Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-14
SENATORS SCORED
BY GAVIN NJ NAB
CASE CLOSED AGAINST Al
LEGGED BRIBE TAKERS
WANTS THE REPORT DELAYED
Heated Language Used by Counsel
for Both sides Before Large
and Highly Stimulated
Audience
sneclal TO The Herald.

Special to The Herald.
SACRAMENTO, Feb. 1S.-Argu-
ments in the cases of Senators e. j.
Emmons, Harry Bunkers, Frank
French and Eli Wright, accused of ac-
cepting bribes, were concluded tonight
before the senatorial committee of in
vestigation. The senate chamber was
filled with the customary crowd
Attorney Gator was the first to
speak consuming nearly two hours nm
putting the case of the defense. At
the outset of his argument he read a
protest, signed by himself and other
attorneys for the defense, asking that
the report of the committee be de-
ferred until verdict in the case shall
have been rendered by jury in the
courts of Sacramento county. He
pointed out that such a report if det-
rimental to the accused senators would
tend to prejudice the minds of the
Jurors selected to try them in the
courts
Appeal to the Emotions
Mr.. Gator became very emotional at
times. He shouted in tones of intense
excitement that those who had come
before the committee to give evidence
against the accused senators had en-
tered into compact to bribe the legis-
lators, and therefore were themselves
guilty of felony. In reviewing the tes-
timony of Detectives T'ichenor and
Hartling against the accused he re-
referred to the witnesses as OUTLAWS
who had been scraped together from
the sewers of San Francisco"
He then urged the committee not to
make report of its findings at this
time. on the further ground that the
accused senator's had not been per-
mitted to testify in their own behalf
under oath.
Abuse Is Not Argument
1t WAS 10 o'clock when Mr.. McNab
arose in reply to Mr.. Gator. He called
the committees attention to the fact
that MIR. Gators words of abuse did
not necessarily establish proof of his
most convincing argument of the good
character of the witnesses introduced
by his side, and in a concise manner
went over the evidence of the case at
issue.
Mr.. McNab charged directly that the
Examiner was part of the scheme to
defraud the public, debauch the ac-
cused senators and bring dishonor to
the upper house and the state.
From day to day before charges
were filed against these four senators"
declared Mr.. McNab, 1.-The Examiner
not only stated what the committee on
commissions and retrenchments, of
which they We're members, would do,
but what it proposed to do"
Reporters Testimony Reviewed
Mr.. McNab then reviewed the testi-
mony of the several Examiner report
ers-Murphy, Myrtle. ct al.-and
claimed that Senator French had con-
fessed to one of them that he had
forced a certain building and loan COM
pany into settling debt by means of
his official position. He also declared
that the Examiner knew of Emmons'
unfitness as a judge of questions af-
fecting corporations of that nature.
"Why was it, then" the attorney
asked, that these four men were con-
tinually pictured up in the Examiner
when one of them was known to be
A,yI II ,ie,o
sion, was guilty of felony? Why was
it, then, if it was not to cover up the
admitted corruption of these two in
order that that paper might wreak
vengeance on corporations such as it
was opposing?"
Betrayed the People
Mr.. McNab said that there was no
doubt, in his opinion, that the name
of California has been taken In vain;
that the four accused senators had
willfully betrayed the people of the
state and offered the power of Califor-
mia vested in them for sale in the
streets of San Francisco.
During the course of his remarks Nc
4Ndb duilHliCo liidl was DldSeu ana
prejudiced, but he declared that this
should not interfere with the consider
alton of the case as presented by the
prosecution.
Chairman Belshaw of the committee
of inquiry announced that in the flu
ture the meetings of the committee
would be executive.
5ondsmen Withdrawing
John Woods has withdrawn from the
bond of Senator French and j. w.
Wilson, proprietor of the Golden
Eagle hotel. has been substituted. 1t
is understood that Thomas Norton on
the bond Of Senator Eli Wright will
withdraw tomorrow and that a San
Jose friend of Wright will be substi-
tuted.