The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-26
FIVE HUNDRED
DOLLARS A MAN.
THE FIGURE WILLIAM j. HURLEY
ASKED FOR SECURING ACCOM-
MODATING JURORS.
A SENSATIONAL ADMISSION
THE MAN WHO TAMPERED WITH
THE MCDONALD JURY ON
TRIAL.

w. J. Hurley, charged with trying to
bride the jurors who tried Dick Mcdonald
for perjury, created quite a sensation in
Judge Wallace's court yesterday. He was
on trial on charge of bribery and the
most important testimony against him
was his own. He made almost clean
breast of the affair under questions put by
the jurors. In doing SO he has directly
implicated William Rock, the bailiff of
Judge Murphy's court, who was under sus-
picion at the time of Hurley's preliminary
investigation, but was exonerated by the
court He also made things look very un-
comfortable for Harry Piper, Chief Deputy
County Clerk, whom he charged with
promising him money for acQuitting NJ.
b. Curtis.
The case against Hurley wa S not long in
being unfolded. Witnesses, among them
being c. M. Johnson himself, testified that
Hurley had a few hours after Johnson
had been summoned as a Juror, offered
him share of $4,000 should he vote for
McDonald's acQuittal. Before any evil
dence was taken, however, Hurley got up
from his chair, and, in spite of advice to
the contrary from his wife, who sat by
him, and the bailiffs, he addressed the
court. The substance of what he said was
that he was being railroaded to Jail by his
attorney. He charged that his attorney
was betraying him and asked that the
court appoint some one else. Mr.. Forbes
declined to answer to the charge, as he
said he could not speak before the Jury
He said afterward that he stays in the
case only at the urgent request of Mrs.
Hurley.
When the prosec ION closed its case
Forbes stated b efense. He claimed
that Hurley had Ut approached Johnson
after he had been summoned, and in view
OF that fact he was not guilty of the charge
OF bribery for which he was then on trial.
He had one or two witnesses to examine,
and Hurley was not one of them but the
the self-willed defendant demanded to be
put upon the stand, and refusal finally be-
coming impossible he was allowed to have
his way. He did not testify for more than
ten minutes, but he managed to practically
convict himself in that time.
Under few questions put by his attor-
ney he gave his version of his meeting with
Johnson on the afternoon of the day on
which Johnson had been summoned. 1t
was charged that Hurley had then offered
to divide $4,000 with Johnson if he would
hold out for verdict of acquittal Hurley
says his remark about the $4,000 bore no
relation to the Mcdonald case, but referred
to the value of the specimens of fruit ex-
hlbited at the Board of Trade rooms where
Johnson worked and where the conversa-
ton was held. That was his explanation
of the remark upon which the case is in a
great measure based, and the jurors imme-
dlately began to question him closely on
the subject.
He was asked several questions as to his
intentions when he spoke to Johnson on
the evening before he was summoned, and
he finally came to halt at the question:
How did you know the evening before
that Johnson was to he sim mOpnd pr Tho
prisoner tidgeted about in his chair, looked
first at the jury and then at the Judge, and
finally said: Wei, I'll tell you if you
want to know. YOU can do as YOU please
with me, but what 1 tell you is the truth.
l went TO Livernash and asked him if he
wanted some men on the jury. He said
yes. Then went to Mcdonald and asked
wanted. | said / could get the men on for
$500 apiece. Then 1 went to Rock anu he
agreed to get Johnson on the Jury
"Were you ever in this business before?n
asked another Juror.
1.-THE jury-bribing business?" asked the
witness, in the most matter-of-fact way.
Yes
mo. never was; ! know what you are
thinking of, though" Hurley continued.
was the one who stayed out for acquittal
the first time. That man Harry Piper put
me on that jury and told me he would give
me $4,000 if l would hold out for acquittal.
And, by God, he has never given me cent
of it," continued the witness in an injured
tone. The jurymen smiled, the bailiff
raped on the desk to suppress the giggle
ley was withdrawn. The defense will pro-
coed this morning when they have found
witness for whom they are looking.