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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1907)
VOL. XLVI.- SO. 14,490. PORTLAND. . OREGON, i FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1907. PRICE FIVE . CENTS. . i, 4 ! f 4 UNITED RAILROADS MEN ARE INDICTED Grand Jury Votes Four More True Bills. SOHMITZ YIELDS ALL POWER Surrenders Appointments to Seven Citizens. RUEF GIVES TESTIMONY Dethroned Boss Tells About Bribery by United Railroads and Will Tell More Schmltz May Soon Resign His Office. SCHMITZ TO RESIGN OFFICE. SAN FRANCISCO. May 16. It It rumored tonight that a movement la on foot to bring about a change In the municipal administration by forcing the resignation of Mayor Schmltz and choosing in . his stead Frederick W. Dohrmann. a, promi nent wholesale merchant,' a. May or. The report lacks official con firmation. SAN FRAXCISCO, May 16. (Special.) Am the molt of Abe RueTa testimony before 'the Grand Jury today, it 1m un derstood that Indictment were pre pared aarnlnnt Mayor Schmtta, Frealdent Patrick Calhoun, of the United Rail road, and Tlrey 1.. Ford, chief conn Mel of the Name corporation. Oa III" testimony Ruef aaid that he ad given mo,000 la currency to the Supervisors, S35.000 to Schmlts and had retained 155,000 for himself. SCHMITZ ABDICATES OFFICE Slg-n rrrenuMit to Ijet . Citizens1 Committee Name Officials. BAN FRANCISCO, May 18. (Special.) Mayor Echmitz tonight signed an agreement to be guided in his appoint ments during the rest of his terms by a committee of seven. This committee is composed of representatives of local commercial associations and is made up of the following men: F. B. Anderson, president of the Bank of California; F. W. Van Slcklen, president of Dodge, Sweeney & Co., a large commission firm; F. W. Dohr mann, head of a big crockery company and a member of the relief committee; Percy W. Morgan, president of the California Wine Association; Lewis Rosenfeld, a local capitalist; F. W. Bentley, president of the Chamber of Commerce,, and Judge Slack, a leading lawyer, formerly a Judge of the Su perior bench. All the arrangements were made In secret and no formal announcement will be made until tomorrow or the day after. Schmltz from now on will be Mayor in name only. . He willingly signed the agreement, as he Is a nervous wreck and unable to carry on the affairs of the city. Before concluding arrangements with Schmltz, the committee called upon F. J. Heney and explained its plans. Mr. Ileney said it would not conflict with the graft prosecution. The practical abdication of the Mayor will result in the appointment of a new Chief of Police at once to restore order and a new Works Com missioner to clean the city and repair the streets. More drastic actions will then follow. RUEF MAKES GOOD PROMISE Tells Grand Jury About Franchise Graft; Doomed to Prison. SAN FRANCISCO, May 16. Abraham Ruef today made good his declaration of yesterday that he would, following his change of plea to guilty in the extortion cases against him, turn state's evidence and assist the bribery graft prosecution in its campaign against municipal corruption. Ruef, obeying -a subpena from the grand Jury served upon him at the Fillmore street prison house . shortly before 3 o'clock, went in the charge of Special Agent Bums, Elisor Blggy -and another guard to the grand Jury chambers in Native Sons' Hall, where he took the witness stand and sub mitted to an examination that lasted from 8:20 P. M. until after 5 P. M. When the ordeal was over, he called the newspaper men around him and said that he had promised the grand Jury to divulge nothing. District Attorney Lang don and Assistant District Attorney Heney- refused to make any . statement whatever. From Mr. Burns it was learned that the only matter on which Ruef was questioned was the alleged bribing of Mayor Schmltz and 18 Super visors by the United Railroads to grant to that corporation a. change in its fran chise allowing the electrifying of its 230 miles of street railway system In this city. What TJnited Railroads Paid. If Mr. Burns understanding of Ruefs testimony is correct, the fallen boss told the grand Jury that President Patrick Calhoun, Assistant President Thornwell Mullally, Chief Counsel Tlrey' L. Ford and Assistant Counsel William M. Abbott of the United Railroads paid or caused to be paid the sum of $206,000 for the privilege named; that $61,000 of this amount was Ruefs "fee"; that $50,000 went Into the pocket of Mayor Schmitx. and that the remaining $$9,000 was handed to the 18 Supervisors, 16 of them receiv ing $4000 each, another demanding and getting- $10,000, and Chairman Gallagher of the finance committee being paid $15,000 for acting as go-between. After the .examination of Ruef was con cluded, the grand Jury remained in execu tive session until 6:30 o'clock. Subsequent-1 ly the statement was rnade, but not offi cially confirmed, that indictments had been voted against four high officials of the United Railroads and 8chmlU, as predicated by an officer of the prosecu tion two weeks ago. Seen in his prison room tonight, Ruef said regarding the ordeal through, which he had passed: Will Only Expose the, Worst. I was received and treated by the grand Jury with a consideration that touched me deeply. When I entered the room - every one of the 17 Jurors present arose and took me by the hand. When I finished my testimony, every one of them got up and bade me good-night with a hearty hand-. V V ' Senator Charles Dick of Ohio, Who . Is on Horns of Dilemma in Taft Foraker Fight. clasp. No disposition was displayed to "grill" me. The trying tack I had volun tarily set for myself was made as easy by kindness as I could have hoped. I do not know when I shall be again called to testify, perhaps tomorrow. I shall be ready. The report published locally today that It Is my Intention to tell everything 1 know, no matter who may be dragged down Into shame and disgrace, Is untrue and unwar ranted. I stand by the statement made yes terday that my purpose Is to expose only those .who entered knowingly and willingly Into corruption. I must not discuss the United Railroads, for I am bound to silence by my promise to the grand Jury. But you will recall that I told you yesterday after my act in court that there was no necessity for the offering of bribe money by the United Railroads; that the permit desired by that corporation would have been granted as a matter of course by the Su pervisors, If It had been merely and cus tomarily asked for. Says Immunity Was Offered. The" sensational declaration that the prosecutors offered Immunity if he would become a witness for the state was made to the Associated Press today by Ruef. He said: One of the morning papers today made the outrageous statement that I was drunk when I changed my plea to guilty In court yesterday. - It seems there are no depths of dirtiness to which some of my enemies will not descend, even in this hour. That I did not take my stand yesterday without long and full consideration ' you may be lieve, when I tell you that two 'months ago the prosecution came to me and offered to let me off on everything if I would make Burns my father confessor. I turned them down. . Ruef said in the course of a" conversa tion that he was deeply moved by ex pressions of sympathy and' friendliness which have come to him from many quarters since the dramatic moment of his self-accusation in court. He said he had received many notes, letters and tel egrams, .some of the latter from as far away as New York; and he pointed with a warm smile to great clusters of roses adorning his room, which he said had been sent to him since yesterday. Sentence Will Be Suspended. The understanding is that the carrying out of the sentence to be Imposed upon Ruef two weeks hence by Judge Dunne will be indefinitely suspended, in order that when the former municipal dictator and ally of Mayor Schmltz takes the stand in court against "those-higher up," his testimony shall not be that of a con vict. Detective Burns is authority for tha statement that it is the purpose of the prosecution to send Ruef eventually to San Quentin penitentiary; but the trial of corporation officials who have' been indicted and of others who have not yet been formally charged will. It is thought, take so long that Ruef s incarceration In a penitentiary will be delayed for at least a year. No move has been made for his admittance to ball. It Is said that he himself prefers to remain In the, custody of the Elisor for the present at least Mayor Schmltz both yesterday and to day denied himself to newspaper men. "I have nothing to say, no statement of any kind or character to make," was the statement he sent out "' Burns Sure He Will Tell All. , According to Mr. Bums, Ruef "Will tell everything he knows," despite his own declaration that he will not expose or testify against "those who were dragged into corruption by the force of over whelming circumstances and against their will." Ruef claims Mayor Schmltz "Knew all about the Supervisors' dirty deals." Ruef declares he himself has lost money in politics, more money than he made. . It Is understood that Ruef will be re called by the grand Jury tomorrow. Halsey Answers Indictments. SAN FRANCISCO, May lS-Theodoro V. Halsey, indicted for the bribery of Supervisors in the interest of the Paci fic States Telephone & Telegraph Com pany, was arraigned before Judge Dunne this morning on 10 indictments brought against him by the grand Jury. The cases were - all postponed to May 22 to answer. ROOSEVELT MUST DE Commission Disagrees in Harriman Case. ON DISSOLUTION OF MERGER One Faction Says Sherman Law Is Violated. BONAPARTE'S HARD TASK Must Advise Course After Consider Ing Conflicting Opinions of Inter state Board and Suggestions of President on Prosecution. Washington, d. c. May 16. (Spe cial.) The question of bringing criminal prosecutions against E. H. Harriman and suits to dissolve the railroad combina tions he has effected must be decided by President Roosevelt This Is a matter in which no subordinate will meddle. - The President must figure out his own deduc tions and assume full responsibility for the consequences. The Interstate commerce Commission is divided into factions. One believes that successful suits can be maintained to break the Harriman combinations under the Sherman anti-trust act, whrch might permit subsequent criminal prosecution of Harriman. The other is convinced that legal proceedings for the dissolution of the combinations would prove an Ignoble failure. Division in Commission. Three members of the Commission are said to be convinced that the combina tions arranged by Mr. Harriman do not constitute violations of the Sherman law. They base ' their belief on the opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in the Northern Securities case. The other four Commissioners are said , to.Rdlcallx .differ from their as-sor-i.tCTi. They Insist that, without refer ence to the Northern Securities case, suc cessful suits can be brought under the Sherman act The Interstate Commerce Commission will undoubtedly bring in for considera tion, by the President and the Attorney General at least two sets of conclusions and recommendations. There may be seven sets of views. These must all be sifted down and analyzed by the Depart ment of Justice officials before they can render the President any assistance in deciding what character of action shall be taken against Mr. Harriman. Hard Problem for Bonaparte. In the meantime, the President Is taking a copy of the conclusions reached by Messrs. Kellogg and Severance down to his country place at Pine Knot and will carefully read and digest this Im portant document He will then be in a position to make some suggestions on his own account Attorney-General Bonaparte and ' his chief trust-buster assistant, Mr. Purdy, are also in a fairly awkward position. RENDER CISION They must finally render legal opinions on all the' suggestions made ' by. the various members of the Interstate Com merce Commission and the President. As these will be conflicting, the difficult and hazardous undertaking of pleasing more than One master will be squarely presented to Messrs. Bonaparte and Furdy. TRANSFERS COAL LANDS. BACK Union Pacific Gives Vp Mineral De posits Acquired as Agricultural. WASHINGTON,' May 16, Secretary Garfield today issued a statement con cerning the re-conveyance to the Gov ernment, by the Union Pacific Coal Com pany of 2668 acres of coal land In ' the Cumberland district In Wyoming. After stating that the coal company is con trolled by the Union Paclflo Railroad Company, the Secretary said: ' "This land had been acquired as agri cultural land by the use of soldiers' Ecrip, which under the law cannot be used to locate and acquire mineral land. The Government had - deeded - this land Dr. W. H. Roberts, Moderator of Presbyterian General Assembly. . to the company before the investigation. For that reason the Department of Jus tic: tiba on uie point of beginning a suit In equity to have the courts cancel the deeds and return the land to the United States. Thereupon the officers of the coal company requested an opportunity to be heard and after examination of the evidence, determined to relinquish the land.-' Consequently the company ex ecuted the deeds to ' the United States which have been formally accepted." Secretary Garfield .said he know of no steps looking ' to "th'e " criminal prosecu tion of the Union. Pacific officials. PLEADS GUILTS" TO REBATING St, Paul Road Pays $20,000 Fine for Favoring Spice Firms. NEW YORK. May 16. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul Railway Company, through Charles C Keeler, its counsel, pleaded guilty In the United States Cir cuit Court today to paying rebates on coffee shipments to the Woolsen Spice Company, of Toledo, O. Judge Holt - Imposed a fine of $20,000, which Mr. Keeler paid at once. MANAGE NORTHERN PACIFIC Nutfc Leaves Michigan Central for Hill Railroad. DETROIT, M1ch., May 16. H. C. Nutt general, superintendent of, the Michigan Central . Railway, has resigned to be ome general manager of the Northern Pacific at Tacoma. LOADED ! ORCHARD TALKS OF 1MPR 50NMT Informer Says Threats - Were Not Made. NO IMMUNITY WAS PROMISED He tyen Warned Gooding Against Suggesting It. EXPECTS TO BE PUNISHED Confessed Assassin Has Become Re ligious. Convert Mind and Body Both'llealthy Exact Place of Confinement Kept Secret.- BOISE, Ida., May 16. Harry Orchard, the prisoner-witness upon whom the state of Idaho chiefly relies to prove its charge, .that an inner circle of the Western Federation of Miners planned In conspiracy the murder of ex-Governor Steunenberg, broke his long silence to day, and for over half an hour discussed himself and bis Imprisonment with a representative of the Associated Press, whom he had expressed a desire to see. Orchard said that he had not been given any mistreatment during his confinement, denied that any force had been used to secure the statements he' made, and de nied that Detective McParland and the officers of the state have promised him Immunity for his confessed crime or re ward for the value of his confession. Has Become Devout Christian. Orchard's manner and conversation during" the interview tended strongly to confirm the assertion that he had been re-converted to and is deep In the zeal of Christian religion. Two illustrations used by him to explain a change in the kind of books he reads were Christian like in character and religious in tone. Orchard Is perfectly sound and healthy in body; clear and quick of bralnv- -If there wr.s ever anything in the reports that he vas breaking down in health and mind, there is nothing now in his ap pearance or manner to give them a shadow of suggestion. The one condition imposed upon the Interview of today by Warden Whitney, of the Idaho penitentiary, was that there must be no discussion of the case, and the prisoner himself, when he appeared for the meeting, asked that the same con dlt'on be observed. He came in quietly, smiling a little as he advanced and looking straight ahead out of. a pair of twinkling blue eyes. His greeting was self-possessed and his manner courteous. Orchard's Personal Appearance. Orchard Is somewhere about flye feet in height and of stocky, plump build that would send the beam of the scales tilting somewhere between 170 and 180 pounds. His hair Is dark brown, brushed down to r. polish, his moustache Is llght coored and falls to conceal rather prom inent teeth and a good-sized mouth. His head is a little roundish, but quite well formed. Crowsfeet at the sides of his eyes tell of his years and life. The man's complexion Is clear and his face- bronzed. He is 4 qurck and certain In movement, "of easy manner a man toned downand smiles a little nearly all the time he Is talking. He wore neat flttln?, well-made clothes of gray, a pair of highly polished lace shoes, and his general appearance and figure were good, anything but the expected one. Will Not Discuss. Trial. "I don't care to talk about the case as it stands at the present time," he said, after the Introduction and the com monplaces had been presented. "I am a little leary about talking to newspaper men, so If you ask me anything that I think I should not talk about I'll Just tell you. I know you'll understand." "Is there anything as to your treatment In general that you'd care to aay to the publio at this timer' be was asked. "No, there ie nothing special to be said. I have been treated very well since my arrest by every one. The) Sheriff at Cald well was very kind - to me, and since I have been here my treatment bs rbeen very fine all that I could expect under the circumstances. I have been treated with the utmost courtesy by everybody; am given the greatest freedom. I have a large room with open windows, and I 'L i iv. 1 Assign 1 1 'fx J t Harry Orchard, Confessed Assassin of ex-Governor Frank Steunenberg. exercise every day. I walk, but take no other form of exercise. I attend the re ligious services, and I talk to some of the men In the hope of doing "them some good." , No Compulsion, No Immunity. JThe last formal question of the inter View, went directly to the position of Or chard in the pending case and was di rectly answered. ' It was: , "Was any force or duress of any kind used on you by Captain McParland or any one else in securing your alleged con fession or statement and have any prom ises of any kind been made to you In that connection?" "I have never admitted and do not ad mit now that I have ever made a confes sion," said Orchard. "Mind that. But at no time was I ever subjected to force or pressure of any kind, and anything I ever said to Captain McParland was without force or threat of any kind. Anything I said was of my own' free will and accord. It was Just as I talk to you here; there was nothing else. No promise , of any kind has ever been made me by Captain McParland or any one else." Interest In Public Affulri., Orchard said he had been down the St. Lawrence and had been about Wis consin and other Middle States. Almost with pride he asked Ms Interviewers what they thought about ' the great West. He was curious - to know about the Thaw trial and If Delmas, of the West, had held his own against Jerome, of the East. He talked in a general way about the formation of the Haywood Jury, and said that he was following the proceedings In the local and other Western papers. He asked to be excused from telling where he had been bom and what his church might be. As the interview closed and a guard came .to. escort .Orchard away, the latter said: "Goodbye, gentlemen. I am very glad to have seen you. I wish you all good health and I hope .to see you again," As a precautionary measure, the actual place in the penitentiary where Orchard is confined is kept secret and the subject is one the warden and guards decline to discuss. Orchard's custodian today was Guard Robbing, a veteran from the State of Maine, who came here years ago. He used to help General O. O. Howard to fight Indians and for three years was constantly in service with him. Over the main entrance to the prison is the startling and mysterious sign, in huge letters: "Admission 35 cents." An explanation of the sign costs the amount stated and the money goes to Jhe .prison library. Ready to Pay Penalty. Governor Gooding tonight supplemented the statement of Orchard on the sub ject of possible Immunity. He said: "At times up to a few months ago I feared lest in some of many" Interviews with Orchard I might have Inadvertently given him some hope of Immunity. I am now very positive that he has no ex pectation of any such thing at the hands of the State of Idaho. This was demon strated to me one day by Orchard him self, when he stopped me In the middle of a conversation and warned me that I was. treading on dangerous ground.- Or chard said: " "Governor, I don't want you to say anything that might even lead me to hope for immunity from the consequences of my crime. I do not expect any and am ready to pay the penalty." " ONLY OXE IN ELEVEN PASSES Examination of Talesmen In Hay. ' wood Case Reveals Prejudice.' BOISEX Idaho, May 16. During the one .session of the Haywood trial held today, 11 talesmen were examined before a satis- iCoacluded on Page S.) CHOOSE SENATOR FOR WISCONSIN Republican Caucus at . Last Agrees. MAJORITY NAMES STEPHENSON Millionaire andt Newspaper Owner Nominated. VICTORY FOR LA FOLLETTE After Eighty Ballots Legislative Con. fcrence Ends Long Struggle by Naming Political and Finan cial Leader for Senator. MADISON. Wis., May 16. (Special.) Isaac Stephenson, of Marinette, multi millionaire, principal owner of the Mil waukee Free Press, and prominent In political and financial circles of Wis consin for more than a half-centurv, will, at noon tomorrow, be elected United States Senator to fill the unex pired term of John C Spooner, which ends in March, 1909. On the first ballot of the Republican legislative caucus tonight Stephenson received 62 votes, which gave him the nomination. On motion of one of the supporters of Hatton and seconded by one of the supporters of Esch, the nom ination was made unanimous. The end of the fight for the Speak ership came in a dramatic manner, and no one except the Stephenson managers . expected It. The victory of the Mari nette man was due to the fact that he won over Lieutenant-Governor Connar to his support, and through him the votes of Assemblymen Goldworthy and Nelspn. The Stephenson managers had also got promises from- Assemblymen -McGregor, Clausen and Morris that as soon as they got the Lieutenant-Governor to throw his support to Stephen-' son they would go over to him. The victory of Stephenson is regard ed as a personal triumph for Senator. La Follette, who did everything in his power from the beginning to have the Marinette man nominated and elected. The ballot was the end of a deadlock existing since April 16. Since that tlmo a dally ballot has been taken In the Legislature In Joint session, and nearly 80 ballots have been taken in the Re publican caucus. CONTENTS TODAY'S PAPER The Weather. TODAY'S Probably fair; westerly winds. YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperatures, 6! degrees; minimum, 50 degrees. Graft In Han Francisco. Ruef testifies before grand Jury, and chief United Railroads officials are Indicted Page 1. Schmitx surrenders power to citizens' com mittee and may soon resign. Page 1. Ruef to be sentenced to San Quentin. Page 1. Miners' Federation Trials. Orchard gives Interview denying confession obtained by treats or promises. Page 1. Obtaining of Jury in Haywood trial prog resses slowly. Page 1. Witnesses arrive to . corroborate Adams' con fession. Page 2. Foreign. Deep-laid plot to kill Czar discovered Jutt in time. Page . Russian Socialists in London discuss open rebellion. Page 6. French 'winegrowers riot and wreck police station. Page 0. National. Governor will t-sten Oregon land surveys. Tage 4. Interstate Commerce divided on Harriman case and Roosevelt must decide. Page 1. . Politics. Isaac Stephenson nominated for Senator by Wisconsin Representatives. Page IT Domestic. Haskln tells stories of notables. Page a. Submarines stand severe test. Page 6. Another exciting day In wheat market. Page 4. Preacher who married Corey exprensea sor row and returns fee to Corey. Page 6. Japanese sailors see New Tork. Page 5. Great explosion causes death and havoc near Chattanooga. Page 2. Opentng of Presbyterian General Assembly. Pago 0. Hummel to go to Blackwells Island. Page 4. Great Bre raging in Pittsburg. Page 4. Purine Const. . Defendants In Idaho land-fraud cases de feated in attempts to delay trial. Page T. Coos Bay capitalists will build their own . electric line. Page 7. Land Commissioner Balllnger will resign his office in November. Page 7. Sporta. Seals 'defeats Beavers. O to 1. Page 12. Results of second day's Judging at bench show. Page 12. Portland and Vicinity. State sues two telephone companies to re cover gross earnings tax. Page 10. City Council Inaugurates reform by revok ing auction-house license. Page 10. Councilman Baker fathers ordinance strin gently protecting public health. Page 13. Redmen hold spectacular street parade. Page It Democrats will hold big rally at Armory tonight Commercial and Marine. More activity In Eastern Oregon wool mar ket . , Wueat again passes dollar mark at Chicago, page 17. Stock market is sluggish. Exports for first half of May have passed million-dollar mark. Page 19. 4