Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-27
Attempts TO Address Court


bias existed at the time of the jury's
acceptance"
Attempts to Address Court
1t was at this point that Ruef at
tempted to address the court. He said.
LAS an officer of this court"
Il object to this man being heard as
an officer of this court" interrupted
Heney, Especially If that office means
district attorney. There has been is
sued by this court an order restraining
MIR. Ruef from asserting himself to be
the district attorney"
"I am not recognizing anyone as the
district attorney" said Judge Graham.
land do not intend to hear from any
one In that~capacity. / VIII hear from
any attorney at this bar and | should
like to hear from the two gentlemen
who have been named by the court as
amicus curae.'
Ruef here obtained a hearing and
said
"As an attorney at the bar of this
court | desire to state my belief that If
this procedure is followed, and If Mr..
Heney is permitted to examine these
jurors, the grand jury as Il body cannot
act validly."
After tIeney had quoted authorities
in support of his contention he said
assistant district attorney in the mat
ters presented to this grand jury, and
that / intend to present first charges of
felony and nisdemeanor against A.
Ruef. Further than this. l desire at
this time to examine the members of
the grand jury to ascertain il bias or
prejudice does exist"
Ruef Has His Say
Ruef said;
"I desire to make a statement at this
time and it is not in any assumed or
usurped authority, such as has been
taken by this gentleman, whose utter
ances have been made simply to OBJ
tain newspaper comment. And | wish
to withdraw the word gentleman as
applied to him. 1t was uttered without
thinking"
Heney made objection and the court
warned Ruef not to indulge in any
personalities.
'I defy this person to produce any
evidence of misdemeanor or felony,
continued Ruef, "and | insist that ne
shall not be permitted to attempt to
produce concocted evidence at this
time and before this jury. I need no
protection. / am here to protect the
interests of the people. This is an evil
dent attempt to render this grand jury
invalid. AS a citizen 1 protest against
a backing of 100000 being permitted
to interpret laws to the satisfaction of
his employers"
Attorney General U. S. Webb, who
had once before attempted to secure q
hearing, then addressed the court, say
ing.
'1f this grand jury is not already
disqualified by reason of the argument
it has been permitted to hear | would
like to suggest to the court that if
these remarks are permitted to con-
tinue the disqualification may ensue.
1t may become my duty as attorney
general to offer my assistance in the
conduct of such criminal proceedings
as may come before this body In view
of the gravity of the situation I be-
lieve the question now pending should
be resolved without the jury present. E"
Jurymen Dismissed
Judge Graham thereupon made the
order dismissing the jurymen until
next Monday morning, and Attorney
General Webb continued his address,
several times referring to the possi-
bility of his assuming the function of
public prosecutor.
Henry Ach, who announced himself
as attorney for Ruef, proposed that
the question of the district attorney
/ ship be discussed for submission To the
General Webb and Heney. The latter
replied as follows
my experience as a prosecutor has
been brief, but nevertheless / have
| made it an invariable rule never to
confer With persons accused of Grim es
or their attorneys. The attorney gen.
eral of this state has seen fit to criti-
else me for my action in demanding
| that the jury be examined as to it's
| qualifications. The people have the
right to challenge the selection of such
a body and l am here as the repre-
sentative of the people.
1--WE know what we shall put before
| this jury in the first hour of it's meet
| ing. Then why shall we wait until
after the horse is stolen to lock the
| stable door? The first rule of this
| grand jury is secrecy, and shall we,
! without Investigation, be compelled to
| disclose the evidence we have been at
| such pains to gather to those whose
| purpose it is to defeat those very ends =?
Shall we wait, to let witnesses be
bribed or hurried out of the country E?
| After the miserable fiasco of last even
! ing what need can be more immediate?
81 intend to prove that the law is
| stronger and higher and mighter than
| any man or set of men in San Fran
CISCO"
Heney Talks in Loud Voice
Toward the end of this address
Heney had raised his voice until it was
distinctly audible to the crowd ilf the
street, which united with those in the
court room in demonstration that
was suppressed by Judge Graham. The
latter, a moment later. continued the
hearing until next Monday at 10
| o'clock.
After the adjournment the crowd in
the street was increased by the hun
dreds who had crowded into the luild-
ing. Langdon and Heney were cheered
as they descended the stairway, but
the appearance of Ruef was the signal
for prolonged groans and Kisses.
A score or more of Ruefs followers
surrounded him as he started in the
direction cf his automobile and for a
time they replied to the Kisses and
boots with cheers. AS Ruef reached
the corner physician, who had pre-
viously been elected by the police, at
tempted to strike the political leader
and was quickly seized by the detec-
! tives. Struggling to escape he was
hurried away in the grasp of four de-
tectives and simultaneously a large
part of the crowd started on the run
in the direction Of Ruef.
Scores of policemen and detectives