The record-union., 1895-10-02
THE GRAND JURT'O ACCUSATIONS.
Supervisor Curtis Case is Now on
Trial.
The Jury Impaneled Yesterday-County
Officers Testify as to the
Records.

The trial of Supervisor William Curtis
was commenced in Judge Catlin's court
yesterday morning, on charge of Twill
full corruption and neglect Of duty, in
allowing the salary of an extra deputy
in Assessor Irvine's office, for making up
the assessment roll" Devlin 81 Devlin
and G.. I. Jones are counsel tor Curtis,
and S. S. Holl assisted the District At
torney in the prosecution as special ooun-
sci.
There was not large attendance OF
spectators in the courtroom, indicating
that the case had not aroused any great
amount of public interest Each mem
Der of the panel was examined at length
by the counsel on either side-R. 4.
Devlin on one side and Mr.. Holl on the
the other.
The panel of jurors, as first drawn, con-
sisted of W. J. Mitigate, NJ. j. Cast man,
n. a. Bunce, A. B. Bryant, Louis He'll
bron, NJ. L. Jones, w. A. Wall, NJ. Keefs,
Thomas G. Jones. &. j. Atwater, Conrad
Iser and Domingo Rocca and the morn
ing was consumed in examining the first
eight.
While Mr.. Bunce was being questioned,
Mr. Holl asked him If, in case the court
know the law. and could not plead that
he did not understand that he was doing
an Illegal act, he would vote TO convict.
K. L. Devlin objected TO the question,
and Judge Catlin intimated that hypo-
thetical questions Of that kind were not
necessary or proper.
81 thought Mr.. Devlin was going a
little 100 far myself, your honor" SAID
Mr.. HoIl.
'His honor was not referring to me in
his remarks, Mr.. Holl," said Devlin.
Gle was criticising your method of pro-
cedure."
Mr.. Holl thought that it was Devlin
who was criticised, and the latter said:
That's right, try to slide out of it,"
II do not slide, Mr.. Devlin," was the
reply.
In the afternoon the remaining Jurors
were examined, and Judge Holl chaI-
lenged G. Iser on the ground that he was
biased in favor OF the defendant, and the
challenge was allowed.
Emil Fabian, who was called in his
place. was successfully challenged by the
defense, he having last Saturday ex-
pressed an opinion to his brother that
Curtis was guilty.
d. Hyams was called, and was chal-
lenged by the prosecution. Bunce and
keete were peremptarily challenged by
the prosecution, and Wall and Thomas
Jones by the defense.
Darius Sayles, Noah B. Houston,
Samuel Morris, Antoine Brewer and G. II.
Denton were then called. SayIes and
Houston were challenged by the defense,
and Brewer by the prosecution. Then L.
=. Littlefield, John Latham aud ). Gott-
lieb were called but only Gottlieb was
chosen. Peter Fuchs and G. \. Warner
were called. They were challenged by
the defense, and L. NJ. Bittancourt and
George Muddox were chosen, completing
the jury.
The accusation was read, and Mr.. Holl
addressed the jury, claiming that the
prosecution would prove that there was
no law authorizing the Supervisors to al
low pay to extra deputies for the County
Assessor or any other county officer.
W. u. hamilton was called to the stand
and read from his record OF the proceed
ings Of the Board ofSupervisors the entry
of the action OF the board in authorizing
the Assessor to employ deputies. He
also identified the demand of George c.
Irvine icr his salary, which had been al
lowed
Auditor K. L. Cohn also brought his
records to show that the warrants had
been drawn. The defense offered to ad-
nit all these things.
The hearing will be resumed this morn
ing.