The San Francisco call., 1895-12-29
NOT A SPECIAL VEN|RE,
The Civic Federation Wants a
Jury for Ashworth Out of
the Jury-Box.
No Buckleyites or Sympathizers of
the Boodlers to Be Drawn by
Sheriff's Deputies.

A repetition of the former trial of Street
Superintendent Thomas Ashworth in the
Superior Court will not be countenanced
by the Civic Federation this time if the
members of that organization can avoid it.
Considerable dissatisfaction was evinced
during the last trial at Judge Murphy,
who ordered Sheriff Whelan to secure
jury from the City at large instead of
drawing the names of the jurors from the
regular panel in the possession of the
County Clerk as the law provides in such
cases.
Captain Stewart Menzies, speaking for
the Civic Federation, said:
see no good reason why the selection of
jury to try Mr. Ashworth should be drawn in
any other manner than that of any other case
triable before Superior Court. And this is as
the law provides: To draw the names out of the
box instead OF ordering special venire to be
selected at the win and whim of Sheriff
Whelan's depu ties.
How IN the name of high heaven can it be
expected that men who owe their places to
Buckley in the sheriff's Office are going to Sc.
lect men to serve on jury which will convict
Mr. Ashworth OF incompetency or corruption
in office when it is generally known and ac-
cepted that Ashworth is the candidate OF the
very man who gave the Sheriff's Office to Whe-
lanf AS matter of course there is sensitive
feeling or sympathy existing between the two
would add to the downfall of Buckley, If such
a thing could be now necessary, as consider
him already politically dead. But the vultures
who fattened at his crib are anxious to again
restore him to power for their own good. But
this we will pass for the present and attend to
the Ashworth case.
By getting good, fair jury, such as can and
will be obtained out of the jury-box, Mr. Ash
worth will have fair trial, and this is ell the
Civic Federation desires Anything less will
not satisfy the people OF this City.
AS to the former trial before Judge Murphy
we will let that pass, but we do not want
repetition of 1t at this time. We want this case
to go before Judge who will comply with the
law in so far as the selection of jury Is con-
transgressed the law, but there seemed no
necessity for ordering special venire from
the body of the County before the box was
exhausted. Yet the law gives the Judge that
and discretion in the trial OF cases, as well as
compliance with the strict letter OF the law.
With the assistance of Messrs Woodlands
and Highton for the prosecution as special
counsel, a good jury and q fair Judge there
will be no need to complain, no matter what
the result of the trial may be.
Anything less than this will be construed by
the people as If Buckley and the boodlers still
lived and had power not only with the poll
ticians but also with the courts
The manner in which this City has been
robbed for the last thirty years by the corrupt
rings which have fed and fattened about the
Street Department is d burning shame and an
everlasting disgrace to the fair name of our
City. And yet this thing is permitted to go:on
year in and year out, and the property-owners
and taxpayers simply grin and bear it pa
tiently, hoping that the end may come sooner
or later.
1 do not wish to prejudice the case of Ash
work before the court; all want for myself,
and all the Civic Federation wants, is that this
man shall have fair trial before fair Judge
box, but not selected by Sheriff Whelan's
deputies from the slums of the City,