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Show FRENCH CAUGHT MOTIITIES J OF fLAGSTAFF I Promoter Wanted in Utah for Cashing Worthless Drafts j Taken From His Private w Pullman Car. jlffi HAS HIS ATTORNEY 11 ISSUE STATEMENT Alleges Persecution, but Says 1 1 He Will Not Leave Ari- l zona Without Fight- ing Extradition. Special to The Tribune. i PTIOENTX, Ariz., Feb. 17. C. W. gf Preneh, who says he is chairman of the Hj f: board of directors of the Pacific Steel ill I company of Los Angeles and San Diego, was. taken from his private car "Con- voy" at Flagstaff today by. Sheriff Pnl- i Ham of Coconino nounty and placed un- 11 f der arrest at the request of tho sheriff - of Salt Lake City. "With, him at the time of his arrest was his wife, his sec- rotary and Attorney Robert S. Fisher wij of this city. Tmmediatcly after he was taken into fflU custody French announced that his ar- Ullf' rest was but. part of a conspiracy to H 1 embarrass him and the intorcstn he rep- Sjl I resented. Attorney Fisher olaims to ujl f have anticipated the arrest and to have jfn y already informally laid suolr facts bo- ffl e fore Governor Hunt as will preclude nil f-the f-the possibility of his cliont being extra- dited despite the efforts of tho Utah yjjf' authorities to tako him back to Salt jjrjl Lake City. Illj jj Fled "Unwittingly." i Since it became known by tho au- jjjj a thoritios in Arizona that, French was ' wanted in Utah, he has. it is claimed, Ml' unwittingly tea tnem a merry cunso, H Ho left Phoenix aboard his private car jj - on Saturday, stopping for a day in Prcscott. Then he proceeded to Flag- . jf i staff and into the Grand canyon. Later ftj r his car was returned to Prcscott, and Rj ! shortly afterward ordered to Flagstaff. jl m Upon his return to Flagstaff his arrest v S was effected. n K Mayor Lloyd B. Christy of Phoonix, fj cashier of the Valley bank, upon learn- J ing of the arrest of French, stated he II jj was decidedly of the opinion that it J jj would develop that tho arrest of French ( f ji has boon brought about by opposing in- jit tcrests and that French has been guilty ; H of no act warranting his detention. He uB said he was certain that Phoenix and I blip the Salt River valley had mnefa to ex- m pect of French, who is projecting a plan jS for the development of some rich re- 8fl ' sources of this section. His business Sf fl dealings with French, said Mayor Chris- ila fi ty, have been such as to warrant him Pflt ! believing in his integrity. Issues Statement. M Tonight Attorney Fisher issued this statement under authority of French: a C. W. French, sought to be extra- m j : dited by parties in Salt Lake, is My' the. agent and organizing repreaen- Jj8 s tivo of a largo company of the i I most prominent financiers in Amor- Jjjj ica and England. He represents at M the present time property and money aggregating an amount more jig than one hundred million dollars. For the past, two years he has trav- ;Jtt. eled practically all the time on a tflffl Pullman private car. His backers and principals arc men whoso il'llj, names are household words on two Tlt'i continents and it is not likely ho 'his i is "pulling off" nny petty graft (Continued on Pago Four.) PROMOTER FRENCH CAUGHT 1 Ml (Continued from Page One.) in Salt. Lake City or anywhere Rise. The fact is that hi the ordinary ordi-nary pursuit, of his business it has become necessary for him to cross some old-time promoters in tho west ami some interests far from reputable. This alone is back of the persecution from Salt Lake. He lioc unf. run ntrnif f y 1 nnrKifl-. The nature of thinga is such that he could not if he would. The draft in question was drawn with the authority of tho drawee, indorsed in-dorsed by two men, either of whom is responsible for many times the amount drawn. The draft hag never neon presented to these indorsee. in-dorsee. 3 1 is not money these pco-plo pco-plo are looking for, but. merely a chance to embarrass the plans of Mr. French and his associates. They are seeking to uso the machinery of law and the governors of two great states incidental- as a collection agency and principally as a club with which to defend thoir own broken hopes. T personally am responsible re-sponsible to the governor of Arizona Ari-zona for French showing faith that will preclude the possibility of considering extradition in the promises. Governor Hunt is not a servient, tool of that class of people, peo-ple, nor do T think he will bo used by them nftcr we have shown him plain facts. It is expected that an effort will im- j mediately be made to securo the release re-lease of French under bond, ponding tho receipt of a request for extradition extradi-tion and tho resultant hearing before Govornor Hunt, Governor Hunt tonight stated that he had received a telegram from Attorney Fisher announcing the arrest of French and asking that the cxecutivo lake no action on the probable request for extradition extra-dition of his client to the Utah courts until he (Fisher) had been given an opportunity op-portunity to prepare for the presentation of his side. He further requested that French be permitted to nppear personally before the governor with Ills attorney. The governor said that he had replied lo Fisher that he would take no decisive action In the matter of the requisition until sufilclent opportunity had been given him for the same hearing he would grant In any similar case. As to the merits of the case or the facts leading up to the arrest of French, the exocutlve said he knew nothing. It Is expected that. Fisher will arrive here by tomorrow evening and will be prepared to go before the governor at tlu-fiamo tlu-fiamo time the papers. In the extradition proceedings may be received here. Requisition pnpors for the return of C W. French, this time from Arizona, were prepared post haste by tho county attorney at-torney yesterday and forwarded by mail to Governor Hunt of that state. At tbf same time a telegram was dispatched by the county attorney to N. G. Morgan, iiHslstant county attorney, now at Lo? Angeles, directing him to proceed Immediately Imme-diately to the Arizona capital, lln loft at onco and will reach Phoonix today. Word of the arrest of French by the jherlff at Flagstaff, Ariz., was received by Sheriff Andrrw Smith at 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon. This telegram read: "French refuses to return lo Utah or leave this state until be has had a full hearing 'before the governor of Arizona."' French Is wanted here on charges of obtaining money under false prolongs by cashing worthless drafts totaling $2100 at the Hotel Utah, while hero promoting the Pacific Steel company, lie was arrested in l.os Angeles, but was released under 510.000 bond ponding a hearing on reiul-,sltion reiul-,sltion proceedings before tho California envprnor. Thfi California governor hon ored the T'tah requisition, but before-French before-French could bo arrested he left the state In his private car. going to Arizona. For two days the officials of I'tah, California Califor-nia and Arizona had been endeavoring to locate him. lie was found near Flagstaff, Flag-staff, and was arrested by Sheriff T. K. Pulllam. In hip telegram directing Mr. Morgan to go to Arizona the counthy nttorney also Instructed Morgan to have the attorney at-torney general of California look after Utah's Interests at. Sacramento In connection con-nection with tho original requisition. It Is probable that French will be returned to California before being bmight to Utah and Hie rendition warrant Issued against him by the California governor surrendering him to the Utah officials will be served as soon a lie crosses the line into California again, "We will pet him vet," ald the conn-tv conn-tv ntlorno last night after dispatching thrffrcqulsltloii panels to Governor Hunt, |
