s-..-:.
Presents replied .Marcilis<
Are- you. guilty or not guilty. he
was asked.
'Not guilty.' was the..startling re
From the courtroom there came a
smothered burst Of Irritation and his
friends and. spectators. spoke TO. him
with emphasis and fuently i'm Italian
fe. answered back. in dismay and then
q sn7ile. broke over his face. <..i.:
Guilty, he said.s- .-
Judge CabaniSs looked dubious: but
the man persisted iu his plea: and il
was eventually entered The 'others
made their pleas in rapid Succession
and the matter was postponed till
nest Monday morning. ~: .'>.:s'
JNEARTHED BY CALL. =. - p - ::
The existence Of the sflsh' trust and
he part lit was playing lin tRe: food
market not alone in san francisco. but
UP and down the coast. was Brought to
= ight hrst by The-sC'al H. wiich..ir its SIS
sue Of Friday Nav 13,. gave a complete
expose. of the coIizi III oIrs,.c Prier to Ehet
time trained inzestiga tors of The Call
had worked. on>the ca Sc: day and night
under the .supefyisiOn= Of District At
torney Iicl1hrt md Attorney. General
Webb. The situation. found was little
short Of 'oIJrage Gus. a combine iron
clad i'm rs workings and .ur Uplilous
IN Its maniptLla tionS. constantly. was
forciug upward the price Of: fish. g.
Indepe pendeIt .e,deal ers.-s were driven
from BUSINESS The trust: tyrannized
the markets. The 2: ring was perfect
Rather fslan lower the prices surplus
fs1- ere ..ca5st a-yaE pn@dump heaps
sold. 10y. glue works. put. away ali. all
costs FROM. .the 5pe0ples who were being
trained- To nay high. prices for fish
This and .zllic1 nlo ore was discovered by
Ftie aalIs agents and. District .Attor-
uev sFitker't 81
The work. 'of:gather}hg the evidence
. WAS difhcGl tf''.'I, Ire. task seemed monU-
menta p sthe leaders. being. men with a
wide rand far seeiRg. klow}e@ge of tbe
situation. s.Cndererreds Try the obsta-
cles The Galr set to work Little by
lttle the evidence was gathered. bit
Ry bit sit. was pieced. together. The
water front. the fish. stores, the mar
Aets We're haunted and watched for
days and nights.
WHOLE RING. EXPOSED
Tltfnatel5ss sufficient evidence was
gathered on which warrant action bv
the grand jury. and the members of
the trust awoke ERjday, May I3. TO
learn that their entire machinery was
laid bare, their whole combine ex-
posed and the grand jury at their heels.
Followed then the usual tactics.
There We're Wholesale denials. talk Of
enemies. Of plots of one thing and
another. OF anything to cloud the issue
and hide the facts. But the investi-
cation had been too thorough Even
as they talked and denied and protested.
the grand jury examined the witnesses
and, May 26 Indictments accusing 20
wholesale fshmcB with violating the