SAN FRANCISCO SCANDALS. SCHMITZ RELEASED.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 09, 11 January 1908, Page 5

SAN FRANCISCO SCANDALS. SCHMITZ RELEASED.

By Telegraph.— Press Associ stion.— Copyright. NEW YORK, 10th. January. The Appellate Court has decided to release Eugene Sclimitz, the late Mayor of San Francisco. Schmilz, Ruef (a lawyer, whoso cats-j paw Schinitz js .Mid to have been), and: others were concerned in a system Oj."', "graft" by means of which they Secured < several thousands of pounds. One of the most notable scandals was that con-, nected 'with the United Railway Company,' operating nearly all the street railways, of) the city, which, in changing; part qi their system from cable tc.4 electric, wanted badly to be given per-* mission to place the electric wires o'ver--' head. A strong public sentiment wasi in favour of compelling the company to. 1 place the wires in underground slots*, the more modem, safe and' sightly method ; but much more expensive tharu, the other. Despite tho public, sentiment,, the Board of Supervisors granted the» company a franchise allowing ifc to in-* bicill overhead wires. The confessions) of the supervisors showed that the company paid to Ruef for this good turn* the sum of £97 S 000: ' Qut of that tidy fortune tho boss "cut up" bet wean tlnn venal supsrvisors only £18,200. Fourteen of them, received £800 each, t\to received £2000 each, and ono of than, specially privileged for sorao reason pr other, £3000. The Pacific States Telephone .Company has v nionppoly of this business in Stan: Francisco. Nearly three years ago ' a rival concern— tho "Horns Telepbxtao■Company — possessing an automatic • device, applied for iha privilege of installing its system, and through Ruef padij to the supervisors £12,400 for a frattchise. How much Ruef' kept is raofc known, but the franchise i\ said to be worth at least £200,000. Thirteen of the supervisors divided this £12,»K0. At the same time fourteen of them /accepted £1000 oach ' from the Pa-iiac .States Company, promising in I'eturnyto refuse the franchise to the rival Holme Telephona Company. ' < Thes,e are only two of many cases/ in which Schmitz is said to have pl&yofl a. part, but the charge op which he was found guilty was the extortion, by threats of taking their licenses from them, of fluids from saloon k,ee»ers. Schmitz 'has been in gaol since June pending decision of an appeal against fyte conviction. SCHMITZ RELEASED ON BAIL.- ' A NEW -TRIAL. (Received January 11, 8.42 a.m.) NEW, YORK, 10th January. Schmitz has been released on bail, pending * new trial.