The San Francisco call., 1896-10-09
STRANGE CONDUCT
OF JUDGE GELCHER
Talks to a Jury in Behalf
Of Judge Hebbard's
Candidacy.
Proceedings in the Chinese Muir.
der Case Are Varied by a
Political Speech.
MAY LOCK THE JURORS UP
They Were Asked by the Court te
Support the Candidate of the
Non Par tisans.

If Judge Hebbard is not elected to the
bench again it will not be for lack OF In
teresting novelties which have been intro
duced INTO the conduct OF his campaign.
The most bizarre of these and one hith-
erto wholly untried in these parts was de-
yeloped yesterday, when Judge Belcher
interrupted the trial of murder case in
order to harangue the jury in his behalf.
Mr.. Buckley and Mr. Rainey, political
experts who have probably invented more
extraordinary methods of gathering votes
than any twenty men in the State, will no
doubt watch the effect of this experiment
with breathless interest.
When this jury is sent to its room at the
conclusion of the case to deliberate upon
its verdict the opportunity will present
itself to Judge Belcher to turn the key in
the lock and keep them there until they
promlse-every one of them-to vote for
his favorite for Superior Judge.
he will never get better chance to do
real '.yeoman work" in politics. Certain
ly the members of the jury are not wholly
unprepared Tor such move, and some OF
them, who do not wish to vote for Judge
Hebbard unless com PEELED to do SO by
some process of law of which they have
not hitherto been advised, are somewhat
alarmed.
The trial of Woon Tuck Wo is being
heard before Judge Belchef, Department
II OF the Superior Court. Wo IS the Chi
naman who is charged with having shot
Lee III some weeks ago on Waverly place.
The prosecution concluded its presenta-
ton of its case yesterday morning, and
Judge Ferral had just opened for the de-
tense when the noon recess was taken.
Judge Belcher having given the usual ad-
moni:ion to the jury not TO talk about the
case, requested the twelve good men to
remain In their places after the recess had
been declared, as he wished to speak to
them privately.
When the audience and witnesses had
departed, but while the counsel in the
| case were still packing up their papers,
Judge Be.cher stepped down from the
bench to the rail of the jury-box and
there began the first speech of the cam
palgn in behalf of his brother Judge.
Judge Belcher spoke i'll a low tone of
voice when he began, and the jurors, at
| first wondering, leaned forward in their
| places to hear what the court-for the
| Judge was still the court TO them, despite
the recess-had to say to jury in private.
| When they caught the drift of his re-
marks their wonder turned to amaze
| ment.
His Honor began by referring to the
candidacy of Judge Hebbard on the Nom
Partisan ticket. He SAID his repudiation
by the Republican convention was MOTH
| ing less than crying outrage. He de-
clared quite hotly that this action was the
result of certain influences" being
brought to bear against him, chiefly by
corporations that had no doubt been
offended by some of Judge Hebbard' s de-
cisions. He went on to say that Judge
Hebbard was all that he ought to be as a
| wise, just and able Judge, and should re-
ceive the support of every member of the
jury.
The address was an able campaign
effort, and consumed a very considerable
part of the time OF the recess.
Several of the jurors were personally
known to the speaker, and some discus
sion followed on a familiar footing.
Others of the jury who were not per-
sonally known to the Judge, and who had
no interest in what he was saving, took
their hats and left the courtroom while it
was still going on.
The names of the jury who were sub
jected to this experience were: August
Binsky, 3l2 EDDY street; P. T. Dunn,
l09 Guerrero street; T. G. Van Bib
Der. 1905 Polk; Washington Marion, 1917
Scott; ii. G. Osmont, BOA Fell; A. P.
Robbins, 1912 Geary; William A. Davies,
1882 Jackson; Frank McMullen, 1511
Jones; John N. Nolan, 722 Waller; ]. s.
Franklin, 1929 California; E. P. Danforth,
Uoll To