The Trial of the 'Mayor of Little St. Petersburg'
A Walla Walla man stands accused of perjury in a federal case involving the citizenship of local Russian immigrants.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The fate of John Adam Schmidt, charged with perjury, is now in the hands of the jury in the federal court. The testimony concluded this morning, and attorneys spent the afternoon addressing the jury. Schmidt, testifying in his own behalf, denied instructing Russian applicants on what to say to secure their second papers. He claimed he believed that a person who held first papers for three years could become a citizen. Schmidt denied accompanying the applicants to Judge Brents' chambers and stated he did not know he was swearing to a five-year residency requirement when he signed the affidavits. Under cross-examination by Assistant United States Attorney Cushman, Schmidt denied being active in politics or known as the 'mayor of Little St. Petersburg,' attributing that title solely to the Statesman. The defense called character witnesses to attest to his reputation, while a local clergyman testified to the contrary. The trial also delved into personal feuds between the defendant and others in the community.
“It is not a fact that you have been very active in politics, and have been called 'the mayor of Little St. Petersburg?' — 'No, sir,' replied Schmidt, 'the Statesman is the only one that has given me that title; no one else.'”
This case highlights the complex and often fraught nature of the naturalization process at the turn of the century in Walla Walla. The term 'Little St. Petersburg' suggests the presence of a distinct immigrant enclave, echoing contemporary debates regarding how local communities integrate and support newcomers navigating federal bureaucracy.
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