eleven o'clock
The lieutenant-governor and the speaker of the House were both opposed to Warner , and the joint committee had on it the names of no Consolidated men . The idea of such a committee had originated with Ridgway , and had been merely a bluff to show that he at least was willing that the world should know the whole story of the election . Nor had this committee held even formal meetings before word reached Eaton through Yesler that if it would appoint a conference in some very private place , evidence would be submitted implicating agents of the Warner forces in attempts at bribery . It was close to eleven o'clock when Sam Yesler stepped quietly from a side door of his hotel and slipped into the street . He understood perfectly that in following the course he did , he was taking his life in his hands . The exposure of the bribery traffic would blast forever the reputations of many men who had hitherto held a high place in the community , and he knew the temper of some of them well enough to be aware that an explosion was probable . Spies had been dogging him ever since the legislature convened .