The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1911-05-20
COUNTY ASSESSOR DALTON OF
OAKLAND is CHARGED WITH
TWO oFFENsEs.
SYMPATHY IS EXTENDED
Accused Man, Known as yhe Poor
Mans Friend" Is Alleged to Have
Agreed to Accept Bribes for Rsduo.
ing Assessment Of Property Of
Spring Valley Water Company.

Oakland. Cal. May 19.-The grand
jury of Alameda county tonight re-
turned two indictments against Henry
:, Da'toi'' assessor or Alameda county
VINO was arrested here late yesterday.
'naictments charge receiving a bribc
ana asking and agreeing to take a
| bribc
Dhiton was arraigned before Judge
Wiiham Waste of the superior court.
WHO fixed BAH at $4,000 for the first
Indictment and $4,000 for the second.
Ii was after 8 o'clock when the
grand jury which had listened all day
long to testimony from officials OF tho
Spring Valley Water company who
heiped arrange, the trap for Dalton,
ana from clerks and minor county Of
ilcials, reported through It's foreman,
H. w. Searby to District Attorney
William II. Donohue that It was. ready
10 report the indictments. Dalton sat
In Donohue's office and heard the
notification. and he smiled.
ITS case OF persecution" he said.
ITS the same kind of thing I've ex-
perienced for II years In which I've
been county assessor. They are try
ing to blacken my character. I look
forward to the trial where will have
opportunity to clear myself"
lie did not specify who they" were.
Dalton, who was formally arralgned
late last night. on a warrant charging
him with accepting a brlbe and was
released on s25.000 bonds, appeared at
his office at 3 a. m. today, his usual
NJ trDta ,t..J
he could. In the face of continual In :
| tcrruptions.
Sympathy.
The office was crowded with yIsi :
| tors. Friends and acquaintanccs
poured In to assure him OF their SYM
pathy and support.
Many came from the edges of the
county. for. particularly In the rural
| districts. Dalton Is immensely popular.
| The assessment rate in Alameda coun-
| ty. outside of Oakland. IL lower than
almost anywhere else in the state. and
Dalton Is credited with keeping II so.
Honest Henry Dalton" and "the poor
mans friend" have been slogans In
his campaigns for years and his as
| 'N'''Nf'o sf"' soi sIloulu
not escape their just share of taxation
have won him many supporters
1t was hard day for the grand
Jury. The jurors pored over great Sec
tional maps Of the county. showing
holdings of the Spring Valley Water
company and everyone else: they list
ened TO explanations of these maps
from clerks in Dalton's office: they
heard John T.. Behan, secretary of the
Spring Valley Water company. and
Samuel p. Eastman. vice president
and manager OF the company, who
had dealings with Dalton. trace their
negotiations UP to yesterday afternoon
when, II IL asserted. Eastman met Dali
ton In an Oakland restaurant: Detec-
tive st. Clair Hodgkins. who made the
arrest and Special Agent George J.
Helms. who helped plan It. told part
of their stories and ID. Zavattero. the
walter who says he served Eastman
and Dalton, was the finishing touch In
the presentment of the case. Soon
after the last witness WAS heard, the
indictments were voted
Dalton was not sent to Jail after
the return of the indictments. bail be-
Ing secured almost Immediately
Louis Schaffer, former chief Of police
of Oakland. was surety.