Los Angeles herald., 1905-09-23
NJ NAB BATTLES
WITH JOHNSON
FIERCE WAR OF WORDS AT
EMMONS TRIAL
Combat Is Regarded as One Of the
Most Remarkable Verbal Con-
flicts in Legal History
of the County
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SACRAMENTO, Sept. 22.-In the En-
mons trial today the spectators in Judge
usual interest for period of half an
hour while Gavin McNab and Grove l..
Johnson, earnest and impetuous, filled
with fiery earnestness and betraying
anger in every word, battled to a
finish over the motives and reasons
that actuated McNab and his associates
in arranging the plot that brought
about the expulsion of four members
of the state senate and the two sensa-
tional trials in the superior court of
this county.
All the acumen OF McNab was exerted
in his replies to the questions of Mr..
johnson. His role of witnesses seemed
forgotten as the questions delved
deeper into the moral purpose and OBJ
ject of McNab, the manager of the Con-
tinental Building and Loan association,
and others who were engaged in ar
rangement and consummation of the
plan He leaned forward, his hands
gripping his knees, his eyes fastened
upon those of his interrogator and his
whole attitude showing the intense ex-
citement under which he labored. Every
reply was heightened into an address
as the feelings of the speaker gained
the upper hand. At the same time the
questions of Mr.. Johnson touched more
directly the heart of things and fol-
lowed so Immediately upon the heels
of each reply that legal objection on
the part of the prosecutors or any one
else was we'll nigh impossible.
McNab gave unhesitating replies to
questions that his legal knowledge has
hitherto prevented his answering. He
opened with a bitter denunciation of the
methods adopted against the Continen-
tai Building and Loan association and
then was asked to defend his course in
preparing a bribe for members of the
senate of California.
McNab Is Defiant
McNab rose to the occasion. He
affirmed his right as a citizen to pre-
vent besmirching of the halls of legis-
lation. He justified such bribery under
certain circumstances and he shook his
head with defiant satisfaction as he
affirmed his qualification at the result
and his entire willingness to repeat his
share in the transaction.
Up to moment before McNab
dashed down the steps of the court
house in haste to catch a train that
would carry him out of Sacramento,
the searching, ferreting, trying ordeal
of Interrogation proceeded. Quickly
the courtroom had filled with eager
employees of the adjoining county Of
fees, crowding in to hear one of the
most remarkable verbal combats in the
legal history of the county.
Beads of perspiration stood on the
foreheads of the two participants when
the hands of the clock finally declared
q truce. Judge and jury, spectators
and court room officials sank back in
exhaustion after the strain of listening
Recess was declared, and in tacit recog-
milton of the unusual condition was
prolonged to a greater extent than on
any previous afternoon of the trial.
To some extent Mr.. johnson laid
bare the outline of his defense, per-
sistently asking as to the course that
would probably have been adopted if
the senate committee had not assumed
a hostile attitude toward the Continen-
tai Building and Loan association. Mr..
Johnson wanted the witness to segre-
gate his motives as a citizen and as IA
director and attorney of the associa-
tion.