The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-05-04
DETWILER HERE
TO FACE TRIAL
ON INDICTMENTS
Home Telephone Magnate Away
Three Years After He Was
Accused
iii Health Caused Flight and
Now He Insists on
"VindicatiOn"

inviting than forbidding.
Returning recently from Europe,
Detwiler tarried brief time in Toledo
and then made arrangements to come
10 San Francisco. He arrived yester-
day morning and took apartments at
the ST. Francis.
Accompanied by W. J. G. Lambert, a
friend from Los Angeles; Attorney
Frank E. Calkins, his personal adviser
= from Toledo. and Attorney w. W. Kauf-
man Of San Francisco, he presented
himself before Judge Lawlor at O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. There are pending
against him IS indictments, returned in
March, 1907. Bail in the total sum Of
$3.50 600 was furnished by the Paul NJ.
Nippert company. representing the
Aetna indemnity company. Thes ure-
lies were accepted by thed istrict at
torney and the court. After formalities
extending over nearly an hour the order
Of release was signed. The case was set
for Thursday, May 3, at 10 o'clock.
Grins at Snapshots
During the whole proceeding Det-
WiIer sat unconcerned and Indifferent.
lie took but little interest in the dis
cussion, finding q more worthy subject
in the coteFie of photographers that
lowered about. Every time a. shutter
clicked Detwiler grinned. When they
clicked I'm unison he chuckled. When
the whole battery was discharged, ac-
c0mpanied by the boom of a fiashlight,
lie laughed aloud.
For some reason the name OF Det-
Rviler has suggested a full chested,
powerful figure Instead there toddled
into court 4 frail bit Of humanity,
scarce feet in height. The eyes look
out lynxhke from beneath heavy
shaggy brows. The swarthy checks
crop straight and then squaring the
Jaw shoot abruptly TO the chin. It is
The face that bespeaks the shrewd
linancicr- Ruef must have met his
match al figures when the two sat
down together.
While he talked TO the newspaper
men, or rather while he sat mute under
Instructions from his attorney. he dis
played the best Of good nature, laugh
ing 81 times at his own plight.
ABSENT IN EUROPE
It appears that he was absent in
Europe during the greater part of the
time when efforts were made to locate
never run across William J. Burns dur
. ing the latter's search for him, but was
unwilling 70 90 into the details Of his
efforts 10 dodge the detective.
Tn his formal statement Detwiler
said:
II have returned voluntarily to san
+ francisco so that ] can free my repu-
tafion from the odium Of the indict-
lnents that We're returned against me
a little more than three years ago.
Ever since the action of the grand
jury / have been anxious TO return and
meet the charges. and physical inabil-
lty is the one and only reason why 1
have not been here before. | have
longed for this day to come and now
that it is here [ rejoice in the fact
that / am at last able to present my
self at the bar Of justice, where 1 am
certain 10 be purged of the accuse
1lons against me. 7 viii briefly recite
the incidents governing this entire
matter.
For long period prior to the pass
age by the board Of supervisors of the
ordinance Offering for sale a franchise
Tor competing telephone system 1
had been working and travelling al
most necessarily on a number of mat
ters both here. in Nevada and in the
east. with the result that I was on the
verge Of nervous breakdown. The
earthquake brought about elimination
Of my ills, and I later found myself in
50 serious condition that. much
against my viii, I was compelled to
abandon work Of all description and
seek health by means of complete
rest The grand jury was at that time
investigating charges Of municipal
corruption, and as the Home telephone
franchise had been mentioned in the
newspapers as one of the issues 10 he
probed, ] called upon Francis J. Heney.
who was conducting the prosecutory
work and asked him if there was any
objection TO my going to my home in
lie east. explained to him NV in
ierest i'm the Home telephone COMPANY.
and said that If any testimony was
required from me ] would be glad TO
give Il either then or al any time if
was wanted Mr. Heney told me TO go
ahead and take the trip if I so desired.
COLLAPSED IN CHICAGO
After I arrived in Chicago I suffered
. complete nervous collapse and was
unable 10 proceed TO my home for a bout
p week. At the end Of that time I was
Wen enough TO proceed 10 Toledo. where
J. arrived in due course There NV
amily physician examined me and pro-
nounced my condition alarming He
sent me Tor preliminary trea tInent to
Battle Creek, Mich, where ] remained
for several weeks, and then under his
advice, / proceeded 10 Europe. where 7
placed myself in the hands of sne
cialists. Ny improvement was slow. and
J decided to return home Upon my ar
rival at Toledo my brother informed me
that. ] had just been indicted in San
Francisco, the indictments having been
returned the day before while I was on
the train en- route from New York
This was the first intimation I had
that my name was even being consid
cred in connection with criminal
charges. and the shock stunned me
was anxious TO go straight to San
Francisco, but my doctor stated that in
my enfeebled condition il would he
tantamOunt to suicide to atten1pt tbe
excitement and strain of q trial.
ABROAD FOR TWO YEARS
IN q state Of almost complete ner,.-
Gus prostration I needed the advice Of
my doctor and friends and went abroad
and passed the next two years at the
leading health resorts, endeavoring To
build myself UP again. A large part OF
that time was passed IN GERMANY.
am past 60 years Of age so recovery
was slow, so slow that at times I de-
snafTe6 thai IL would ever co,,,,-.4 -