The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-20
TWO JURIES ARE UNDER INVESTIGATION.

] fald,s cour+ and was disqualified because
! he admitted close friendship lor refer
! r Dunno who was the railroad attorney,
! and said Mr.. Dunno formerly boarded a
| horse at his stable. w hen eXain4ne9 do
| to his qualification to sit on the Becker
| Creegan jury this particular taiesInall
| said he had only q speaking acquaintance
| with Mr.. Dunno.
| Another circumstance which is regard
! ed as peculiar by the prosecuting oHcer
was the presence at every session during
| the trial of the forger OF an employe OF
| the railroad company VINO is very Ia
| miliar with the drawing OF jurors. Ihls
mans constant presence in the court
room and the fact that he was frequently
seen with members of the jury prompted
Chief Lees to ask him II he was inter-
ested in the case. He replied that he was
not but that Pete Dunno was very
warm friend of his and he hoped to see
him win the case. The individual re-
ferred to always sat as close to the jury
box as he could get and seemed to be
more interested in the twelve men there
in than he was in the testimony OF wit
nesses.
Soon after the trial was well under way,
when too late to make the necessary OBJ
jections, the Police Department received
a number of anonymous letters warning
the prosecutors of Becker and Creegan
that a conviction could not be secured
Several letters contained direct warnings
against one juror. In view OF tneSe warn
ings the prosecution was not surprised
when a disagreement was announced.
Chief of Police Lees refused to discuss
cause he is a witness in the case and
would be guilty Of contempt. Detective
William Plnkerton was less reucent. de
said:
I'VE were warned that the jury. in the
Becker Creegan trial was sure to disa-
gree and consequently were not bit sur
considered trustworthy but were received
too late TO be of any value to the prose-
cution. Then, too, we We're SO positive
that our case was perfect that we felt
justified in going ahead, feeling that no
man would have the temerity TO vote for
the acquittal of the forgers after the evil
dence was all in.
THE evidence presented at the first trial
was much more direct and conclusive
than in the first trial, when a conviction
was secured.
Let me say right here that neither the
American Bankers Association nor the
bankers of California have any desire to
prosecute innocent men. These men are
VIGOROUSLY dangerous and Sl1illful for
gers and should be behind the bars, where
they cannot prey upon society.
But to resume about the jury. The
unsatisfactory termination of the recent
trial in Judge Wallace,S court convinced
me that something was wrong. Acting In
Francisco l began an investigation.
Every one of the nine jurors who voted
to convict the defendants has been inter-
viewed. They have told us of the peculiar
demeanor of the three jurors who held
out for an acquittal. AS soon as the door
closed upon the jury the three men re-
tired TO a corner of the room and after
brief consultation, in which none of
the others participated, they announced
their position and unalterable intention
to vote for the discharge of the accused
forgers. Then and afterward they abso-
lute!y refused to discuss the case on its
merits and laughed at their confreres who
sought to convince them that the evidence
justified verdict of guilty.
Ample opportunity was afforded for
the corruption of the jury by the frequent
and long adjournmenfs Court would re-
cess from Friday until Monday, and cleo
ton week an adjournment lasting six
days was had.
Il wish you to state that 1 do not think
for an instant that Messrs. Dunno and
McPike, the defendants attorneys, are
in any way involved in the suspicious
which attach to certain members of the
jury. Both are reputable gentlemen, and
| know they would not, under any cir
cumstance, cOuntenanCe q crime. l am
certain that these gentlemen knew moth
sing of any attempt to fix the jury, If it
was fixed.
I'VE cannot charge any one with en-
bracery, but many circumstances con-
nected with the case justify us in saying
that some strange influence seems to have
been at work to defeat justice.
Becker and Creegan will not be al
lowed to escape. We are ready TO proceed
with another trial, The witnesses from
New York and Philadelphia who were
brought here TO testify will remain, and
an hmm ediate retrial will be insisted upon
by the prosecution
Regarding the man who is suspected Of
tampering with the jury I cannot say any
thing at this time; but if the leads we are
working on develop, and we expect they
will, something is liable to drop on an
Individual who will have a pretty hard
time clearing himself. This person Is
employed by a LARGE corporation which
has great many jury cases on trial at
all times, and he is onto all the lines.
You may say with safety that some
sensational developments are sure to
come before this matter is dropped"