The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-08
CORNERBD LIKE A RAT.
Juror SquirCs Offered to Sell a
Verdict for 500.
His Crime Exposed in Open Court-Commit-
ted to Custody, the Grand Jury
Speedily Indicted HIM.

the something had dropped J0hn Ii. squares
of 114b Turk street, one of the term jurors
n that department, found himself in the
custody of Deputy Sheriff Daly.a char ged
with bribery.
The affair was the sensation of the day at
the new City Hail. and before the afternoon
adjournment of the court the accused was
under indictment by the Grand jury and in
jail for want of 5000 bail The Grand
Jury had done one of the quickest pieces Of
work on record.
The sensation was exploded in the case OF
All Fook VS.. the firm of QuOng Fook & Co.,
the trial Of which was commenced on
Thur day. The suit involves money
judgment Of s11,94l 90, claimed as commits
siOns under a contract of April !, 1880, by
which Fook obtained for the firm the bust
ness of furnishing supplies to the Chinese
labOrers u nder contract with SissOn, Crock
er & Co., contractors. For various other
services in connection with this matter. in
cluding the profits on the bringing out OF
4S7 Chinese from China in November 1881,
FO0k demands payment. His total claim Is
SIS, 703 43, on which S676l 90 only has been
paid.
A. D. Splivalo is the attorney for the plain
tiff and Smith 4 MuraskY for the defend
ants, with W II. Chickering Of counsel.
The Jury impanelled to try the case conf
posed the following named: w, Is. V an
Allen, f. c. Remington, j. c. Corbett, n.
NJ. Jacobs, Nelson Lyon, b. Levy, Jacob
Asher J. II. Squires, Jacob Weiss, w. j..
Magner, c. Tyler and John Catechl.
sQUIREs' OFFEB.
Serious Illness visited the family Of Mr..
Van Allen, and as he was excused the trial
was proceeding with IL jurors aud every
thing progressed nicely until Monday,
when, it is said, Squires approached Mr..
Chickeriug with his offer Of willingness TO
be bribed, which was communicated to
Judge SandeTSou. The offer was repeated
to Mr. James Z. Smith yesterday, and the
trap having been set aud the bribe-taker
caught, there was nothing more to do than
to expose the crime.
SO when the case was called up yesterday
Mr.. Chickering arose to say that "a matter
has come up which renders il impOSS bic TO
under oath, at the suggestion of the Judge,
he made the following statement
~ esterday noon Attorney Smith and N.Y.
self were going from this courtroom TO our
respective Offices, and were on McAlliSter
street looking for a stTeetcar. AS we were
walking along gentleman came up to us and
spoke TO me, asking me- whether the case
would occupy the whole of to-day or not
| did not recognize him as one OF the jurors
of this panel. nor did l know who he was
l told him thought the case would take all
to-day. 1t was difficult to get along fast, as
everything had to be interpreted. 1t being
a matter between Cinnamon.
''He then asked me whether the defendants
were well off or not. | told him / thought
they had made some money, but since rail-
road building had ceased in the State they
were not so well of He then said the
other side had approached the jury, and ii
we wanted to do anything with them,
fnraFF 10Th "a i'm Frfa a gf n
him that we did not do that kind of busi-
ness; that we were trying the case upon its
merits and should rest there; that | thought
a nOn-suit would very likely be granted. |
thought 1t might be advisable to lead the
man on, and | told him that il the non-suit
was not granted we might See him later.
A BUSINESS CIRCULAR.
"Then he gave me his business circu ar,
which l hold in my hand. and be said If |
wanted TO know anything and could not see
him | should signify my wish across the
table to the jury-bOx. / advised Mr. Smith
Immediately of the fact aud we telephoned
to your Honor, but your Honor was out.
AS soon as possible we communicated these
facts to your Honor, and last night con-
eluded 10 follow the matter TO its legitimate
end. After the court had adjourned, at per-
haps after 3 80 or 80 o'clock, ! went TO the
place indicated in the circular which ! hold
in my hand, there TO meet this juror, who,
by the way, had learned was juror from
a list of jurors which Mr.. Smith had.
/" / stated to him there that l was but an
associate counsel in the case and did not
conduct it; that l knew but one of the de-
PENDANTS, and that the defendants were in
DO way acquaintauces OF mine, and that
whatever was done must be done by my
associate counsel. who was the leader in
the case, Mr.. Smith. Objection was made
to that on the ground tnat in such cases,
either ones word was as good as the other
If anything should be done. Upon my re-
fusal TO do anything ii was finally agreed by
SqulTes to meet Mr.. Smith this morning
and talk with him. The proposition was
made to SQuires that we should place in his
hands a sum OF money sufficient 10 buy five
or six jurors at the price Of So or 500
apiece. II a verdict was not returned in
our favor the money should be returned 10
me. The disposition Of it was not my bust
ness. / have narrated the facts as they
occurred and | give your Honor this cir
cular, which will bear out what | assert"
Mr.. Smith followed with his.state meni,
agreeing with Mr.. Chickering as to tne pre-
lIminaries Of the meeting. He then con-
tinued:
BY APPOINTMENT.
This morning. according to the appoint
ment which Mr.. Chickering made for me at
111h Turk street waited upon the juror
in question and told hun my name was
Smith. and that l was associated with
ChickerDg in the case and would like to
hear what arrangements he had TO offer.
He stated to me that he understood from
Mr.. Chickering that we we're ready TO make
proposition and TO close business in the
matter. He further said that we could not
expect TO get jurors for less than 500 apiece.
l asked him what he thought the whole
thing would cost. He replied not much
more than $500. l asked him if he expected
US to pay him the $500 without any guar
| antee that we would recover a verdict.
He said he thought there ought to be
some security, but that since yesterday
somebody in the courtroom had overheard
your Honor and Mr.. Chickering talking to-
gether and told him to be careful aud 10
look out for himself, and that he could not
take chances in this matter l was TO col
lect from my client $500 and hold it in trust
until such time as he could give security,
until the jury should render such verdict
as he had stated, and that If he was unable
TO do that he would trust me with the $500.
and if the verdict was rendered in our favor
he would trust my honor to pay him $500,
the price fixed upon.
HE said further that he had been put on
his guard owing to the conversation between
Chickering and your Honor. ! suppose that
was the conversation referred to. He said
the conversation had been overheard.
then asked him if the other side had tried
10 see him in the matter. He said the fat
CHiHalHdH WHO sat dlOnESlue Oh Attorney
| Splvalo had seen him IN his place OF bust
ness, but he had refused to hold CONVERSE
ton with him there, as it would not look
well 10 see Chnaman in his place of bust
ness. This morning after converting of the
court / told him that if he had been able to
make any arrangements that he was 10 nod
acI oss the table to jurors"
THE JURORS NAME.
Mr.. Chickering thereupOn assured the
| court that he did not for moment connect
Mr.. SplivalO with the matter, as that gen
| tleman As sUon as informed of what was go
| ing on Joined heartily in the effort to have
| everything brought out. Judge Sanderson
| asked for the name of the juror, 10 which
Mr.. Chickering replied:
II cannot tell you that. but can Identify
the man. 1t is the second man with a long
| black beard on the back row (pointing) and
and he answered yesterday to the name oil
| j. Ii. Squires."
Squires did not finch and the Judee re.